For the first time in Olympic history, two cities are jointly hosting the Games: Cortina d’Ampezzo, a pretty ski resort in Italy’s spectacular Dolomites, and Milan, the country’s second largest city, 410km away. This will be Cortina’s second time hosting the Winter Games, after its successful event 70 years ago in 1956. It will be the first time Milan has ever hosted the Games. But how are host cities actually chosen and who is eligible?

Initially there were six other cities in the running: Stockholm-Åre, Sweden; Calgary, Canada; Graz, Austria; Erzurum, Turkey; Sapporo, Japan; and Sion, Switzerland. In June 2019, at the 134th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Lausanne, IOC members voted to elect Milan-Cortina as the host cities for the 2026 Winter Games. The two were declared the winning bid with 47 votes and runner up Stockholm-Åre received 34 votes.

As part of its Agenda 2020 reforms in 2014, the IOC replaced its traditional system of cities tendering bids with a new approach based on targeted invitations to host the 2024 Games. Before these reforms, the bidding system was highly competitive as it involved numerous cities putting their names forward via their National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

Interested cities often incurred huge expense as they traversed through the various stages. At the end only one city was chosen and cities that were unsuccessful were discouraged from applying to host future Olympic events.

The current process is referred to as the “new norm” and has paved the way for the hosting of Games by more than one city as host. It was redefined broadly to include multiple cities, regions or countries, and reflects a shift toward a more collaborative, flexible and sustainability oriented approach.

The use of more than one city will decrease the need for expensive new facilities being built. In Cortina, the sites that hosted the 1956 Games will be repurposed for use once more as will be the facilities used in the Torino Winter Games from 2006.

Positive change

There has been a notable move from an overtly competitive system to one based on dialogue. The first step involves an informal exchange between the IOC, the NOC and the city or region. The second step is predicated on there being a positive response from the informal exchange and an interest from all involved to proceed.

This phase involves the “interested party” refining its Olympic project and it is not attached to a particular Game edition or year. The IOC offers bespoke support to the interested party and helps it develop its Games plan and vision. Central to that is the aim of maximising the benefits for local communities.

At this juncture, there is no written submission or legal or financial assurances in place. The IOC carries out a feasibility study and arranges for an independent human rights assessment by a specialist focusing on the city or region under consideration.

Once a positive feasibility study is received and assuming that the human rights evaluation has not raised any concerns, the process moves to the targeted dialogue phase with the designated “preferred hosts”.

The stage entails extensive consultation with the International Sports Federations, as well as the commissioning of independent reports assessing venue-related costs, levels of public support and potential environmental impacts.

The IOC’s executive board can put forward one or more preferred hosts for election. Preferred hosts are free to withdraw at this stage and return to the dialogue stage and interested parties are encouraged to continue to collaborate with the IOC for hosting a future Olympics. If required, the executive board holds a secret electronic ballot following a presentation by the preferred host(s). Upon election, the contract is immediately signed.

Learning from the past

The impetus for this new way of selecting hosts can be traced to the fallout from the Salt Lake City scandal, which exposed significant weaknesses in the bidding system in the late 1990s.

In November 1998, the IOC became embroiled in a scandal after it emerged that the daughter of an IOC member received a scholarship to attend a US university which was funded by the Salt Lake Organising Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics. While it may have appeared somewhat innocuous, the reporting of the scholarship was just the beginning.

What followed was something no one could have envisaged. The United States Department of Justice carried out an investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption among IOC members. Prosecutors filed criminal charges – bribery, conspiracy and fraud – against two IOC members. However, both were acquitted after the judge concluded that the case was unfounded, noting the complete absence of criminal intent. The conduct of IOC officials also reached the US Congress, as I explore in my book, Sport and the Law.

In an interesting turn of events, Salt Lake City has been successful in its bid to host the XXVII Olympic Winter Games in 2034. It secured 83 votes in favour, and six against out of 89 valid votes .

