Hao Hao ReportThe best China news and blog posts

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Protesters attempted to douse the Olympic torch with a fire extinguisher on Sunday as its arrival in London triggered angry demonstrations over China's human rights record and recent unrest in Tibet ahead of this year's Summer Games in Beijing.

Hundreds of police officers were guarding the 31-mile route and flanking torch-bearers in an effort to prevent pro-Tibet campaigners from further disrupting the event. At least 30 people have been arrested for public disorder offenses, the Metropolitan Police said.

Marina Hyde from the Guardian reckons London 2012 will be a relief from the humourless Beijing Olympics.

The way foreigners in China talk about their favorite tailors, you might think it was London circa 1925. Of course, I have no idea if everyone in London spent their time discussing their tailors, but it is how one imagines it might have been, along with most men carrying monocles.

Everything has been prepared, all tickets have been sold, yet Beijing is not ready for the games. The majors issues, air pollution, freedom of speech and journalistic freedom as well as the whole visa thing cast a dark shadow above these Olympics. What will the Olympics be under these circumstances? Doing a review later is easy... therefore I do a preview. What will happen during the Olympics, what will be the outcome?

The Beijing Olympic games is set to be the most expensive ever held, with total costs around 295 billion yuan ($43.13 billion). The money spent is made up of operational fund, venue construction costs

Zhou Chunxiu became the first Chinese London Marathon champion when she won the women's race in two hours, 20 minutes and 38 seconds overnight.

The International Olympic Committee praised Beijing on Tuesday for setting a "gold standard for the future" in its preparations for the Games, which begin in a month. "The quality of preparation, the readiness of the venues and the attention to operational detail for these Games have set a gold standard for the future," the IOC said in a statement.

Days before the 2008 Olympic Games, a foreigner in Beijing holds up a sign: Please give me a hug. Uncertain and unsure, most Chinese passing by avoid her. On the internet, some say it is culture difference, others just want a chance to hug a hot foreigner.

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Taxi driver Wang Xiancheng thought his English language level urgently needed improving, as the summer Olympics in his home city of Beijing is just one month away as of Tuesday.