The 2026 Winter Olympics are here, with Milano Cortina hosting the quadrennial festival of snow and ice-based sports.

The last Winter Olympics in Beijing saw Norway top the medal table with 16 golds, ahead of Germany, USA and hosts China, while Team GB claimed just two medals – both in curling, right at the end of the Games, with Eve Muirhead skipping the women’s team to gold and Bruce Mouat skipping the men’s team to silver.

Hopes are higher for more British medals this time around, not only in the curling rink but in a number of the snow events, with UK Sport setting a target of four to eight medals and potential across a range of sports including freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and ice dance.

Milano Cortina 2026 will get underway on 4 February, with the opening ceremony two days later on 6 February, and will run until the closing ceremony on 22 February, with 116 medal events across the 19 days in Italy.

The events are split up into four main geographical zones: Milano (hosting the ceremonies and sports such as ice hockey, speed skating and figure skating), Valtellina (hosting freestyle skiing and snowboard events among others), Cortina (home of the women’s Alpine skiing and ice sports such as curling , skeleton and luge) and Val di Fiemme (where the ski jumping and cross-country skiing will take place).

How can I watch the Winter Olympics?

Viewers in the UK and Ireland will be able to watch more than 850 hours of action across every sport, venue and medal event on TNT Sports and streaming service discovery+.

Coverage starts from £3.99/month in the U.K and €4.99/month in Ireland on discovery+, with access to TNT Sports 2 and other live event feeds.

Live competition coverage will run from 9am to 10pm, with an hour-long studio show previewing the day’s events from 8am and an end-of-day round-up once live sporting action is complete.

Skeleton gold medallist Amy Williams, two-time Olympian and snowboarder Aimee Fuller, alpine skiers Ed Drake and Charlie Guest, bobsleigh pilot Lamin Deen and curling bronze medallist Vicki Chalmers will be among the commentary and punditry team.

The BBC will also provide some coverage, with two streams of live daytime action: between 9am and 10pm each day on BBC One and BBC Two, and an Olympics Extra live stream on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport from 8am to 11pm.

In total the BBC will broadcast 450 hours of live sport, with two-time skeleton Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold, figure skating gold medallist Robin Cousins, curling gold medallist Vicky Wright, and former bobsledder Montell Douglas among those providing analysis.

Dear Eric: My mother is in her last months of life. She has been cared for in her home for the last three years by increasingly expensive home health care workers. I and other siblings have suggested over and over that she be put in a care home for round-the-clock care, but our oldest sibling (we’ll call them Jimmy) has steadfastly refused, saying nursing homes let people die and neglect patients and cause massive bedsores and all sorts of terrible over-the-top excuses.

Well, now that Jimmy’s own mother-in-law is going into a nursing home Jimmy has decided it’s time for our mother to go as well.

We have had family meetings where we decide as a sibling group how to care for our mother and then Jimmy goes against the group decision. Prior to the conflict over our mother’s care, I had a good, albeit not close, relationship with this sibling, but now I’m so frustrated by the selfish choices made regarding our mother’s care that I’m ready to say goodbye forever once mom is buried.

Should I let years of bullying in regard to caring for our mother be the cause to cut off contact with Jimmy?

— Frustrated Little Sister

Dear Sister: It’s really unfortunate that Jimmy is dealing with the stress, confusion, and grief of this phase of life by refusing to collaborate and resorting to, as you write, bullying behavior. Perhaps in his mind, he’s the one keeping the ship right. Perhaps he’s grasping after a version of life that’s no longer possible. I have empathy for him and for you, but the fact is that no matter his intentions, he’s caused harm in your relationship and that needs repair.

Don’t cut him off but do have a conversation with him about the way you’ve interacted in the past. There’s no need to rehash old conflicts, but it’s fine to say something like “I didn’t like being in conflict about mom’s care. I want us to have a different relationship going forward. How can we do that?”

Dear Eric: My husband and I moved to a new city last year and were eager to make friends. We became close to another couple, “Susan and Mike,” rather quickly and saw them often. I realized after several months however that, while I enjoyed Susan’s company, Mike is not someone I am comfortable with.

He is a heavy drinker and makes sexist and racist comments that leave me cringing. I’ve reached out to Susan several times to suggest the two of us do things solo, but unfortunately, they are quite joined at the hip.

She’s reached out a number of times over the past couple of months to ask about our next get together, and each time I pretended we had conflicts but didn’t suggest alternative dates. She reached out again today and I feel bad.

I can’t keep avoiding them, but I am not sure how to best put some distance between us without creating ill will. I feel that honestly isn’t the best policy here, but maybe I am just trying to avoid the inevitable.

— Uncoupling the Couple

Toronto police knew it had a trust issue before seven serving officers were charged as part of an organized crime investigation.

A study completed by the police services board last year found public trust in the force was “strained,” with many concerned about misconduct and the uneven application of standards.

“From the public, we heard similar concerns about mistrust, systemic bias, and a lack of visible accountability,” part of a lengthy study found.