In the wake of the reputational fallout from the Salt Lake City scandal, the IOC recognised the importance of good governance. The new bidding process represents a significant streamlining compared to previous models, and the transition can largely be viewed as a constructive step. It embraces sustainability, the reduction of costs for the host (largely supported by public funding), the importance of human rights, and maximising profits for the local economy.

For Milan-Cortina, hosting the Winter Games places the two cities on the global stage. As a historic dual pairing, Milan gets to showcase its role as a hub for ice sports. Aside from hosting the snow events, Cortina also gets to revisit its Olympic legacy 70 years after staging its first Winter Games.

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Large swathes of Britain are bracing for continued disruption as a yellow weather warning for snow and ice remains in effect across much of Scotland and parts of England until Sunday morning. The Met Office has cautioned that heavy snowfall and icy conditions could lead to significant travel delays.

Meanwhile, the Environment Agency has urged the public to remain vigilant amid widespread flood risks. As of Saturday night, 74 flood warnings and 163 flood alerts were active across England.

Jonathan Day, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, confirmed that while more than 24,000 homes and businesses have been successfully protected, approximately 330 properties have unfortunately been inundated.

The yellow warning for snow and ice stretches from Derby northwards, covering the majority of Scotland. The Met Office predicts that snow could be “heavy at times,” with accumulations of 1-3cm possible at lower elevations, rising to 3-7cm above 150m, and potentially 10-15cm on ground higher than 400m.

Forecasters also highlighted ice as an additional hazard, particularly across north-east England and parts of Scotland, where precipitation falling on frozen ground could create “very slippery conditions.” The snow is expected to transition to rain into Sunday morning, with a brief spell of freezing rain possible in some locations, before clearing eastwards and a gradual thaw begins.

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst indicated that Sunday will start blustery for many, with showery rain and some hill snow. Milder air will push into the south west, potentially bringing temperatures of 12C to parts of Cornwall and Devon, while eastern areas will remain cooler at around 4C or 5C.

The coming week is set to begin unsettled and blustery with further showers nationwide, easing by Tuesday. Another weather system is anticipated on Wednesday, bringing more unsettled conditions, before Thursday is expected to be drier.

EXCLUSIVE: Content creator Josh Wilkinson says his life has become “much simpler and happier” since leaving his hometown of Adelaide, Australia

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A 34-year-old Australian has opened up about his reasons for abandoning his hometown of Adelaide, in search of a simpler life. Australia is known for being a go-to destination for British expats, with over one million UK citizens living in hotspots such as Sydney.

The country’s appeal to Britons typically lies in its pleasant climate, stunning coastlines, bustling metropolitan areas, good healthcare provision and abundant employment prospects.

Given such seemingly ideal living conditions, it comes as somewhat unexpected that a long-term resident would contemplate leaving.

Yet content creator Josh Wilkinson has recently explained precisely why he believes he had little option but to depart.

Cost of living

While acknowledging his appreciation for residing in such a “beautiful place,” the YouTuber expressed that it had increasingly become “hard to live here”.

Describing the expenses from a recent supermarket visit, he expressed particular shock at finding a pineapple priced at 10 Australian dollars (approximately £5).

“Australia is not really what it was 10/20 years ago, which sucks,” he stated on his YouTube channel. “The people running these countries don’t care about protecting the values of the people in that country. And that’s just based on evidence.

“I grew up with a vision in mind of you know getting to this age, having a house, a nice place, you can’t do that anymore, it’s too expensive,” he disclosed. After losing his full-time job unexpectedly and pivoting to content creation last year, Josh now enjoys the flexibility of working remotely from abroad.

Currently based in Bali, he drew comparisons between the costs of living in the two locations and insisted he has no regrets about his choice.

He said: “Australia is that expensive that when you compare it to places in Southeast Asia, it’s literally cheaper to travel and live abroad with a high quality of life, eating good food in good weather, than it is to rent an average little place here [Adelaide].”

Josh’s revelation follows a 25-year-old British man’s story about why he wished to leave Australia and return to the UK.

Culture

Beyond financial considerations, Josh, who also operates the YouTube channel Polarity, revealed that feeling detached from the prevailing culture was another major factor in his decision.

