A year before Paris Olympics, Ukraine torn over boycott threat
Kyiv, UkraineReuters Kyiv could drop a threatened boycott of next year’s Paris Olympics if athletes from Russia and Belarus, allies in the war in Ukraine, compete under a neutral flag rather than their national colours, Ukraine’s sports minister told Reuters. Vadym Huttsait said there had been no decision to soften Ukraine’s stance but indicated Kyiv […]
Pride flag glimpsed on ‘The Chosen’ set prompts call for boycott in the US
United StatesRNS At the start of Pride month, a small rainbow flag spotted on the set of The Chosen, the wildly popular TV series on Jesus’ life, has triggered a dust-up among fans of the show on social media. The hand-size flag, usually symbolising support for LGBTQ rights, appears in the corner of the screen […]
Olympics row deepens as 35 countries demand ban for Russia and Belarus
Vilnius, LithuaniaReuters A group of 35 countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, will demand that Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from the 2024 Olympics, the Lithuanian sports minister said on Friday, deepening the uncertainty over the Paris Games. The move cranks up the pressure on an International Olympic Committee that is desperate […]
Sri Lanka marks independence anniversary amid economic woes
Colombo, Sri Lanka AP Sri Lanka marked its 75th independence anniversary on Saturday as a bankrupt nation, with many citizens angry, anxious and in no mood to celebrate. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has started to improve some but not all of the acute shortages, acknowledged the somber state of the nation, saying in a televised speech, “We […]
In the US, Southern Baptists may cheer DeSantis’ war on Disney but don’t expect a boycott
RNS Pastor DJ Jenkins’ daughter, Piper, turns 13 in less than two weeks, and she is going to Disneyland. It won’t be the first time: The Jenkins family has an annual pass to the theme park about 40 miles south of their Studio City, California, home. “I haven’t seen anyone from a pastoral position or […]
Iraq’s parliamentary vote marred by boycott, voter apathy
Baghdad, IraqAP Iraqis voted Sunday in parliamentary elections held months ahead of schedule as a concession to a youth-led popular uprising against corruption and mismanagement. But the voting was marked by widespread apathy and a boycott by many of the young activists who thronged the streets of Baghdad and Iraq’s southern provinces in late 2019. […]
Full-blown boycott pushed for Beijing Olympics
AP Groups alleging human-rights abuses against minorities in China are calling for a full-blown boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, a move likely to ratchet up pressure on the International Olympic Committee, athletes, sponsors and sports federations. A coalition representing Uighurs, Tibetans, residents of Hong Kong and others issued a statement Monday calling for the […]
In the US state of Georgia, church leaders seek Home Depot boycott over voting law
Atlanta, USAP A group of religious leaders is calling for a boycott of Georgia-based Home Depot, saying the home improvement giant hasn’t done enough to oppose the state’s new voting laws. African Methodist Episcopal Bishop Reginald Jackson said the company has remained “silent and indifferent” to his efforts to rally opposition to the new state […]
In the US, Georgia faith leaders to leave water bottles around Capitol in protest of new voter laws
RNS Faith leaders in Georgia are fighting back against a new law that bans offering food and water to people waiting in line to vote, with many voicing opposition or planning protests against a statute they say targets people of colour. Religious leaders were quick to criticise the sweeping new elections bill, known as SB […]
In the US, Georgia’s new GOP election law draws criticism, lawsuits
Atlanta, Georgia, USAP Critics of Georgia’s new Republican-backed election law issued fresh calls Monday to boycott some of the state’s largest businesses for not speaking out more forcefully against the law, a day after advocacy organisations filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging it. In a letter to more than 90,000 parishioners, Bishop Reginald Jackson, […]