The International Olympic Committee is to decide on the host city for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games later this week.

This Friday will see the vote and announcement of the venue for the 2008 games, followed by the election of a new president to replace Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Five nations are proposing cities for the games, although only three - Beijing, Paris and Toronto are thought to be in serious contention.

The proposal of Beijing for a second time (after losing out narrowly to Sydney for the 2000 Olympics) is still a point of great political contention, as China's political history is seen by some as an affront to the ethos of the Olympics.

Despite the human rights concerns, Beijing is still seen as the frontrunner for the approval of the IOC.