The Games have begun. That traditional opening to the Olympics, unknown up till now as Women's Soccer Wednesday.

The twelve teams of this Matildaless tournament got the Games of the XXX Olympiad under way, but one team received preferential treatment from the organisers. On the day it was announced that Kim Jong Un was no longer the world's most eligible bachelor, LOCOG chose the ideal present from their wedding gift register.

The flag of the Republic of Korea. Actually, a Republic of Korea. Not the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, but that other one to the south. Near enough.

The North Korean team appreciated the kindly partisanship of the officials so much that they went on to beat Colombia 2-0. Rumours are not abounding that they will be donating an Australian flag for the Kiwis' Group-E clash with Brazil on Saturday.

Here's a report on Wednesday's diplomatic masterstroke from the [South] Korean Yonhap News.

In other international relations news Wednesday, the Official Shopping Centre of the London Games, Westfield Stratford - the one you have to walk through to get to the main stadium from the train - is welcoming visitors in many different languages, but only in Arabic do they have the ingenuity of posting the messages back-to-front. Reuters takes up that story.

And to cap a great day of international diplomacy, former SLOCOG boss Mittens Romney was in town. Over to you, Boris: