South Korea's two largest automakers "signed on as sponsors for its first Winter Olympic Games on Thursday." The organizing committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics said that Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. "will provide some 4,100 official vehicles and cash to help run the multisport competition" (YONHAP, 7/23). ... A group of rights activists have called on the IOC "not to award the 2022 winter Games to Beijing," saying China's human rights record had "worsened since the 2008 Olympics in the Chinese capital." Chinese, Uighur, Mongolian and Tibetan activists said in an open letter to the IOC that it should not "make the same mistake" by awarding the Olympics to Beijing as there was "no improvement of human rights in the country since" (REUTERS, 7/23). ... The Rio Olympic Committee announced that fans who entered the ticket
draw in the first round have until 12:59pm on Sunday "to
apply for more tickets to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games." Around 3
million entries "will be available for 533 sessions."
Only those who registered and applied
in the first round and who are residents of Brazil "may enter this draw" (RIO TIMES, 7/23).
