Winter Olympics opening ceremony takes place in Beijing

Vladimir Putin snubbed Ukraine's athletes as he appeared to take a nap as they arrived at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Beijing today, a moment of political drama as the threat of war hung heavy over the Games. Taiwan was going to boycott the games over the name, but was forced by the IOC to attend Fireworks explode over the Bird Nest stadium in Beijing as the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics comes to a close Fireworks light up the night sky above the Beijing National Stadium at the Olympic Opening Ceremony on Friday The Chinese national flag flies in the Olympic Stadium as an Olympic Torch placed in the centre of a giant snowflake made up of individual flakes bearing the names of competing nations is hoisted in the background China takes part in the parade of athletes during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Soldiers carried the Chinese flag across the stadium before hoisting it up a pole as the national anthem was sung Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army carried the Chinese flag to be hoisted up a pole during the ceremony China is aiming to put on a patriotic display, despite global tensions over Taiwan and Ukraine overshadowing the event Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev were among world leaders at the event President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach salutes the crowd during the opening ceremony Performers take part in the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Young performers display colourful cartoon strips as they take part in the Opening Ceremony, with most of the participants being young people 3,000 performers took part in the slimmed-down ceremony - compared to 15,000 at the 2008 Olympics - with most of them Dinigeer Yilamujiang, left, and Zhao Jiawen, both Chinese Olympians, light the final flame in the Brid Nest stadium in Beijing as the Games gets underway Performers take part in the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the National Stadium Перед началом церемонии открытия Олимпиады российский спортивный пропагандист Губерниев провоцировал украинского журналиста, называя его на английском "лузером" и "ублюдком". A snowflake made up of the names of all participating nations and carrying the Olympic flame is hoisted in the Olympic Stadium in Beijing at the conclusion of the Opening Ceremony Children holding illuminated doves stand around a snowflake containing the final Olympic torch as it is hoisted above the stadium - marking the end of the Opening Ceremony Team USA athletes enter the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing during the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics Team GB takes part in the Athlete's Parade during the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing France's flag bearers Kevin Rolland and Tessa Worley lead the delegation as they enter the stadium Russia, currently serving an official ban from the Olympics due to state- Flag bearers Francesco Friedrich and Claudia Pechstein of Team Germany lead the team during the Opening Ceremony Performers take part in a slimmed-down Olympic Opening Ceremony that made use of lighting effects projected on the floor of the arena in place of large numbers of performers Some 3,000 performers took part in the ceremony - mostly teenagers and young people - considerably reduced on the 15,000 which took part in the Beijing Opening Ceremony Dancers perform during the pre-show ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics Costumed performers carrying colourful wreaths take part in the Opening Ceremony in Beijing The ceremony emphasized themes of togetherness and peace, despite the overriding atmosphere being one of crisis and conflict thanks to threats of war overshadowing the event Performer's dance during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Jamaica's Olympic team enters the stadium, as the nation prepares to compete in the bobsleigh event American Samoa's flag bearer Nathan Crumpton parades during the opening ceremony China's final Olympic torch bearer enters the Olympic Stadium at the end of the Opening Ceremony Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium in Beijing as the Opening Ceremony comes to an end on Friday night Fireworks in the shape of the Olympic rings soar into the sky above Beijing's National Stadium Fourteen years ago, a Beijing opening ceremony that featured massive pyrotechnic displays and thousands of card-flipping performers set a new standard of extravagance to start an Olympics that no host since has matched. Artists perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games at the National Stadium Children sing during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing on Friday evening Illuminated doves are carried by performers during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics Child performers dressed in traditional dragon costumes pose for the camera ahead of the start of the Opening Ceremony Children perform in the pre-show during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics A Chinese performer carrying a colourful wreath takes part in the Opening Ceremony in Beijing today Young performers holding colourful pompoms take part in the Opening Ceremony at Beijing's Bird Nest stadium Fans take their seats inside the stadium prior to the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing, after a select number were invited Spectators gather for the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Performers dance in formation during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Performers dance in formation during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics As they compete, the conditions imposed by Chinese authorities offer a stark contrast to the party atmosphere of the 2008 Games. Fireworks explode over the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Fireworks are seen exploding over the top of China's National Stadium, otherwise known as the Bird Nest, in Beijing A huge firework display lights up the night sky during the concluding stages of the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Beijing Fireworks in the shape of the Olympic rings rise into the sky above performers and a snowflake bearing the last Olympic torch in the concluding moments of the Opening Ceremony The Olympic flame is hoisted above performers taking part in the Opening Ceremony in Beijing A close-up view of children bearing light-up doves during the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics Performer's dance during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium Performer's dance during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Winter Olympics guests describe 'dystopian' scenes inside the village after being greeted by bartenders in full hazmat suits and robots spraying disinfectant under Zero Covid policy 'Dystopian' scenes from inside Beijing Olympic village include barmen in full PPE mixing cocktails and robots spraying clouds of disinfectant into the air as China attempts to host a Covid-free Games.