“The culture here kind of sucks if I’m honest, and it’s not just Australia,” he added.

“I’m talking about the West, the Western culture, I’m just not really a fan of it, it’s so consumerism focused.

“Everyone’s just worried about what they have, how they look, their social media.

“And I’m not totally demonizing those things either, obviously I’m talking to you on social media, it’s not like it’s all bad but it’s how much value and focus a country and a place and the people in it put on those things,” he added.

“And what’s actually important in life, you know, climbing a corporate ladder, drinking beers every weekend, obsessing over a local sports team, that kind of is Australian culture. And I’m just not really into it.”

Future plans

Josh has been updating his YouTube followers on his adventures across Bali thus far.

While still based in Australia, he outlined his intentions: “There is lots more around the world, beautiful people, beautiful places. And I’ve always thought how cool it would be just to basically document my journey around the world.

“I’m not planning too far ahead, right now things are kind of vague but basically I’m going to be going around the world and I’m going to take you guys with me and just kind of show that journey. I’m going to be doing it all solo.”

When questioned about a potential return to Australia, he told us: “I’m just travelling around and taking life as it comes right now, life is much simpler and happier in Bali.

“A part of me would love to live in Australia again and maybe I will eventually, but the slow erosion of free speech and implementation of digital ID’s makes me hesitant.”

Merthyr RFC have contacted police and are appealing for parents to stop their children from visiting the club’s home ground without permission

A Welsh rugby club is investigating after a gang of people tried to set fire to its artificial pitch which is worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. According to Merthyr Rugby Club, the incident happened on Saturday evening at The Wern – the club’s home ground.

Club officials say “a small group of individuals attempted to set fire to our artificial playing surface”, adding that it was a “deliberate attempt” to cause damage. For the latest Merthyr Tydfil news, sign up to our newsletter here.

The club has taken action in the hours that have followed the incident by banning unauthorised attendance at The Wern. Police have been made aware of the vandalism and an investigation is underway.

Merthyr RFC posted on social media: “Earlier this evening (Saturday), a small group of individuals attempted to set fire to our artificial playing surface.

“This isn’t just ‘kids being kids’ – it was a deliberate attempt to damage a facility that costs hundreds of thousands of pounds and serves the entire community.

“Due to this incident, we are forced to move to a zero tolerance policy. No unauthorised attendance at The Wern, only those here for arranged training or match days are permitted to enter the facility.

“Only those playing, permitted to enter the field of play. Mandatory Adult/Parental supervision for all Under17s.

“We are working closely with South Wales Police and reviewing multiple CCTV sources. If you live on the Ynysfach Estate and saw anything this evening (Saturday) or have information that could identify those involved, please message us directly.

“If you are a parent/guardian please ensure you discourage visiting, without a reason to do so. The Wern facility is not a meeting point – unauthorised attendance will be treated as trespass. Don’t let a minority spoil it for the majority.”

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Cesc Fabregas slammed former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata after his bizarre red card in Como’s Serie A defeat to Fiorentina.

Como slipped to only their fifth league loss of the season on Saturday, suffering a surprise 2-1 defeat at home to relegation-battlers Fiorentina.

Nicolo Fagioli gave the visitors the lead midway through the first half and ex-Premier League striker Moise Kean doubled Fiorentina’s advantage with a 54th-minute penalty.

Como sensed a late comeback when when Fabiano Parisi scored an own goal but were unable to find an equaliser and even finished the match with ten men.

Morata, who joined Como on loan from AC Milan at the start of the season,only came on as a second-half substitute but did not see out the game, receiving two yellow cards in the space of a minute.

Ex-Real Madrid striker Morata was shown the first following an off-the-ball tussle with Luca Ranieri but appeared to talk himself into a second yellow and was dismissed by referee Matteo Marchetti.

Morata looked bemused as the red card was brandished and he left the pitch but Fabregas had little sympathy for his former Chelsea teammate.

‘Provocation is part of football,’ he told DAZN. ‘Those who can’t live with it should change careers.

