U.K.: Following the Olympic torch

The Times of London reports the latest news on controversy surrounding the Olympic torch relay today. The article is headlined "Diego Maradona refuses to carry Olympic torch," and in the leading paragraphs it explains the athlete meant to begin the relay in Argentina backed out and was replaced with someone else. The rest of the article speculates about the future of the relay and the Olympics opening ceremony. It includes comments from UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who will not be attending the opening ceremony due to a "scheduling conflict" and goes on to include comments from a pro-Tibetan Argentinian protester, who nonetheless condemned the idea of a violent protest during the relay. A new development introduced halfway through the article is that the Japanese police will not allow the Chinese security personnel to accompany the torch when it reaches Nagano, as they have been revealed to be part of the Chinese paramilitary police.

Coverage of the relay continues to be presented through an anti-Chinese frame. The paramilitary police are described in a quote as "thugs," and the report that Ban Ki Moon will not be attending the opening ceremony--though not a boycott--seems to be a premature representation of a lack of international support for China as the games' host. However, two consecutive paragraphs try to balance the political messages of the event with its overall significance for the Olympics:

" There was also a sizeable turnout of people from the local Chinese community, who sang hymns in Mandarin and celebrated that the Olympics would be going to Beijing";

followed by "Most of the onlookers appeared to enjoy the spectacle, creating chaos as they ran alongside attempting to catch a glimpse of the flame. Javier Garcia, aged 24 and a student, says: 'I was proud to see the torch pass through my city but I think the Olympics is a symbol of human rights and the Chinese Government must enter into dialogue with the Dalai Lama.'"

In past years, this would probably be treated as sports news. The categorization of such a story as "world news" suggests that the media are interested in drawing out its politicization.