London bus workers have voted to accept an offer of an Olympics bonus, "ending the threat of another strike." The Unite union said worker s would get £577 ($904) in recognition of the "massive increase" in workload over the Games (PA, 7/18).
CRICKET SECURITY: In London, Rajeev Syal reported that Metropolitan police officers "have been asked to guard the prestigious Olympic venue of Lord's cricket ground" because of a shortfall in G4S private security guards. Around 20 police officers were bussed in at 6am GMT on Tuesday to the north London venue where archery competition will take place and stayed there for 10 hours before being replaced by others (GUARDIAN, 7/18).
SLEEP TIGHT: In London, Jacquelin Magnay reported that the 11,000 single beds for the Olympic athletes village are on sale now for £39.99 ($63), but they "won't be delivered until the end of October" following the Paralympic Games. All of the beds and mattresses in the London 2012 Olympic village are being put up for sale by the official supplier of furniture to the Olympics, Ramler Furniture. The company "has to sell off all of the more than one million Games products" from coat hangers to lamps before the end of October (TELEGRAPH, 7/18).
NO FIRST CLASS: In London, Julian Ryall reported that the players of Japan's world-beating women's football team "are furious after they were forced to fly in economy class to take part in the Olympic Games," while their distinctly average male counterparts flew business class to Europe. The women believe they should at least "have been treated as equals" on the Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo to Paris earlier this week. Team captain Homare Sawa said, "I guess it should have been the other way around. Even just in terms of age, we are senior" (TELEGRAPH, 7/18).
BET ON IT: In Beijing, He Dan reported that Chinese retailers began "selling lottery tickets related to the London Olympic Games" to raise money for public welfare. Two types of scratch-off lottery tickets with names related to the Olympics -- "the Chinese Olympic Delegation" and "Hand in Hand with the Olympic Games" -- were introduced in Beijing on Tuesday (CHINA DAILY, 7/18).
