Русская версияThe Olympic opening ceremony is under way in Beijing amid tight
security and political controversy.
Fireworks exploded across the
Bird's Nest Stadium and across the city as Greece led the parade of
athletes from 204 nations. Attending the choreographed opening
featuring 5,000 years of Chinese history are 80 foreign heads of
state including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, US President
George W. Bush and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. They were
received ahead of the opening by Chinese President Hu Jintao. Over
the next 16 days 10,500 athletes will compete for 302 gold medals.
The Games will cost an estimated 40 billion dollars, dwarfing the
previous record of 15 billion dollars spent in Athens four years
ago. Overshadowing the event are fears about air quality in
Beijing, controversy over China's human rights record, and
restricted Internet access for journalists. China's foreign
ministry has responded to criticism by rejecting what it called
interference in its internal affairs.
(Deutsche Welle)
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