Prince Charles delivered a message from Queen Elizabeth II to officially open the Commonwealth Games before fireworks exploded on cue.

The opening ceremony finished on a brighter note than the way it started Wednesday night, when a heavy rain shower drenched fans in the stadium.

The weather cleared quickly enough not to completely overshadow a ceremony choreographed to showcase the traditional culture of AustraliaB次元官网网址檚 indigenous people and the laid-back beach lifestyle of the Gold Coast.

Charles and his wife Camilla arrived in Queensland state hours before the games festivities officially began and entered the stadium shortly after the rain cleared.

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MOTORCADE INCIDENT: Two Queensland policemen involved in a Commonwealth Games motorcade were injured after their motorcycles collided with each other on the Gold Coast.

Police say the crash occurred on the Gold Coast Highway just before the start of the GamesB次元官网网址� opening ceremony at Carrara Stadium.

A 27-year-old officer was taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries while the other officer, 42, was transported to hospital as a precaution.

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ROOKIE CAMBAGE: Liz Cambage begins her tuneup for the WNBA season with the Dallas Wings when she leads the Australian team in the Commonwealth Games basketball competition. The 2.03-meter (6-foot-8) centre is a two-time Olympian for Australia but is playing the Commonwealth Games for the first time. SheB次元官网网址檚 one of the most experienced players on the team, but doesnB次元官网网址檛 think of herself as a veteran. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 still like to think of myself as one of the young ones,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not a veteran yet. IB次元官网网址檓 still 26, IB次元官网网址檓 still a baby, IB次元官网网址檓 trying to hold on to that.B次元官网网址�

Australia coach Sandy Brondello, who won three Olympic medals as a player with the Australian womenB次元官网网址檚 team, the Opals, had some simple advice for Cambage: B次元官网网址淛ust go in there and be Liz Cambage. Play your game, be your dominant self and everything will go well.B次元官网网址�

Australia opens against Mozambique on Friday in Townsville, north Queensland, about 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) north of the Gold Coast. All preliminary basketball matches are being played in northern Queensland state. The finals will be held on the Gold Coast.

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ABORIGINAL PROTEST: A small group of indigenous protesters blocked a Gold Coast road, bringing a temporary halt to the QueenB次元官网网址檚 Baton Relay on its final day. The group of approximately 30 people lined up in nearby Southport, leaving the relay staff and baton runners stranded in a parking lot. After approximately an hour, organizers resumed the final leg of the relay. The baton is due at the stadium for the opening ceremony Wednesday night.

The protesters, calling themselves the B次元官网网址淪tolenwealth Games,B次元官网网址� are using the Gold Coast games to highlight their B次元官网网址渁nti-colonial activity and authority views.B次元官网网址� Queensland police acknowledged the groupB次元官网网址檚 right to protest, saying: B次元官网网址淪hould any activities occur during a protest which pose a risk to the safety or enjoyment of the Commonwealth Games, the (police) will respond accordingly.B次元官网网址�

About 100 activists gathered near the stadium just before the opening ceremony to continue the protest.

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OOPS: Games organizers have blundered by listing England as part of Africa in the official souvenir program.

The colorful Commonwealth Games 2018 edition lists the English capital as Banjul (instead of London), locates it in the Africa region and notes its population as slightly more than 2 million. That mirrors the details listed B次元官网网址� correctly B次元官网网址� for Gambia, only recently restored to the Commonwealth Games, directly underneath on Page 97. Gold Coast 2018 chief executive Mark Peters explained the blunder as an B次元官网网址渙verprintB次元官网网址� as organizers rushed to accommodate GambiaB次元官网网址檚 re-inclusion into the Commonwealth just weeks ago. The African nation did not compete at the 2014 Glasgow Games after withdrawing from the Commonwealth in 2013. A change of prime minister in 2016 led to the readmission of Gambia last month, and the country has six athletes competing on the Gold Coast.

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GOING FOR GOLD: The first gold medallist of the games will likely be the winner of the womenB次元官网网址檚 triathlon on Thursday, and the overwhelming favourite is two-time world champion Flora Duffy of Bermuda. Duffy won six out of seven races in last yearB次元官网网址檚 World Triathlon Series. EnglandB次元官网网址檚 Alistair Brownlee, who has won gold in the past two Olympic triathlons, is entered in the menB次元官网网址檚 race. The individual menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 races and a mixed team event on Saturday will be over the sprint distance B次元官网网址� a swim leg of 750 metres, a 20-kilometre cycle and a 5-kilometre run, half of the Olympic version. Brownlee is coming off hip surgery last August and one of his biggest threats for gold will come from his brother Jonathan, who won silver behind Alistair at Glasgow in 2014, and bronze medallist Richard Murray of South Africa. Gold medals on day one of competition will also be presented in artistic gymnastics, track cycling, swimming and weightlifting.

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EASY BRONZE: Australian boxer Taylah Robertson ensured the first medal of the Commonwealth Games without setting foot in the ring. The 19-year-old Robertson was the beneficiary of a lucky draw in the womenB次元官网网址檚 51-kilogram division and is guaranteed at least a bronze medal. Only seven boxers entered the competition, so three bouts will be contested as quarterfinals, with Robertson receiving a direct passage to the last four. Both losers of the semifinals win bronze medals. The boxing program starts Thursday.

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OFFICIAL INVESTIGATED: Queensland state police are investigating an alleged assault involving an official and an athlete of the Mauritius team. Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the allegation involved B次元官网网址渁n assault of an aggravated matter.B次元官网网址� Gollschewski said police had been aware of an allegation before a complaint was made overnight. He declined to give further details. Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive David Grevemberg said if the allegation is proved, it B次元官网网址渃ompromises the integrity of everything we uphold in terms of a harm-free environment.B次元官网网址�

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NEW SKIPPER: Jesse Parahi is new captain of the Australian rugby sevens team, and there have been a few before him this year. Long-time skipper Ed Jenkins retired at the start of the season, and his replacement, Lewis Holland, was injured in the teamB次元官网网址檚 last World Series tournament before the games. The man who replaced Holland, James Stannard, sustained a fractured skull in a one-punch attack last week and will miss the Commonwealth Games.

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Dennis Passa, The Associated Press

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