Olympics

After seven years of planning, the London 2012 Olympics are finally officially starting tonight with the Opening Ceremony taking place at the brand new Olympics Stadium in Stratford. Whilst there will be 80,000 spectators there in the stadium, there will be millions (possibly even billions) more watching at home on TV. It will all be kicking off at 9pm tonight and is being shown live on BBC 1. 

What better way for you to start the Olympics than by having an Opening Ceremony party? Gather your friends in front of a TV and make it a night to remember (or not, depending on the amount of alcohol drunk). Here we have gathered some of the very best ideas for Olympics parties. 

ForeignStudents.com writer Aryan looks at the differing opinions about London hosting the Olympics and comes to a novel conclusion.

"So it looks like the summer is finally back. While many of us may not have seen our beloved Sol since way back in April, its timely return has coincided with the dawning of the grandest worldwide event of the year. The sun is shining brightly on the British Isles, the athletes are warming up, and thousands of spectators from all over the world are waiting eagerly in gates of Olympia!

Well, Stratford.

I am, of course, referring to the Olympic Games, the longest running international sporting event in history, its inception dating back over two thousand years. Granted there was a fairly lengthy hiatus during its run - several hundred years, to be precise (longer even than Doctor Who was off the air) - but since its revival in 1896 it has been going strong, developing into a global event in which almost every nation in the world participates, an impressive feat in itself.

The London 2012 Olympics are finally almost upon us. After seven years of planning, building and preparing, the Opening Ceremony will officially be opening the Games at the brand new Olympic Stadium on Friday. Here we have a round-up of all the latest news, including the opening events, some unusual statues and the weather finally turning.

Sunshine Appears in Time

After months of rain and floods spoiling the British summer, the sun has finally turned up just in time for the Olympics. Britain is expected to enjoy its hottest weather of the year this week, with forecasters predicting temperatures of over 30C (86F)- that's hotter than Hawaii. This good weather is expected to remain for much of August, though forecasters are predicting that heavy showers and even storms could afflict the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

A Met Office spokesman described how we face a "typical British summer" this weekend with unsettled conditions: "For Friday, it is still looking reasonably warm but at the same time there is a slight chance of a shower in the South but these showers should be few and far between".

There are just two weeks to go until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. The final preparations are being put in place and excitement is growing all the time. Over the last few months, the members of the team who will compete for Great Britain have gradually been revealed. The whole team has now been chosen, with an amazing 542 members competing for their country.

Selection Controversy

There have been a few controversial decisions over which athletes have been chosen for the team. The first one to make the news was when the taekwondo team was announced. Just one spot was given to the men in the under-80kg weight division, and that was taken by Lutalo Muhammad. However, it wasn't so much him that caused the controversy, but the man he replaced. Whilst Muhammad was ranked just 59th in the world, a fellow Brit who was overlooked- Aaron Cook, was ranked number one in the world and reigning European Champion.

Cook was devastated and felt that the selection process was very unfair. He therefore appealed, firstly to the British Olympic Association and then to the World Taekwondo Federation. However, both upheld the decision made by the GB Taekwondo, claiming their selection process had been transparent throughout.