2008 Beijing Olympics

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China Arrests 45 in 'Olympic Terror Plot'

Terrorist plot averted, officials say, but credibility problem persists

(Newser) - China has rooted out two terrorist groups plotting to kidnap Olympic athletes and attack tourist hotels during the games, the Ministry of Public Security announced today. Chinese forces rounded up 45 suspects and seized explosives and “jihadist” literature in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. But China has often cried...

SF Mayor Takes Heat for Torch Dodge
SF Mayor
Takes Heat for Torch Dodge
Apr 10, 2008 7:28 AM CDT

SF Mayor Takes Heat for Torch Dodge

Rerouting Olympic flame relay enrages duped protesters

(Newser) - The San Francisco leg of the Olympic torch relay avoided some of the chaos that plagued London and Paris, but pro-Tibetan activists were fuming that Mayor Gavin Newsom rerouted the flame's path at the last minute to dodge protesters. "He did it so China can report they had a...

Torch Changes Keep Protesters Off Balance

San Francisco's bait-and-switch approach keeps Olympic flame's tour mainly peaceful

(Newser) - Throngs of pro- and anti-China demonstrators in San Francisco forced drastic changes in the Olympic torch's tour of the city, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Officials bused the flame and relay runners from the bayside opening ceremony miles across town; after heading west toward the Golden Gate Bridge, the convoy...

British PM Won't Attend Olympic Opening

Brown insists he's not boycotting, will go to closing ceremony

(Newser) - British PM Gordon Brown will not attend the Beijing Olympics’ opening ceremony, the BBC reports, though his office made clear it was not a boycott. Brown said he never intended to go to the opening and emphasized that that he will be present at the closing ceremony for the torch...

China's Torch 'Thugs' Draw Their Own Controversy

Sinister keepers of the Olympic flame barred from Australia relay

(Newser) - The Olympic flame’s mysterious Chinese guardians have been rubbing Europe the wrong way, Der Spiegel reports. The men in the powder blue track suits haven’t hesitated to get rough, and local authorities wonder why they’re necessary. “They are horrible,” said London’s Olympic Committee Chairman....

San Francisco in Fine Frenzy Over Torch

Security tightens as protesters hit streets for relay

(Newser) - The Olympic torch winds its way through San Francisco today and authorities are bracing for big trouble from protesters who have already hit the streets, AP reports. The torch was buffeted by protests in London and Paris, where the relay was cut short, and the worst may be yet to...

Flame Arrives in San Francisco
 Flame Arrives in San Francisco 
Apr 8, 2008 3:26 PM CDT

Flame Arrives in San Francisco

Protesters absent amid heavy security; torch in hiding before tomorrow's city tour

(Newser) - The Olympic flame landed in San Francisco early this morning, accompanied by Chinese officials and protected by riot-ready security, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The 3:40am landing was followed by a round of photographs before a quick retreat to an undisclosed location, where the torch will await tomorrow's relay...

Olympic Committee May Cancel Torch Relay

IOC to meet in Beijing to discuss massive protests

(Newser) - The International Olympic Committee has scheduled an extraordinary meeting to discuss whether the remainder of this year's torch relay should be canceled. In the face of massive protests against China's human rights abuses, the committee is considering a plan to limit the remainder of the relay to China, reports AFP....

Beijing Blasts Torch Protests

Marches "tarnish the lofty Olympic spirit," China says

(Newser) - Today China denounced the protests that have disrupted Olympic torch relays in London and Paris over the past 2 days, Reuters reports. "The despicable activities tarnish the lofty Olympic spirit," a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said. She also denied media reports that "the Olympic torch was forced to...

Clinton to Bush: Skip Olympics
 Clinton to Bush: Skip Olympics 
Apr 7, 2008 7:15 PM CDT

Clinton to Bush: Skip Olympics

Candidate cites Darfur and Tibet as reasons not to go

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton urged President Bush today to skip the Beijing Olympics over China's role in the Darfur genocide and violence in Tibet, Politico reports. She joined ranks with Nancy Pelosi in calling for Bush to protest Beijing's human rights record "absent major changes by the Chinese government," Clinton...

