For Uyghur torchbearer, China’s Olympic flame has gone dark
February 3, 2022 GMTTAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — At the age of 17, Kamaltürk Yalqun was one of several students chosen to help carry the Olympic flame ahead of the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.
Today, he is an activist in the United States calling for a boycott of the upcoming Winter Games over China's treatment of his Uyghur ethnic community.
Shortened Olympic torch relay starts for Beijing Games
February 2, 2022 GMTBEIJING (AP) — The three-day torch relay for the Beijing Olympics, shortened considerably because of concerns about the coronavirus, started Wednesday with an 80-year-old former speedskater carrying the flame.
China mandates 3-day Olympic torch relay amid virus concerns
January 21, 2022 GMTBEIJING (AP) — China is limiting the torch relay for the Winter Olympics to only three days amid coronavirus worries, organizers said Friday.
The flame will be displayed only in enclosed venues that are deemed “safe and controllable,” according to officials.
Olympic volunteers strive to share stories of 3/11 disaster
August 3, 2021 GMTRIFU, Japan (AP) — Atsushi Muramatsu's handmade flyers are the size of a business card, written in several languages. “Welcome to Miyagi Stadium," one reads. "The gymnasium next door was the largest morgue for tsunami victims.”
Report: Stages of Olympic relay to be pulled off Tokyo roads
June 29, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Some stages of the Tokyo Olympic torch relay will be pulled off the roads of the Japanese capital because of fears about spreading the coronavirus, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday.
Tokyo Olympic torch relay pulled off streets in Hiroshima
May 11, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympic torch relay is being pulled off the streets in Hiroshima prefecture as COVID-19 cases rise in Japan barely 10 weeks before the opening ceremony.
Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki said that a ceremony next week without the relay is likely to still take place...
Anti-Olympic petition gains tens of thousands of signatures
May 6, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — An online petition calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be canceled has gained tens of thousands of signatures since being launched in Japan only days ago.
The rollout of the petition comes with Tokyo, Osaka and several other areas under a state of emergency with coronavirus infections rising — particularly new variants...
Olympic torch relay detour; diving test event opens in Tokyo
May 1, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics torch relay will take another detour this weekend when it enters the southern island of Okinawa...
Tokyo Olympics torch relay has first positive COVID-19 case
April 22, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Tokyo Olympics organizers said Thursday that a policeman tested positive for COVID-19 a day after his assignment last week at the Olympic torch relay...
LGBT groups want equality law in Japan before Tokyo Olympics
March 25, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Activists submitted a petition with over 106,000 signatures to Japan's ruling party Thursday, calling for an LGBT equality law to be enacted before the Tokyo Games, saying Japan as host nation should live up to the Olympic charter banning gender and sexual discrimination...
EXPLAINER: Torch relay not just a sideshow in time of COVID
March 24, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — The Olympic torch relay is usually just a sideshow for the real thing; the prelude, the buildup, the warm-up act that could be skipped...
Japan to end virus emergency in Tokyo despite rebound fears
March 18, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japan said Thursday it would end a monthslong state of emergency in the Tokyo area set up to curb the spread of the coronavirus, despite concerns the spring party season and next week’s Olympic torch relay could fuel a resurgence...
Rural governor talks of canceling local Olympic torch relay
February 17, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — A governor in a western Japanese prefecture is talking about canceling torch relay events in his area ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
Gov. Tatsuya Maruyama of Shimane prefecture on Wednesday said he was unhappy with COVID-19 prevention measures surrounding the relay.
Olympic torch relay goes on; Tokyo seeks crowd ‘restraint’
March 17, 2020 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Tokyo Olympic organizers are pushing ahead with the Japanese leg of the torch relay despite the threat of the spreading coronavirus...
Olympic torch relay in Greece suspended because of virus
March 13, 2020 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Greek Olympic committee suspended the rest of its torch relay on Friday because of the “unexpectedly large crowd” that gathered to watch despite repeated requests for the public to stay away to prevent the spread of the coronavirus...