- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Lewandowski hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- 'Nothing gets in way of team,' says Celtics' MVP hopeful Tatum
- India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup
- 'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Florida braces for Milton, FEMA head slams 'dangerous' Helene misinformation
- Postecoglou slams 'unacceptable' Spurs after 'terrible' loss at Brighton
- Marmoush double denies Bayern outright Bundesliga top spot
- Rallies worldwide call for Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire
- Maresca hails Chelsea's 'fighting' spirit after draw with 10-man Forest
- New 'Joker' film, a dark musical, tops N.America box office
- Man Utd stalemate keeps Ten Hag in danger, Spurs rocked by Brighton
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
- Vikings hold off Jets in London to stay unbeaten
- Ahead of attack anniversary, Netanyahu says: 'We will win'
- West Indies cruise to T20 World Cup win over Scotland
- Arshdeep, Chakravarthy help India hammer Bangladesh in T20 opener
- Lewandowski's quickfire hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Man Utd fire another blank in Aston Villa stalemate
- Lewandowski treble powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Russian activist killed on front line in Ukraine
- Openda strike briefly sends Leipzig top of Bundesliga
- Goal-shy Man Utd have to 'step up', says Ten Hag
- India bowl out Bangladesh for 127 in T20 opener
- Madueke rescues Chelsea in draw with 10-man Forest
- Beckett's belief rewarded as Bluestocking storms to Arc glory
- Trump on the stump, Harris hits airwaves in razor-edge US election
- Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Israel pounds Lebanon ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Toddler among 4 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
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- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
US watchdog warns over athletes' safety at China Olympics
A US rights monitor sounded the alarm Monday over athletes' safety at China's upcoming Winter Olympics, after the host threatened "punishment" for anti-Beijing comments.
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China -- a group of Washington lawmakers and White House officials -- asked US Olympics authorities for an "urgent effort" to protect their sports stars' free speech rights at the February 4-20 event.
The commission spoke out after Yang Shu, a senior official in the Beijing Games organizing committee, told an online briefing on January 18 that "any behavior or speech that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against the Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment."
"Given Yang Shu's statement and the Chinese government's documented behavior, we urge the USOPC to be vigilant and prepared to defend any Olympians who speak out," the commission said in a letter to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee seen by AFP.
The United States, Australia, Canada and Britain announced in December that they would not be sending official representatives to Beijing, citing the alleged genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population, a minority Muslim group in the Xinjiang region.
The countries said their athletes would still participate, but China nevertheless responded angrily, warning Western nations that they would "pay the price" for the protest.
Advocacy groups have backed the boycott, with Human Rights Watch (HRW) China director Sophie Richardson calling it a "crucial step toward challenging the Chinese government's crimes against humanity targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic communities."
- 'Gold medal for censorship' -
Campaigners say that at least one million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking, mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in Xinjiang, where China is also accused of forcibly sterilizing women and imposing forced labor.
Beijing has defended the camps as vocational training centers aimed at reducing the appeal of Islamic extremism.
The commission also voiced concerns over Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who made sexual assault allegations against a top Communist Party official.
Peng was not heard from for nearly three weeks, and there remain concerns about how free she really is.
New York-based HRW awarded China a "gold medal for censorship" last week, in a statement accusing the Asian giant of trying to "sportswash" its "abysmal human rights record."
"Athletes participating in the games will be surveilled, and their rights to free speech and protest severely curtailed," said Director of Global Initiatives Minky Worden.
Asked whether President Joe Biden supports US athletes making political statements at the Olympics, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the administration had "conveyed support for freedom of speech of individuals."
D.Moore--AMWN