TURIN, Feb. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Eight female celebrities including Sophia Loren, the best known Italian actress and a winner of two Oscars, carried the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony Friday night.

    The other flag bearers are Chilean writer Isabel Allende, 1984 Olympic champion Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco, American actress Susan Sarandon, Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, Italy's International Olympic Committee member Manuela Di Centa, 2000 Olympic gold medalist Maria Mutola of Mozambique and Cambodian activist Somaly Mam. Enditem