Word: britain
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...Games are moving on. And Britain, which scored its best medal haul in a century, is a counterpoint to China. London has far less to prove than Beijing. It may have plenty of troubles: a congested city center, topsy-turvy real-estate prices. But lack of confidence is not one of London's problems. The Closing Ceremony's eight-minute preview spot for the upcoming host featured a charming double-decker bus loaded with a small cast of characters that included rocker Jimmy Page. The organizers of London 2012 said they didn't want to compete with the Closing Ceremony...
...Gadd's crisscrossing of Asia started on August 19 when Vietnamese authorities deported him from Ho Chi Minh City after he served 27 months in prison for sexually abusing two girls, aged 10 and 11. But Gadd didn't want to go home to Britain. He refused to board a connecting flight in Bangkok, where Thai immigration authorities rejected his request to remain in the country, even after he claimed to have a heart attack in the departure lounge. Gadd then hopped a flight to Hong Kong, where officials once again denied him entry, sending him instead back to Thailand...
...Thankfully, Britain's friends overseas have been only too happy to offer a sense of perspective. French officials have apparently suggested the dominance of Britain's cycling team in Beijing may be down more to performance-enhancing drugs than our bulldog spirit. (If it'd raced as a separate nation, the cycle team would currently be ninth in the medal table.) And John Coates, head of the Australian Olympic Committee, was even gracious enough to applaud a British gold in the pool as "not bad for a country that has no swimming pools and very little soap...
...Soon enough, Britain will get back to its longing for higher house prices, less rain - and more soap, along with the sobering realization that it's got to do it all again in 2012. British Olympic officials had earlier targeted fourth place in the medals table when the games are held in London in four years time. Now, particularly in view of a promised increase to athletes' funding - already greatly improved over the past decade, and a key factor in British success in Beijing - the country is bound to expect an even higher finish at home...
...Children. She's calling for governments to work more closely with one another to investigate and track sex offenders. But for Gadd, changes to the law are unlikely to make a difference, as he will be under a magnifying glass no matter where he lives. For the children of Britain, the notoriety of the former Gary Glitter may be the most sound protection...