Paralympics Open in Tokyo as COVID Cases Surge to 25,000 Per Day
The hugely controversial 2020 Paralympic Games opened one year late in COVID-ridden Tokyo on Tuesday, with a dramatic firework display and a celebration of Japanese culture in a nearly empty stadium.
The opening ceremony began at 8 p.m. local time, with the Japanese flag being carried into the Olympic stadium in Tokyo, which is now the first city to host the Paralympics twice having first been home to the event in 1964.
Prince William and Kate Middleton were among the celebrities, sports stars and politicians who took to social media to congratulate and encourage participants in a games that many observers doubted would ever take place.