‘I expect much more from an experienced player like him. The line between winning and losing is very thin so we shouldn’t find excuses, and we shouldn’t care what others do on the pitch.’

Discussing Como’s defeat more generally, Fabregas added: ‘I’m annoyed that I wasn’t able to help the boys understand the importance of the game.

‘I showed them my experience as a footballer during the week, maybe too much, but it wasn’t enough. We’re a young team.

‘It wasn’t a football match in the second half. Leaving that aside, the game has to be won with the right motivation and energy.

‘I feel bad as a coach, because I wasn’t able to convey this to my players today. Maybe it was in our heads. We made a mistake in our attitude, we have to show more desire.

‘I didn’t like the first half very much, the second half, I repeat, wasn’t a game of football.’

Como were expected to sign Morata on a permanent transfer at the end of his loan spell but his underwhelming stint at the club could force a rethink.

Morata, who helped Spain win the Euros in 2024, has scored just once for Como and is yet to get off the mark in 15 league games.

The 2-1 defeat leaves Como seventh in Serie A – five points outside the Champions League places – while Fiorentina stay 18th but are only in the relegation zone on goal difference.

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The discussion around a new John Lewis store in Darlington was brought up by independent traders following an emergency summit held by ex-MP Peter Gibson on Wednesday night.

At the meeting, traders backed calls to bring back free parking to the town centre to try and attract more people, but one business owner had an alternative solution.

Ann Gent and Tony Gent run Lions Club Charity Book Shop on Blackwellgate, a mainstay on Darlington’s high street for more than 30 years.

Ann referenced the closure of House of Fraser in April, and said what happens to the building could be pivotal to the town centre’s future.

She said: “What happens to Binns is critical, if that were to be boarded up, that would just look terrible. It needs to be handled carefully.”

She suggested attracting a big-name business to take over the building would help increase footfall.

Ann added: “For me, the solution would be to bring somebody like John Lewis into Darlington to take over the Binns building. We need something to bring people in.”

In response, a John Lewis spokesperson said: “While we’re not currently looking to expand our shop estate, we’re incredibly grateful for the warm reception amongst Darlington residents, and continue to offer a range of delivery options online.”

Harry Maguire’s future at Manchester United remains uncertain with his contract expiring in the summer

The Manchester United dressing room reportedly believes it would be “madness” if Harry Maguire is not offered a new contract by the club. Maguire’s current deal at Old Trafford is set to expire at the end of the season, and there is ongoing speculation about the centre-back’s future.

It was revealed by former United boss Ruben Amorim in January last year that United opted to activate the 12-month option in Maguire’s contract, which is set to expire this summer.

Maguire is yet to sign a new contract, meaning the England international would leave the club as a free agent at the end of the season as things stand.

Having struggled for regular game time under Amorim in the first half of the season, as well as dealing with injury, Maguire has started all five matches for United under interim head coach Michael Carrick.

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Maguire has played a key role in helping United climb up to fourth place in the Premier League table, and as a result, the rest of his teammates are reported to have made their feelings clear on the defender’s future.

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It has been reported by The Sun that many players in the United dressing room believe that the club should hand Maguire a contract extension to keep the defender at Old Trafford beyond this summer.

“The players think it would be madness if he [Maguire] was not offered a new deal,” a source is quoted as telling The Sun.

“Harry has endured plenty of ups and downs at United but has come through all that and is playing really well.

“He’s very well-respected in the dressing room and is passing on a lot of knowledge to some of the younger players like Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro.

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“Everyone likes him and respects him and the majority of the players want the club to give him a deal.”

This update follows reports earlier in the week which claimed that United would look to offer Maguire a new contract before the end of the season.

A report in the Daily Mail claimed that United could look to offer Maguire a contract that sees his £180,000-per-week salary lowered.

AC Milan have been credited with an interest in signing Maguire in recent weeks, while there is also rumoured interest in the Saudi Pro League with Al Qadsiah.

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Sir Keir Starmer told Europe it has to be ready to “fight” Russian aggression as he announced that the UK would deploy warships and fighter jets to the Arctic later this year.

