Milan Winter Olympics open with glittering ceremony

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opened on Friday with a glittering ceremony at the San Siro stadium echoed by festivities at Games venues across the snow-capped Italian Alps. The opening ceremony sparked numerous reactions across the world – including in Russia, whose team is competing under a neutral flag.

The extravaganza reflected the most geographically widespread Olympics in history. It culminated in the lighting of two cauldrons,…