Watch live outside China’s National Stadium as Winter Olympics opening ceremony begins

The Winter Olympics officially begin on Friday, with the opening ceremony inside the Beijing National Stadium set to kick off at 11:30GMT.

Beijing has become the first city ever to host both the Summer and Winter Games, but much like it was in Tokyo eight months ago, the upcoming competition will once again take place amid controversy.

Tight Covid-19 controls, as well as political tensions over allegations of human rights abuses and boycotts, have overshadowed much of the build-up to this year’s Winter Olympics.

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