Rains fail to dampen Olympics opening
Paris: Thousands of Olympic competitors including those from Oman cruised down the River Seine in a spectacular opening ceremony for the Paris Games on Friday that celebrated French history and culture to the delight of a crowd undeterred by persistent rain.For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony took place outside the main stadium with up to 7,000 athletes parading down the Seine past the historic monuments of the French capital.In an ambitious, high-risk departure from past...