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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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