DAZZLING SHOW OPENS PARALYMPICS !

The 2008 Paralympic Games has been officially opened by Chinese President Hu Jintao during a stunning ceremony at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing.
In the three-hour spectacular show, 6,000 performers and 4,000 disabled athletes from 148 countries took part in front of a 91,000 ecstatic crowd.
Britain's 206-strong team was led into the arena by flag-bearer Danny Crates, 800m champion in Athens in 2004.
The Games will run until 17 September, with athletes competing in 20 sports.
The opening spectacular featured a number of disabled actors and actresses, focusing on themes of space, time and life.
What was unusual about the opening ceremony is that the athletes with a disability entered the stadium first and then watched the performances together with the audience.
"We present two Games of equal splendour as a solemn commitment to the entire world," said organiser Wang Wei.
About an hour into the extravaganza, a female spectator broke through the security cordon and made it onto the main arena. She was immediately removed by security staff.
This was the first security breach to occur during the Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing.
The biggest cheer of the evening occurred when China's 332 athletes entered the arena. The host team is nearly certain to top the medal table.
The majority of sports take place in Beijing, but Qingdao and Hong Kong reprise their Olympic roles as sailing and equestrian venues respectively.

The Paralympics mascot throws a few shapes in the opening ceremony.
British chief Phil Lane has urged his team to "scrap for the top three" on the back of their second place in Athens, where the team won 94 medals, including 35 golds.
Wheelchair athlete Dave Weir, who won silver and bronze in 2004, has vowed to claim victory in at least one of his five events - the 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon.
For the first time in 20 years the British team is missing Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson.
The Paralympic legend won 11 gold medals in five Games before retiring in 2005, handing Welsh compatriot Dave Roberts the chance to overhaul her formidable career tally.
The 28-year-old swimmer has won seven Paralympic golds in two Games to date, and enters five races at the Water Cube.
At the Laoshan Velodrome, British cyclist Jody Cundy is hoping to emulate Chris Hoy's historic Olympic achievement.
"Every time I get on the bike I seem to be going faster and faster," said Cundy, who trains alongside Hoy in Manchester.

PARALYMPICS BLOG
Final preparations are being made in the athletes' village, and there is an air of confidence around the GB team

BBC Sport's Elizabeth Hudson in BeijingSouth African double amputee Oscar Pistorius - dubbed "Blade Runner" due to the carbon fibre blades with which he has won a host of track titles - is expected to star at the Games.
Pistorius, who overturned a ban on his competing in able-bodied sports earlier in the year but failed to reach the Olympic qualifying time, remains one of the best-known figures in disability sport.
When his compatriot Natalie du Toit, who finished 16th in the women's 10km marathon swim in last month's Olympics, led the South African team into the stadium to become the first person to carry a country's flag at the opening ceremony of both the Olympics and Paralympics.
She lost her lower left leg in a scooter accident seven years ago, won five golds and one silver in Athens, and is expected to dominate in the pool.

International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven said: "There are more countries than ever, more sports than ever and more athletes than ever. This is great news for the Paralympic movement.
"They're going to be tremendous sports events, an incredible opportunity for Paralympians to just show what they can do, how they can perform, how they are very much the equal of their Olympic peers."
Beijing has made a big effort to become more disabled-friendly ahead of the Paralympics.
Big projects have included disabled access to the capital's subway network, China's first fleet of easy-access taxis, and accessibility for tourist destinations like the Great Wall.
However, some local residents say plans have been flawed - with grooved pavements placed as walking guides for blind people rendered useless, as cars are allowed to park over them.
"We are trying to put in place a social atmosphere that cares about the handicapped and this is a challenge," said organiser Jiang Xiaoyu.
Officials say that more than one million tickets have been sold for the Paralympic events so far and are expecting one million more to be sold.

BBC NEWS REPORT.