Italy's Winter Olympics promised sustainability. But in Cortina, environmentalists warn the Games could scar these mountains for decades.

Ms. Meloni’s conservative government has focused on law and order since taking office in October 2022. A security decree passed in June 2025 created more than a dozen new crimes, including protest activity in prisons and migrant centers, and made some kinds of demonstrations punishable with up to two years in prison.

The puck has dropped on the first game at the Milan Cortina Olympics in the newly built hockey arena that needed a rush to the eleventh hour to finish.

The Milan Winter Olympics were meant to start with a celebration, but the Games hit turbulence even before the opening ceremony on February 6. From unfinished infrastructure and logistical headaches to ongoing climate concerns,

While most of the international hockey superpowers will be competing in Italy for the 2026 Olympics, there will be one notable absence. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) upheld sanctions that prevent Russia from participating in team events, like ice hockey, at the Olympics.

With the 2026 Winter Olympics almost underway, here’s exactly where the Games are being held and why they’re spread across numerous cities in Italy.

Kolkmann is an Olympics superfan. It started the day his father brought home a television set when Jeff was just 6 years old and has grown into a lifelong passion. The now-63-year-old will attend his 19th Olympic Games this week.

Italy’s inter-force police teams tightened security controls in Milan on Thursday, a day ahead of the opening ceremony of the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics, relying on a network of Joint Police Operations Centers set up to manage security for the international event.