The area was previously dubbed "London's scrapyard" by Sowmya Parthasarathy, urban designer at Arup who worked on the Olympic Park for more than a decade. The site was home to light industry, dominated by overhead powerlines, and was broken up by rivers, roads and railways.
Naledi Pandor emphasizes that the Global South has the potential to unite and provide a counterbalance to the US, which currently holds significant power in the international order. She believes that solidarity among nations in the Global South is crucial for achieving this goal.
President Donald Trump called Team USA member Hunter Hess "a real Loser" and said it was "very hard to root for someone like this" after the 27-year-old freeskier's comments about representing his country at the Winter Olympics. A reporter asked Hess at a news conference on February 6 what it means to him to represent the United States in the current climate, both domestically and internationally. He responded that it "brings up mixed emotions" and was "a little hard."
A massive international outcry following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a war that will enter its fifth year two days after the closing ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Games, forced most major international sports bodies to ban all Russian athletes from competition. The IOC has allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in Italy as individual neutral athletes, which means they cannot compete on teams nor wear their national team colors or flag.
During the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, the crowd at San Siro stadium cheered when the US team entered during the parade of nations. When the camera cut to Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance, the jeers began. A few days prior, protesters had gathered in Milan following reports that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would be coming to the Italian city for the Games.
Figure skater named Amber Glenn, never heard of her before this, but launched a rant about Trump and the transgender issue, saying, quote, It's been a hard time for the LGBT community overall in this administration,' which it hasn't been. But she was a three-time reigning champ and was expected to at least win a medal. She flopped, got 13th place.