2008 Summer Olympics

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. But Beijing officials have insisted that the relay will continue as planned. More »

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 be extinguished during its relay in Paris." More »

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 said in a statement. More »

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 south tower, leaving the sign aloft, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. More »

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. Officials re-lit it farther along the route, only to douse it again four more times before finally cutting short the relay. More »

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 story criticizing the protesters, writes Reuters. More »

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 grappled with activists demonstrating against China's human rights abuses. More »

The Olympic torch arrives Wednesday in San Francisco, and Mayor Gavin Newsom is already being flamed in advance of expected protests. Tens of thousands are expected to fill the streets of the "protest-happy city" to condemn China's treatment of Tibet, reports Newsweek .  Newsom's plan to require demonstrators to register for permits has drawn criticism, and city supervisors are clamoring for Newsom to sign a resolution criticizing Chinese policy. More »

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 rights will only worsen as the Summer Olympics approach. More »

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 in advance of the Beijing Olympics. The US pronounced itself “dismayed” by the move and the EU called for his release. More »

Chinese authorities are accusing the Dalai Lama of organizing suicide attacks, building an arsenal of weapons and explosives in Tibetan monasteries, and plotting to disrupt the Beijing Olympics. The fresh allegations come in the wake of last month's raging protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and China's violent response. More »

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, understands. For many sports, “This is their one time every four years to make money,” said a group co-founder. More »

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 “strengthening our bond with the global youth culture,” said McDonald’s marketing chief. “You can’t put an R.O.I. on this.” More »

China, the world's most populous country, is also home to the planet's largest number of smokers. But in the latest effort to clear the air for the Olympics, Beijing has banned smoking in government offices and public transportation, and mandated smoke-free areas in restaurants as of May 1. The penalty:  $700 for lighting up illegally in a country where a pack of smokes goes for 20 cents. More »

House speaker Nancy Pelosi calls on President Bush to consider skipping the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics in an interview airing today, ABC reports. Pelosi, a fierce critic of China's human rights record, isn't suggesting an American boycott of the games themselves, but. she says that it was a mistake to have ever awarded the Olympics to China. More »

The Olympic torch was re-lighted today in Beijing’s Tienanmen Square in an elaborate ceremony marked by tight security, the AP reports. President Hu Jintao passed the flame to a champion Chinese hurdler in a televised event attended by some 5,000 people. Confetti floated over bright red seats and dancers from minority groups—including Tibetans—performed. The lighting begins a 20-country torch relay in a ritual expected to draw anti-China human rights protests around the globe. More »

Protesters against China’s Tibet crackdown shook up today’s Olympic torch hand-off in Athens, the New York Times reports. Some 15 people dodged security to fly banners and shout “Free Tibet” as they tried to block Greek officials from passing the flame to Beijing authorities. Ten were nabbed by police, but it’s not yet clear whether they’ll face charges. More »

Olympic torchbearers made their way to the Acropolis in Greece today with the help of heavy security that kept protesters at arm's length, the AP reports. Activists have set up camp by candlelight outside the stadium—site of the first modern Olympics in 1896— to protest China's human rights record and the recent crackdown in Tibet. The torch will be passed to Chinese officials tomorrow. More »

Chinese police closed off Tibet's capital today after fresh protests broke out during a tightly-orchestrated visit by diplomats. “The whole area has been shut down,” said one London-based advocacy group. Authorities swarmed Lhasa’s main temples, as monks continued demonstrating and urged Beijing to begin talks with the Dalai Lama. More »

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other top German officials won't be going to the Beijing Olympics, the Guardian reports, joining Polish and Czech leaders who have pledged to stay away. But while Polish PM Donald Tusk and Czech President Vaclav Klaus said they'll be boycotting the opening ceremony to protest human rights abuses in Tibet, the Germans said their absence isn't political. More »