Torch Protesters Climb Golden Gate Bridge

Pro-Tibet students make statement from above

(Newser) - With the Olympic torch due to reach San Francisco tomorrow, protesters climbed the Golden Gate Bridge today to unfurl banners reading “One World, One Dream" and "Free Tibet 08.” The climbers, members of Students for a Free Tibet, were arrested after they rappelled down the bridge’s...

China Wikipedia Access Not So Impressive
China Wikipedia Access Not So Impressive
OPINION
Apr 7, 2008 1:55 PM CDT

China Wikipedia Access Not So Impressive

Recent move isn't enough to meet IOC's request for openness

(Newser) - It's good for Chinese Internet users that the government has lifted bans on Wikipedia and Blogspot, but the move isn't the great breakthrough it may seem to be. If the policy change was intended to fulfill requests from the International Olympic Committee for an open internet, it falls well short...

Olympic Flame Doused 5 Times; Paris Relay Cut Short

Torch is put out, put on a bus, re-lighted, then put out again

(Newser) - Paris police today extinguished the Olympic flame five times after massive pro-Tibet protests turned the torch relay into chaos. The torch was doused for the first time near the start of the route at the Eiffel Tower and taken on board the bus that accompanies the runners, the AP reports....

China Rips 'Vile' London Torch Protests

State media glosses over clashes

(Newser) - A day after protesters in London nearly extinguished the Olympic flame, Beijing denounced the "tiny number of Tibet independence elements" who threatened the torch relay. "We strongly condemn this vile behavior," said an official. Chinese television focused on cheering crowds in the British capital, followed by a...

London Erupts in Torch Protests

Activist grabs torch, 25 busted in street battles with cops

(Newser) - Despite massive security, London erupted today in a series of protests along the route of the Olympic flame relay, and a "free Tibet" protester managed to grab the torch before police wrestled him to the ground, reports the Guardian. At least 25 protesters were busted as scores of police...

China Plans 'Education' of Tibetan Monks

Beijing's move to enforce loyalty raises fears of more violence

(Newser) - Fed up with protests from Tibetan monks, Beijing said today it will step up a campaign of "patriotic education," the AP reports. Beijing will try to force monks to denounce the Dalai Lama and declare their loyalty to China, adding to worries that the current tension over human...

Beijing Eases Limits on Wikipedia
Beijing Eases Limits on Wikipedia
Apr 5, 2008 11:12 AM CDT

Beijing Eases Limits on Wikipedia

But topics such as Tibet, Tiananmen remain off limits

(Newser) - Prodded by the International Olympic Committee, China has seemingly eased restrictions on the English-language version of Wikipedia, Reuters reports. But authorities continue to block access to articles related to sensitive topics such as Tibet and Tiananmen Square. Users in Shanghai and Beijing, the site of the summer Olympics, reported being...

Chinese Rights Advocate Jailed
 Chinese Rights Advocate Jailed 
Apr 3, 2008 8:18 AM CDT

Chinese Rights Advocate Jailed

EU, US slam China's handling of Hu Jia's case

(Newser) - A top Chinese human-rights activist has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for writings and comments considered subversive, the New York Times reports. The case of Hu Jia, 34, been watched closely around the world; critics see it as part of a government crackdown on dissidents...

For Olympians, Conscience Battles Wallet

Protesting could get athletes thrown out of Games

(Newser) - The Beijing Olympics will be rife with protesters, but athletes may be reluctant to be among them, reports the New York Times. Olympic rules forbid protests or propaganda at Olympic sites, and sponsors are sure to frown on such activity. Even Team Darfur, a protest group with many Olympian members,...

Mickey Ds Lurks Behind Spooky 'Lost Ring' Game

Golden Arches launches weirdest marketing campaign yet

(Newser) - Players had spent days searching for clues to The Lost Ring, an Olympic-themed online mystery game, before uncovering the stunning identity of the game’s shadowy creator: McDonald’s. Golden arches and burgers are nowhere to be seen in the dark contest—instead it’s promoting the Olympics, while “...

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