Russia unperturbed by boycott threat over gay law

MOSCOW: Russia on Friday said it was unperturbed by threats of an Olympic boycott over a controversial law banning “homosexual propaganda”, despite wide-ranging criticism of the legislation from rights groups to US President Barack Obama.

President Vladimir Putin passed the law in June as part of a wider political crackdown but it has cast a shadow over the build-up to next year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi over claims it infringes fundamental rights.