“Repeated incidents of misconduct and social media narratives reinforce skepticism, especially among youth and newcomer communities.”

Those concerns spiralled into a crisis on Thursday, when York Regional Police announced they had charged seven serving Toronto cops in a massive corruption and organized crime investigation.

The charges included allegedly leaking police information to an organized crime group that then carried out shootings, exortions and robberies. Other charges relate to alleged bribery.

Those charges have left police leadership in the difficult position of trying to explain and investigate what happened.

Global News crime analyst Hank Idsinga said the force had a lot of work left to rebuild already fragile public trust.

“I think you’ve got a lot of questions, I think you’ve got a lot of questions that haven’t been answered yet,” he said.

“Toronto, what the heck is going on down there? Especially if you take into consideration everything that has happened over the last few years in this city.”

Idsinga pointed out that, if the charges against the officers are proven, it could cast doubt on testimony they’d provided in other cases, potentially opening up a stream of appeals.

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“Maybe they’re involved in an armed robbery investigation from five or six years ago. And if they were a key witness to that armed robbery investigation and somebody was convicted and is doing jail time,” he said.

“I guarantee the defence lawyer from that case is going to look at that list of officers here involved and say, ‘Hold on a second, the credibility of this officer who was a key witness when my client was convicted is absolutely in question. I’m filing an appeal.’”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow told reporters Thursday she would meet with Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw to resolve the issue.

During an event, the local police chief disavowed the accused officers, saying their alleged actions did not represent the service.

“The allegations against these individuals do not represent the Toronto Police Service,” Demkiw said. “They do not represent who you are. They do not represent what our organization is and stands for.”

Ian Scott, the former director of the Special Investigations Unit, said police had taken a “big step” in announcing the arrests and accepting there was a problem.

“But to some degree they are fighting a bit of a rear-guard action,” he explained. “The misconduct and alleged criminal offences have taken place, and they’re trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.”

There are those who say neither Demkiw, nor the police services board, nor the mayor can lead any investigation into how seven Toronto police officers were allegedly corrupted.

Ontario Liberal MPP Karen McCrimmon said the charges had shattered confidence in Toronto police — leaving the force at a delicate crossroads.

“These are very, very serious charges and it really does strike at the heart of the relationship between the police and the constituents. That trust and that bond,” she told Global News.

“I think this is very, very dangerous.”

McCrimmon said the provincial government must order a judicial inquiry into Toronto police and the officers to rebuild trust. Any investigation that isn’t open to the public, she said, would fall short.

“It’s not as important for justice to be done if it’s not seen to be done; it has to be both. It has to be fully accountable to the people and they have to have trust in the process so it can’t be manipulated,” McCrimmon said.

“For a full judicial inquiry, you’re before a judge and lawyers, there are guardrails … you know that the outcome is real. It’s valid, it’s legitimate. Anything else done behind closed doors or done informally will not have that same credibility with people.”

A spokesperson for Ontario’s Solicitor General Michael Kerzner did not address questions and said only local police would answer them.

Premier Doug Ford appeared to brush off the suggestion, saying the investigation would be well-handled by local cops.

“The investigation is ongoing, so they’re going to continue their investigation,” he said on Wednesday. “I feel both chiefs are doing an incredible job, and they’re going to cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i.’”

Ford said the arrest of seven serving officers in a massive organized crime investigation should not shake public confidence.

“I don’t want to paint a broad brush or tarnish the police,” he said.

“We have phenomenal police officers … I don’t want the pubic to lose trust in our great trust, they are incredible. There’s always, (in) any organization, a few bad apples and the courts are going to decide.”

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled his TrumpRx website in an event at the White House, listing 40 drugs at lower cost than previous list prices to patients paying out of pocket and calling the launch part of the “most transformative health care initiatives.”

Trump made the announcement alongside Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and National Design Studio Director Joe Gebbia.

“Starting tonight, dozens of the most commonly used prescription drugs will be available at dramatic discounts for all consumers throughout a new website is called TrumpRx.gov,” Trump said at the White House event.

Some of the reduced cash prices were announced last year by the administration and some of the new prices had already gone into effect. 

The president touted the use of his Most Favored Nation (MFN) policies — making sure the U.S. isn’t paying more than other countries — for making the lower prices possible.

“For years, politicians from both parties have promised to bring down prescription drug prices and make health care more affordable, but they all failed,” Trump said.

According to the TrumpRx website, these drugs can be obtained at participating pharmacies using coupon card codes displayed on the website or directly through manufacturers’ websites.

The website also notes that “TrumpRx discounted pricing is only available for cash-paying patients,” in a FAQ section. The discounts are not available for patients trying to pay through insurance and do not go toward insurance deductibles.  

Only a few dozen drugs are offered on the website, though the website says that “many more drugs are coming soon,” in a FAQ section.

What some experts are saying

“It’s nice that they are aggregating coupons in one place,” Benjamin Jolley, PharmD, a senior fellow for health care at the American Economic Liberties Project told ABC News. “But it’s a convenience to check the website to see the coupons all in one place for the first time.

