The 31st Olympics, the first to be held in South America and only the third to take place in the southern hemisphere, formally opened on Friday with a colourful ceremony, dedicated to history and the Earth and depicting Brazil's vibrantly diverse culture, at the Macarana stadium here.


Rio Olympics starts with colourful, melodic ceremony


IANS Automatic

The 31st Olympics, the first to be held in South America and only the third to take place in the southern hemisphere, were due to formally open on Friday with a colourful ceremony, dedicated to history and the planet Earth, at the Macarana stadium here.


Rio Olympics poised to start with colourful ceremony


Union Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha on Friday unveiled commemorative postage stamps on the Rio Olympic Games here and said the unique initiative will motivate Rio-bound Indian athletes.


Government releases postage stamps on Rio Olympics


Moroccan boxer Hassan Saada has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing two female cleaners in the Olympic Village, authorities said on Friday.


Moroccan boxer arrested for alleged sex crime in Olympic Village


Textile tycoon Jaydev Mody -- known for his glitzy offshore casinos in Goa and his thoroughbred horses in elite derby circles -- has made another big bet on FC Goa.


Reluctant casino tycoon Mody bets big on FC Goa


Brazil did its best to roll out the red carpet for athletes, officials and visitors from over 200 countries for the 31st Olympic Games being held under the shadow of the biggest doping scandal afflicting the Russian players.


31st Olympic Games set to open under shadow of doping scandal


UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is in Brazil to take part in the Olympic torch relay on Friday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric has said.


UN chief in Brazil to take part in Olympic torch relay


The international Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne has ruled that some of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s criteria for Russian athletes to participate at the Rio games are "unenforceable" as they do not respect the right of natural justice.


CAS dismisses IOC's blanket ban of athletes


Even before the Olympic flame is lit at the Maracana stadium on Friday, the legacy of the Rio 2016 Games has already been assured.


Revamped Rio embraces Olympic spirit


ISL team FC Goa should give a 25 per cent stake to a Goan owner, because they are using the word "Goa" in the team name, Opposition MLAs said on Wednesday during the ongoing monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly.


Opposition MLAs want FC Goa to offer stake to Goan natives


India's veteran shuttler Jwala Gutta has starred in a brand-new campaign for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India where she calls upon the public to support real sports and not cock-fighting.


Shuttler Jwala campaigns for PETA against cock-fighting


To many, the Olympics are a grand affair celebrating the enduring values of athletic achievement and international friendship but for the locals who were evicted for the construction of the Olympic Park, the quadrennial extravaganza is a long-term pain.


Olympic athletes might win, but Rio's favela dwellers have already lost


At least 94 kg of cocaine buried at a ranch Mato Grosso do Sul state, was seized by the Brazilian police.


Brazilian police seize cocaine ahead of Olympic Games


Micro-blogging website Twitter on Wednesday announced a change to its Moments feature which will now insert Olympic-related tweets into a user's timeline for weeks at a time.


Twitter revamps Moments feature for Rio Olympics


UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will participate in the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil.


UN chief to attend Rio Olympic Games opening


A former junior national boxing champion, who was declared the best boxer of Haryana in 2014, and an associate were arrested for helping an undertrial escape from police custody on July 30, police said on Tuesday.


Former national boxing champ arrested for helping undertrial escape


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday appointed former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju as the head of a legal panel to guide the board in understanding the recommendations of the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee which have been approved by the apex court.


BCCI names former SC judge Katju to interact with Lodha Panel


Jaypee hospital here on Tuesday announced the launch of the Department of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.


Jaypee Hospital opens centre for sports rehabilitation


The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Delhi government to soon ban Chinese kite string and permit string made only of cotton or other natural fibre.


Ban Chinese kite string, HC tells Delhi government


The Brazilian capital will increase the number of military police officers on patrol by 33 percent during the 2016 Olympic Games.


Rio to boost police force during Olympics


The government of Rio de Janeiro has announced it will add 3,503 police officers to its force of 10,414 for security of the Olympic Games, an increase of 33 percent.

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