While there is little appetite for a full boycott of the Beijing Olympics over China's handling of violence in Tibet, many would like to see a symbolic show of disapproval. Which is where the novel suggestion of a mini boycott by VIPs of the opening ceremony comes in. Such a protest by world leaders would be a huge slap in the face for China's Communist leadership.

The Dutch hosts smashed the women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay world record to provide a rousing start to the main pool action at the European Swimming Championships on Tuesday.

The failure of U.S. and Russian foreign and defense ministers to come up with a compromise on long-contested U.S. plans to deploy elements of a global missile-defense shield in Eastern Europe is regrettable but widely expected.

It is wholly unacceptable that Jacques Rogge, the head of the International Olympic Committee, refuses to take a stand against the Beijing government's current crackdown on Tibetan protesters. In fact, this is completely at odds with the ""Olympic spirit.""

Liberals and patriots have one thing in common. Both are prone to hysterics. During the eight years of Vladimir Putin's presidency, we had to put up with the ranting of the liberal faction. They raised alarms about Putin's ""bloody regime,"" the ""threat of fascism"" and the country's imminent concentration camps.

Although Belarus may not seem like a logical place for a getaway, the capital city, Minsk, deserves another look.

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