Dr. Christina Madison, the founder of The Public Health Pharmacist told ABC News: “There are a lot of patient assistance programs out there and this appears similar to programs like GoodRX but the difference here is that you would not have to go through the manufacturer’s website to get them.”

In a statement, Good RX tells ABC News they are a key integration partner for pharma companies that is offering discounted cash prices on TrumpRX, “The self-pay price is hosted on the GoodRx platform and GoodRx then integrates the price into TrumpRx.” 

GoodRX-provided codes can currently be used at over 70,000 retail an home delivery pharmacies.

How much will consumers save?

Trump said the discount offers “tremendous” savings.

But experts say the overall savings are not clear and may only benefit a certain group of people. 

“TrumpRx’s offerings are very limited, fewer than 50 drugs listed,” Rena Conti, an associate professor at the Boston University Questrom School of Business, told ABC News.

“This suggests it pays for consumers to check their insurance coverage and ask their regular doctor or pharmacist before they use this service,” Conti added. 

The website boasted savings on GLP-1s, showing that the Wegovy pill’s lowest TrumpRx price was $149 a month, slashed from what the website says is an original price of $1,349. And while the full cash price of Ozempic and Wegovy (FDA approved for weight loss) did start at over $1,000 a month, those prices have been slowly going down in price. It was reduced voluntarily first to $499 in March 2025 and then to $199 in November after negotiations with the federal government.

Some drugs remain very expensive, including Xeljaz, which is marked at a starting price of $1,518, despite a 50% savings. 

Fertility drugs

One of the big categories of drugs included in TrumpRx are fertility drugs. 

According to the website, Gonal-F is available for an 83% discount, down from $966 to just $168 for the pen. Another IVF drug, Cetrotide, is offered at a 93% discount. And Ovidrel is offered for a 67% discount.  

“One in three families is having trouble having a baby. We’re gonna have a lot of Trump babies with these costs, folks cannot afford these medications. It’s gonna change their lives,” Oz said during the White House event.

“The fertility drug discount is legitimately a big deal for people trying to get IVF,” Jolley said. “These medicines are quite expensive and this seems like a big discount. In general IVF is not covered by insurance and so people prior to this who needed certain drugs would be paying the full $1400 price.”

Jolley noted for example, that the price slash on certain fertility drugs could lower the cost of an IVF cycle by about 20% overall. 

Trump first revealed his administration’s goal of launching the website back in September when he announced that Pfizer had agreed to lower its prices for prescription drugs offered through Medicaid.  Pfizer so far is the largest participant in Trump RX with over 30 medications listed. 

Trump last month released his “Great Healthcare Plan,” in which he called on Congress to codify the “most favored nation” initiative.

The plan also proposed sending money directly to Americans to buy health insurance and included calls to increase price transparency and hold insurance companies accountable — though it largely lacked specifics.

Polls show most Americans are concerned about health care costs.

A survey last month from KFF, a nonprofit health policy research organization, found two-thirds of U.S. adults worried about being able to afford health care for them and their family — outranking other expenses like gas and groceries. A majority of Americans, 56%, said they expect health care to become less affordable in the coming year.

The poll also found that two-thirds of Americans said Congress “did the wrong thing” by allowing enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits to expire. Millions of Americans were expected to face increased premium costs as a result of the lapse.

ABC News’ Eric Strauss, Michelle Stoddart, Emily Chang and Isabella Murray contributed to this report.

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN International’s “The Brief,” Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) stated that he doesn’t think ICE officers should be setting up in or outside of schools.

Host Jim Sciutto asked, “Should there be parts of the community that should be off limits, though? For instance, you taught for Teach for America. When you were teaching, I imagine you wouldn’t want ICE officers coming up and setting up outside of schools, for instance.”

Kiley answered, “Yeah, there’s definitely no place for that in schools. I agree with you.”

Kiley also said that there needs to be better cooperation from states and localities with the federal government coupled with reforms, and he supports body cameras and more training.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

U.S. forces carried out a lethal kinetic strike Thursday on a vessel allegedly operated by a designated terrorist organization, killing two suspected narco-terrorists.

U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) said intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.

Thursday’s strike marked the second U.S. strike this year. A previous strike also killed two suspected narco-terrorists and left one survivor, according to officials.

U.S. forces carried out a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Thursday, according to U.S. Southern Command. (U.S. Southern Command)

U.S. Southern Command is responsible for military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions focused on disrupting drug trafficking networks that threaten U.S. interests.

The strike was carried out at the direction of U.S. Southern Command Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, who assumed command Thursday.

Donovan was sworn in during a ceremony at the Pentagon, succeeding acting commander U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan L. Pettus.

“Together with our partner nations, we will continue to address shared challenges, uphold democratic values, and ensure a safe and prosperous future for the region,” Donovan said in a statement.

U.S. Southern Command said U.S. forces conducted a strike on a vessel transiting known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific on Thursday. (U.S. Southern Command)

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