Government and politics
Ex-Kenya sports minister guilty of corruption pays $32K fine

By Mutwiri Mutuota Sep. 16, 2021 02:09 PM EDT
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya's former sports minister paid a fine of just over $32,000 on Thursday to avoid a six-year jail sentence after being convicted of...

United States Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney testifies during a Senate Judiciary hearing about the Inspector General's report on the FBI's handling of the Larry Nassar investigation on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, in Washington. Nassar was charged in 2016 with federal child pornography offenses and sexual abuse charges in Michigan. He is now serving decades in prison after hundreds of girls and women said he sexually abused them under the guise of medical treatment when he worked for Michigan State and Indiana-based USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians. (Saul Loeb/Pool via AP)
Biles: FBI turned 'blind eye' to reports of gymnasts' abuse

By Mary Clare Jalonick, Will Graves And Michael Balsamo Sep. 15, 2021 12:48 PM EDT

Ex-Kenya sports minister guilty in Olympic corruption case

Sep. 15, 2021 11:47 AM EDT
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya's former sports minister was convicted Wednesday of corruption and abuse of office relating to the misuse of more than $800,000...

Olympic official Sheikh Ahmad of Kuwait found guilty of forgery in Geneva court

Sep. 10, 2021 08:49 AM EDT
GENEVA (AP) — Olympic official Sheikh Ahmad of Kuwait found guilty of forgery in Geneva court. ...

Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah arrives at a Geneva's courthouse ahead of the verdict for a trial for forgery in connection with arbitration, in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Olympic power broker Sheikh Ahmad found guilty of forgery

By Graham Dunbar Sep. 10, 2021 06:29 AM EDT

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech during a Politburo meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
IOC suspends NKorea from Beijing Olympics for Tokyo no-show

By Graham Dunbar Sep. 08, 2021 01:49 PM EDT

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks during a meeting in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Sept. 6, 2021. (Nikolay Petrov/BelTA Pool Photo via AP)
Belarus hockey official banned 5 years for political abuse

By Graham Dunbar Sep. 08, 2021 09:02 AM EDT

FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2021, file photo, exile Tibetans use the Olympic Rings as a prop as they hold a street protest against the holding of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in Dharmsala, India. Some of the world’s largest broadcasters including American network NBC are being asked to cancel plans to cover the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing over alleged human rights abuses in the country. The Games open on Feb. 4. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia, File)
Broadcasters urged to cancel plans to cover Beijing Olympics

By Stephen Wade Sep. 07, 2021 11:26 PM EDT

Poland gives humanitarian visa to 2nd Belarus athlete

Sep. 05, 2021 11:40 AM EDT
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A lawmaker in Poland says a second Belarussian athlete, an equestrian who was excluded from the country's Olympic team after criticizing...

Dancers perform during the closing ceremony for the 2020 Paralympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Paralympic closing marks end of Tokyo's 8-year Olympic saga

By Stephen Wade Sep. 05, 2021 08:31 AM EDT

FILE - In this file photo dated Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016, First Vice President of the International Swimming Federation, FINA, Husain Al Musallam, during the FINA World Aquatics Gala in Budapest, Hungary. Documents obtained by The Associated Press show two senior Olympic officials from Kuwait have been targeted by the U.S. Department of Justice for suspected racketeering and bribery related to FIFA and international soccer politics. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah is reputed to be the “kingmaker” of IOC elections. Husain al-Musallam is president of swimming’s international governing body. The documents include details of the DOJ investigation and a formal request to Kuwaiti authorities in 2017 for help to secure evidence. (Attila Kovacs/MTI via AP, File)
Documents show US investigation of 2 Kuwaitis in FIFA case

By Graham Dunbar Sep. 02, 2021 11:43 AM EDT

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018 file photo, Sheikh Ahmad al Fahad al Sabah, president of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) delivers a speech during the ANOC general assembly in Tokyo. The trial opened Monday, Aug, 30, 2021 of an influential Olympic official accused of forgery in an alleged plot that implicated political rivals in Kuwait in a coup attempt. Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah has been publicly sidelined as an IOC member and president of the global group of national Olympic bodies by the pending case. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, file)
Olympic official quizzed for 5 hours in Geneva forgery trial

By Graham Dunbar Aug. 31, 2021 04:35 PM EDT

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018 file photo, Sheikh Ahmad al Fahad al Sabah, president of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) delivers a speech during the ANOC general assembly in Tokyo. The trial opened Monday, Aug, 30, 2021 of an influential Olympic official accused of forgery in an alleged plot that implicated political rivals in Kuwait in a coup attempt. Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah has been publicly sidelined as an IOC member and president of the global group of national Olympic bodies by the pending case. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, file)
Trial of Olympic sheikh on forgery charges opens in Geneva

By Graham Dunbar Aug. 30, 2021 08:06 AM EDT

Dong Lu, from China, competes at Women's 100m Freestyle - S5 Heat 2 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
IOC's Bach defended over return to Tokyo for Paralympics

By Stephen Wade Aug. 26, 2021 01:15 AM EDT

Matt Stutzman, center, of the U.S. answers media questions at a news conference ahead of the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021. (Josh Toth for OIS via AP)
Tokyo Paralympics press ahead to allow students to attend

By Stephen Wade And Mari Yamaguchi Aug. 22, 2021 05:22 AM EDT

FILE - In this Oct. 13 2019, file photo, Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas, right, of Finland passes Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany at the start of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan. The 2021 Japanese Grand Prix has been canceled following discussions between the government and race promoters, Formula One organizers said Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021.(AP Photo/Toru Hanai, File)
Japanese GP canceled because of coronavirus pandemic

Aug. 18, 2021 04:47 AM EDT

Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura bites the Olympic gold medal of Miu Goto, a member of Japan softball team who won the event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, at the city office building in Nagoya, central Japan, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. (Kyodo News via AP)
Japan mayor apologizes for biting athlete's gold medal

By Mari Yamaguchi Aug. 12, 2021 11:13 AM EDT

A woman wearing a face mask to help protect against the spread of the coronavirus walks under the scorching sun Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan leader's medical adviser urges tougher virus measures

By Mari Yamaguchi Aug. 12, 2021 08:09 AM EDT

FILE - In this July 23, 2021, file photo, anti-Olympic protesters demonstrate near the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan where the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics is taking place. A lot of Japanese were reluctant or opposed to holding the Olympics during a worsening pandemic. A series of resignations of Olympic-linked officials over sexism, past bullying and Holocaust jokes also hurt the Games' image ahead of the July 23 opening. There were protests on Tokyo streets and on social media. (AP Photo/Kantaro Komiya, File)
Tokyo's Olympic fears give way to acceptance, to a point

By Mari Yamaguchi Aug. 11, 2021 09:16 PM EDT

Belarusian Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, left, and her husband Arseni Zdanevich speak to The Associated Press in Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday Aug. 11, 2021. The runner, who has found refuge to rebuild her life in Poland, described the feeling of safety when police took her away from her national team officials. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Belarus sprinter feels safe, looks to future in Poland

By Vanessa Gera Aug. 11, 2021 04:04 PM EDT