Games open in Verona with calls for unity amid wars and athlete absences

VERONA, Italy, March 6 : With a sequence of rhythmic performances that celebrated uniqueness and participation, the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics on Friday brought on stage artists with disabilities, as athletes sat in a front row designed for wheelchairs.

Verona's Roman amphitheatre hosted the inaugural event of the 50th Paralympics less than two weeks after bidding goodbye to the Winter Olympics, against a dramatically altered global backdrop.

"Four years ago, I said I was horrified at what was happening in the world. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved," International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons said in a speech.

"In a world where some countries are better known by the names of their leaders, I prefer to know countries by the names of their athletes," he added, before Italian President Sergio Mattarella declared the Games open.

"Here, differences are not reasons for separation, but sources of strength," Parsons said.

The IPC's decision in September to allow Russia and Belarus to compete under their full national symbols triggered boycotts of the athletes' parade by some countries, although it had no marked impact on the ceremony.

The two countries' delegations were met with more muted applause from the public, as was Israel's, but at least one Russian flag appeared in the stands along with some sparse whistling.

Meanwhile, Iran's sole athlete deserted the Games, unable to travel safely due to the war sparked by U.S.-Israeli attacks in the last week.

Dubbed "Life in Motion", the ceremony featured a soulful rendition of the national anthem by rising Italian-Malian singer Mimi Caruso and a performance by The Police founder Stewart Copeland with British drummer Cornel Hrisca-Munn,