LONDON (Reuters) – A group of British Islamists said they had received permission to stage a protest on Friday outside the London Olympic Park to denounce what they called the evil of the Games.

The group, led by some of Britain’s most prominent Islamist figures, said they would gather outside the gates to the park in Stratford before the opening ceremony to condemn Britain and other countries they accuse of persecuting Muslims.

LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) – A group of British Islamists
said they had received permission to stage a protest on Friday
outside the London Olympic Park to denounce what they called the
evil of the Games.

The group, led by some of Britain’s most prominent Islamist
figures, said they would gather outside the gates to the park in
Stratford before the opening ceremony to condemn Britain and
other countries they accuse of persecuting Muslims.

LONDON (Reuters) – Olympic and Saudi Arabian officials are in talks with judo chiefs to find a solution after the sport’s governing body ruled the Saudi’s female competitor would have to fight without a hijab, or Islamic headscarf.

On Thursday, the head of the International Judo Federation (IJF) president Marius Vizer confirmed Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani, one of the first two female athletes sent to the Olympics by the conservative Muslim kingdom, would not be allowed to wear a hijab.

LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) – Olympic and Saudi Arabian
officials are in talks with judo chiefs to find a solution after
the sport’s governing body ruled the Saudi’s female competitor
would have to fight without a hijab, or Islamic headscarf.

On Thursday, the head of the International Judo Federation
(IJF) president Marius Vizer confirmed Wodjan Ali Seraj
Abdulrahim Shaherkani, one of the first two female athletes sent
to the Olympics by the conservative Muslim kingdom, would not be
allowed to wear a hijab.

LONDON (Reuters) – Judoka Euan Burton’s calm and friendly mannerisms and quietly spoken approach belie the seething “assassin” that lurks within the 33-year-old who is more than ready to “smash”, “choke” and “rip” his opponents’ arms out in order to achieve the Olympic gold medal.

“Judo’s most certainly a fight, and that is what you’re doing,”, Burton, one of the host nation’s top hopes for its first Olympics judo medal since 2000, said before the London competition begins on Saturday.

LONDON (Reuters) – British judoka Euan Burton’s calm and friendly mannerisms and quietly spoken approach belie the seething “assassin” that lurks within the 33-year-old who is more than ready to “smash”, “choke” and “rip” his opponents’ arms out in order to achieve the Olympic gold medal.

“Judo’s most certainly a fight, and that is what you’re doing,”, Burton, one of the host nation’s top hopes for its first Olympics judo medal since 2000, said before the London competition begins on Saturday.

LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) – British judoka Euan Burton’s
calm and friendly mannerisms and quietly spoken approach belie
the seething “assassin” that lurks within the 33-year-old who is
more than ready to “smash”, “choke” and “rip” his opponents’
arms out in order to achieve the Olympic gold medal.

“Judo’s most certainly a fight, and that is what you’re
doing,”, Burton, one of the host nation’s top hopes for its
first Olympics judo medal since 2000, said before the London
competition begins on Saturday.

LONDON (Reuters) – German Andreas Toelzer knows it would be a big surprise but says he can upset his giant rival known as “Teddy Bear” and win the Olympic heavyweight judo gold.

Despite being rated number two in the world, Toelzer knows he faces a tough task if he is to wrestle the title from the sport’s standout judoka France’s Teddy Riner.

LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) – German Andreas Toelzer knows it
would be a big surprise but says he can upset his giant rival
known as “Teddy Bear” and win the Olympic heavyweight judo gold.

Despite being rated number two in the world, Toelzer knows
he faces a tough task if he is to wrestle the title from the
sport’s standout judoka France’s Teddy Riner.

DARTFORD (Reuters) – Sophie Cox is no stranger to breaking new ground.

The first female to play rugby league at London’s Wembley Stadium has now got her heart set on making history again by winning Britain’s first Olympic judo gold medal.

“I always like doing things a little differently, being a bit unconventional,” she told Reuters at the British judo training centre in Dartford, just outside London.