British government puts another $491 million toward London 2012 Olympic Village

July 27th, 2009 Train runs on time for 3-year Olympic countdownLONDON — With three years to go until the opening ceremony, organizers of the 2012 London Olympics passed an important test Monday: The train ran on time. The weather was less cooperative: It rained.

July 27th, 2009 With 3 years to go, London Olympics still on trackLONDON — This Olympic training went so well that the two star British athletes broke out in smiles. The needle-nosed "Javelin" high-speed train carried officials, athletes and media from central London to the main site of the 2012 Olympics in 6 minutes, 45 seconds — smashing its scheduled target time of 7 minutes.

July 27th, 2009 London marks 3-year countdown to 2012 OlympicsLONDON — With three years to go until the opening ceremony, London organizers have passed an important test with the successful trial run of a high-speed train service to the 2012 Olympic Park. The "Javelin" train carried British organizers and athletes from St.

June 30th, 2009 London mayor: Olympic stadium could stay at 80,000LONDON — The main stadium for the 2012 London Olympics might not be downsized after the games because of England's bid for the 2018 World Cup. London Mayor Boris Johnson previously said it would be too expensive to keep the stadium at its maximum capacity of 80,000, instead backing plans for a 25,000-seat venue.

May 20th, 2009 LONDON - Sprinter Linford Christie's niece is on track for Olympic fame and the Miss World crown. Gorgeous Rachel Christie, 20, who trains with gold medallist Linford, 49, is tipped to represent Britain in 2012 as a 400m sprinter and heptathlete.

May 14th, 2009 Picturesque British village with 21 cottages soldLONDON — The leafy English village of Linkenholt with its 21 cottages and a manor house has found a buyer. Real estate agent Tim Sherston said Thursday that the village, which had a 23 million-pound asking price and was for sale as a whole, is off the market.

May 13th, 2009 British gov't to own London 2012 VillageLONDON — The British government put another $491 million of public money into the Olympic Village for the 2012 London Games after being unable to secure private financing because of the recession. The government said Wednesday it could have accepted a private bid for the project, which includes 2,800 apartments, but the offer was too low.

May 5th, 2009 McCann confirmed as 2012 Olympics marketing bodyLONDON — U.S.-owned advertising firm McCann Worldgroup has been confirmed as the official marketers for the 2012 London Olympics. McCann, which is owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies Inc., is the Games' eighth "Tier Three" sponsor — a status which costs companies about $15.1 million.

April 29th, 2009 Table tennis wants revised schedule for 2012 GamesYOKOHAMA, Japan — The International Table Tennis Federation wants to alter the schedule for the 2012 London Olympics so that singles matches are played ahead of the team events. Team events were played before the singles competition at the Beijing Games, but the ITTF will propose to the International Olympic Committee that singles matches be staged first in London.

April 26th, 2009 Olympic champion Wanjiru wins London MarathonLONDON — Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru has won his first London Marathon title in a course-record time. The 22-year-old Wanjiru won Sunday's 26.2-mile race in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 10 seconds, providing a record seventh triumph for Kenyan runners.

April 7th, 2009 LONDON - A new survey has revealed that Britons use 13,000 carrier bags in their lifetime. The research conducted by British government has revealed that an average consumer uses more than 160 new plastic bags a year.

March 12th, 2009 LONDON - The mayor of London Wednesday urged foreign businesses to relocate to the British capital, saying he will provide a year's free office space and expert advice. Boris Johnson's offer came as the latest cost of living survey revealed London is cheaper to live in than New York City for the first time since 2002.

March 12th, 2009 LONDON - To ensure total security during the London Olympics in 2012, the British Government should approach the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for help. The Chairman of the European Union Committee, Lord Jopling, expressed his surprise that the Government has not begun talks with the EU Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), a civil protection unit.

February 18th, 2009 LONDON - Having helped bring the 2012 Olympic Games to Britain, Olympian Sebastian Coe will seek to complete a remarkable double after being named as part of England's bid team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Coe currently chairs the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a position he will continue to hold alongside the vice-presidency of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

December 30th, 2008 LONDON - Cyclist Chris Hoy, the first British athlete for 100 years to win three gold medals at the same Olympics Games, has been awarded Knighthood. It is a double celebration for the 32-year-old Olympic cycling champion.