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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Olympic boycotts

Olympic boycotts stories: 11 news summaries

 Sarko Won't
 Boycott Beijing 

French president confirms he's going to the games after all

Jul 9, 08 9:26 AM CDT
(Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy is backing off his threats to boycott the Beijing Olympics to protest China’s treatment of Tibet, the BBC reports. Sarkozy met with China’s president at the G8 summit, and now confirms that he will attend the opening ceremony. The French president said he made the decision... More »

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China • European Union • Nicolas Sarkozy • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Hu Jintao • Olympic boycotts

Bush: Olympic Boycott Would Be 'Affront' to Chinese People

Prez says he'll tackle human rights in Beijing

Jul 6, 08 11:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - President Bush today defended his decision not to boycott the Beijing Olympics next month, saying skipping “would be an affront to the Chinese people" that would make it difficult "to speak more frankly with the Chinese leadership.” Speaking ahead of tomorrow's G8 meeting in Japan, Bush said... More »

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Japan • Beijing • Group of Eight • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Hu Jintao • boycott • George W. Bush • Olympic boycotts

 Bush Will Attend
 Beijing Opener

President dashes rights groups' hopes of an Olympic opening boycott

Jul 4, 08 3:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - The White House has confirmed that President Bush will attend the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics—and he's likely to have plenty of seats to choose from in the VIP box, reports the New York Times. Brit Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not be... More »

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China • Angela Merkel • Nicolas Sarkozy • 2008 Beijing Olympics • George W. Bush • Olympic boycotts

 Sarkozy: 'I Made Some Mistakes' 

Vows to 'stay the course' on French TV

Apr 25, 08 7:22 AM CDT
(Newser) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy defended his first year in office in a TV interview but admitted he made mistakes, reports the BBC. It's been a rough debut. His controversial policies—met by fierce opposition in certain sectors— have failed to reverse an economic downturn, and his flashy courtship of model... More »

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European Union • Nicolas Sarkozy • 2008 Beijing Olympics • French economy • Carla Bruni • Ingrid Betancourt • subprime crisis • Olympic boycotts • 35-hour working week

 Sarko Too Nice to China: Critics 

French president assailed for abandoning human-rights concerns

Apr 23, 08 9:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Paris seems to have reversed a tide of anti-French sentiment in China, but critics wonder if President Nicolas Sarkozy’s charm offensive has undermined his country’s commitment to human rights, Der Spiegel reports. Since Sarkozy’s messages of conciliation have gone out, China’s Foreign Ministry has praised the... More »

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China • Nicolas Sarkozy • France • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Opening Ceremony • Olympic boycotts • Carrefour

US Athletes Reject Boycott of Beijing Games

Sporting trumps politics, even for sympathetic competitors

Apr 17, 08 4:32 PM CDT
(Newser) - Many US athletes aren’t swayed by winds of boycott surrounding the Beijing Olympics, the Christian Science Monitor reports. “What's going on is important and we should pay attention to it,” says a 2004 gold medalist, but “we need to be athletes first.”  Despite a... More »

MORE ABOUT:
2008 Beijing Olympics • athlete • Olympic boycotts • Olympic protests

More Notables Stay Away From Beijing Olympics

Nobel laureate scraps torch relay; UN chief won't attend opening

Apr 11, 08 11:17 AM CDT
(Newser) - The controversy around the Olympic flame continued as Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel laureate, announced she was dropping out of the torch relay. Maathai was to carry the torch this weekend in Tanzania but pulled out in protest of China's human rights record. Maathai also told the Los ... More »

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2008 Beijing Olympics • Olympic torch • Wangari Maathai • Olympic boycotts • Olympic protests • torch relay • Ban Ki-Moon

British PM Won't Attend Olympic Opening

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

Apr 9, 08 3:36 PM CDT
(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... More »

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United Kingdom • Gordon Brown • 2012 London Olympics • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Britain • Olympic boycotts

 Clinton to Bush: Skip Olympics 

Candidate cites Darfur and Tibet as reasons not to go

Apr 7, 08 7:15 PM CDT
(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... More »

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China • Nancy Pelosi • Hillary Clinton • Darfur • human rights • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Tibet • human rights abuse • George W. Bush • Olympic boycotts

OPINION

West Must Boycott Olympic Venues 'Stained With Blood'

Oppressed Chinese, Tibetans demand no less, French philosopher says

Mar 27, 08 6:33 PM CDT
(Newser) - The West must take a stand against China's human-rights abuses by boycotting the Summer Olympics, French philosopher Bernard-Henry Levy insists in the New Republic. Otherwise, athletes will compete in “stadiums stained with blood.” China was supposed to cease its worst behavior, but it’s done the opposite: A... More »

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China • Darfur • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Tibet • Burma • human rights abuse • boycott • Bernard-Henri Levy • Olympic boycotts

Sarkozy Dangles Olympic Boycott

'Open' to skipping opening ceremonies
if China-Tibet tensions don't improve

Mar 25, 08 12:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy says "all options are open" in terms of a possible boycott of the opening ceremonies of Beijing's Olympics. While his aides say that France would oppose a full boycott of the games, the French prez is signaling his discontent with China's recent crackdown in Tibet. "I... More »

MORE ABOUT:
China • Nicolas Sarkozy • 2008 Beijing Olympics • Tibet • Dalai Lama • Opening Ceremony • Olympic boycotts

11 Stories


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