The Latest: At opening of Winter Games, spring is celebrated

BEIJING (AP) — In China, Friday was “Lichun” — which translates to the beginning of spring. And in this case, the start of the Winter Olympics. “Beginning of Spring” is the first of the 24 solar terms of the year, and that number — 24 — carried significance in the early moments of the opening ceremony of these Beijing Games. Organizers say it reflects “the Chinese people’s understanding of time,” also noting that these were the 24th Winter Olympics.