Published on 11:20 AM, April 28, 2016

Olympic torch handed over to Brazilians

The Olympic Flame burns on a torch during the torch relay, on April 21, 2016, after the lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame in ancient Olympia, the sanctuary where the Olympic Games were born in 776 BC. The Olympic flame was lit Thursday in an ancient temple in one country in crisis and solemnly sent off carrying international hopes that Brazil's political paralysis will not taint the Rio Games that start in barely 100 days. Photo: AFP.
Star Online Report

With 100 days to go before the Olympic Games begin in Rio de Janeiro, the Olympic flame has been handed over in Athens to the Brazilian authorities.

The torch will arrive in Brazil next week and then will travel around the country ahead of the games in August.

Rio mayor Eduardo Paes says the Olympic park is almost ready but there are concerns about delays to some projects.

A BBC correspondent says at present there is little excitement in Brazil where the president faces impeachment.

The proceedings against Dilma Rousseff mean there is uncertainty as to who will be in power during the Games.

Unemployment has also risen to about 10% as the economy has contracted for the second year in a row.

Rights group Amnesty has also criticised the number of killings by police in the city's shantytowns, known as favelas, where residents were "living in terror".

Officers have killed 11 people in the favelas so far this month, Amnesty said, and were behind 307 such deaths last year.

Nevertheless, the head of Rio's organising committee Carlos Nuzman said the city was "ready to make history" as the flame was handed over to the Brazilians.

The torch will arrive on 3 May in the capital Brasilia after a short stopover in Switzerland.

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