The move, announced at the Munich Security Conference, will be seen as a bid to appease Donald Trump after he threatened to annex Greenland, citing security concerns in the region.

But even as the PM hailed what he said would be a demonstration of the transatlantic relationship, US secretary of state Marco Rubio warned the continent’s leaders over their ”malaise of hopelessness” and said that the US needed a partner with the “will to survive”.

It came as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky hit out at the United States, saying his country was being asked to make concessions to Russia “too often” in US-brokered peace talks and that Europe was being sidelined.

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During an eventful day at the summit:

Addressing the event on Saturday morning, Sir Keir said leaders must not dither, because “Russia has proved its appetite for aggression”. He warned that, even if there were a peace deal for Ukraine, Russia’s rearmament “would only accelerate”.

“We must answer this threat in full,” he said. “The road ahead is straight and it is clear. We must build our hard power, because that is the currency of the age. We must be able to deter aggression, and yes, if necessary, we must be ready to fight.”

Announcing the planned deployment of the warships, the prime minister said that the US, Canada and other Nato allies would join Britain in bolstering security across what is known as the Nigh North.

Mr Trump has claimed that Europe does not do enough to defend Greenland, which is strategically important to the US, amid threats from Russia and China.

open image in gallery

During his address, Sir Keir also hit out at Mr Trump’s claims that he is unsure whether other Nato allies would come to the US’s defence.

One of the alliance’s founding principles, Article 5, is that an attack on one Nato member is regarded as an attack on all. It has only been invoked once, after the 9/11 terror attacks in New York.

“Be in no doubt, if called on, the UK would come to your aid today,” he told the US president.

As the world approaches the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine later this month, Sir Keir said the UK recognised the “urgency” of the need to establish closer defence ties with the EU.

In a move that will infuriate Brexiteers at home, he also said that Britain should move towards “deeper economic integration” with the EU, aiming to “move closer to the single market” in various sectors. He insisted his cabinet was in full agreement as he attempted to brush off the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s bid last week to oust him from office, saying he had “ended the week much stronger than I started it”.

His speech came less than an hour after an address by Mr Rubio, who warned Europe that the US did not want to be caretakers of Western “decline”. The US secretary of state criticised countries he said had spent not enough on defence and too much on welfare, had appeased a climate “cult” to their own economic detriment, had allowed too much immigration, and had not defended their history, as he hit out at what he said was a “malaise of hopelessness and complacency”.

But Mr Zelensky in turn attacked the US, saying: “The Americans often return to the topic of concessions, and too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia.”

Mr Zelensky said he hoped that the US would stay involved in the negotiations, and that there would be an opportunity for Europe to play a larger role.

“Europe is practically not present at the table. It’s a big mistake, to my mind,” he said.

Around 200,000 people demonstrated against the Iranian regime on the sidelines of a gathering of world leaders on Saturday.

The protests followed a call by Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi for cranked-up international pressure on Tehran.

US President Donald Trump said regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen”, as American military elements continue to gather in the region.

While world leaders gathered for the Munich Security Conference, demonstrators nearby banged drums and chanted for the overthrow of the Iranian government.

The large and boisterous gathering in the German city was part of what Mr Pahlavi described as a “global day of action” to support Iranians in the wake of deadly nationwide protests.

“Change, change, regime change” chanted the crowd.

Many waved green, white and red flags with lion and sun emblems – the flag Iran used before its 1979 Islamic Revolution which toppled the Pahlavi dynasty.

Read more:
Who is Iran’s exiled crown prince encouraging protests?

Others in the crowd waved placards showing Mr Pahlavi – some that called him a king.

Mr Pahlavi, 65, has urged protesters to take to the streets, helping to transform what started as grievances over the Islamic Republic’s weakened economy into a legitimate threat to the country’s theocracy.

At a news conference in Munich, he warned of the likelihood of more deaths in Iran if “democracies stand by and watch”.

“We gather at an hour of profound peril to ask: Will the world stand with the people of Iran?” he asked.

He added that the Iranian government’s continued survival “sends a clear signal to every bully: kill enough people and you stay in power”.