Paralympics brace for tense opening as Russia comes in from the cold

The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics start on Friday with an opening ceremony clouded by a boycott by several countries in protest at Russian athletes competing under their national flag for the first time since 2014.Despite Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has allowed six Russian athletes and four from their allies Belarus to represent their countries, accompanied by their national flags, rather than competing as neutrals.