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Samba party! Rio leads global dance at Olympic opening gala

The huge statue of Christ the Redeemer, that dominates the skyline of the Brazilian capital and where the Olympic torch was lit at dawn, was specially lit up ahead of the opening ceremony starting at 8 p.m. local time (4.30 a.m. IST).

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The show drew homegrown stars, like supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who walked across the stadium to the sound of bossa nova hit “Girl from Ipanema” and Paulinho da Viola, a samba songwriter who sang the national anthem with a string orchestra.

On Friday, protesters got within about 1.5 miles of the Maracana stadium.

In the seven years since the International Olympic Committee made a decision to send the Games to South America for the first time, the Brazilian economy has slipped into a deep recession.

“With the Olympic Games as a catalyst, you have achieved in just seven years what generations before you could only dream of”. “You have transformed the wonderful city of Rio de Janeiro into a modern metropolis and made it even more lovely”, Bach said.

The biggest cheers for Bach’s speech came when he welcomed the team of refugee athletes, saying the Olympics were the answer to the world’s “growing selfishness”. “It is not a good message for the world”. Here is our Olympic answer.

The Olympic Games will signal a new direction for Brazil through their virtues of peace and unity, Rio 2016 organizing committee president Carlos Nuzman said on Friday.

Protests earlier in the day 10 miles away at the Copacabana Palace served as a reminder of the uneasiness in this city, which spent billions it doesn’t have to host the Games. “This marvelous city is the flawless city”.

Many are living their childhood dreams.

At the very least, for a magical night it provided a reprieve from a volatile world that was the underpinning for one of the most moving moments of the night: the appearance under the IOC flag of a 10-member Refugee Olympic Team.

But with more than a dash of “gambiarra”, the Brazilian art of quick-fixes and making do, Rio de Janeiro is ready.

The honor of officially declaring the games open fell to Michel Temer, Brazil’s unpopular interim president, who was loudly jeered and faced shouts of “out with Temer”. More would have been on the ground if Rio wasn’t forced to cut about $550 million from the Olympic budget amid a recession. He eventually finished third.

The opening ceremony witnessed lively performances depicting Brazil’s culture, traditon and the transformation.

There had been concerns beforehand that the limited budget allocated to the ceremony would lead to a less-than-impressive production, but under the leadership of director Fernando Meirelles (City of God, 2002) the cast provided an evening that would not be forgotten by those who took their seats in the 80 000-seater venue.

And despite describing the final rehearsal as a “disaster”, Meirelles and Games organizers will be relieved that festivities went off without a hitch.

The cartridges will be taken to Deodoro and form what will be called the Athletes’ Forest. Many will never feel any positive benefit once the five-ring circus leaves town but this ceremony planted the seed of a different narrative, tackling climate change and global warming. “I think it’s also the right thing too for this moment in Brazil, and for this moment in the world”.

Overall, the atmosphere in the Maracana Stadium was celebratory, as a succession of actors, dancers and musicians raced through routines meant to showcase Brazil’s culture, diversity and history, even finding time for a brief lecture on environmental issues.

The show is the work of 35,000 professionals and roughly 12,000 volunteers.

Brazil’s flag bearer was modern pentathlete Yane Marques, who led the home team into the Maracana to a rapturous welcome, with the hosts bringing the parade of nations to a close.

Iran picked a woman, archer Zahra Nemati, as flag-bearer for its team made up overwhelmingly of men.

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It will also be the first time Kosovo and South Sudan have taken part in the Games.

Brazil football legend Pele said poor health will prevent him from lighting the Olympic cauldron