Concerns over snow levels for the skiing events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy have been raised by the president of the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Johan Eliasch highlighted issues with the production of artificial snow, which he said was down to delays with the Italian government releasing funds to organisers.
Livigno Snow Park and Aerials and Moguls Park will be key venues during February’s Winter Olympics.
Livigno mayor Remo Galli has responded to the concerns, stating that the delays were caused by a technical problem.
“We’ll have all the snow we need to have a great Olympics. In fact, we’ll have much more,” Galli told Italian news agency Ansa.
“It was necessary to replace a valve, but it was done within the timeframe, and all the snow guns have been operating for a few evenings.
“We’re doing well, for Livigno and for Italy. And in the next few days, temperatures will drop further, even to 20 below zero, so I’m not at all worried.”
Peter Andre has shared a sad update on his mum’s health, admitting this Christmas could be her lastCredit: InstagramPeter’s mum, Thea, and his dad, Savvas, live in Australia and have suffered declining health over the last few yearsCredit: InstagramPeter, his wife Emily and their children are spending Christmas home in the UKCredit: Instagram/peterandre
And in a new interview with OK! Magazine, he admitted: “Of course I worry this could be Mum’s last Christmas.
“She’s very delicate. Her Parkinson’s has progressed quite a bit. Her speech is almost gone. She’ll say a word or two. It’s heartbreaking, because she’s our world, our pillar of strength.”
His older sister, Debbie, also resides back home and helps to look after their parents.
Admitting that it’s tough to also see his dad’s health decline with age, the dad-of-five said: “Then I see Dad and he’s 92 and with her every single day. But he’s getting delicate now, too.
“His memory’s going, but I am so grateful that they made that milestone I prayed for – 70 years of marriage in September.”
“It’s a raw pain. I’m a grown man, but I still can’t accept in my heart that these things happen to the people I love the most,” he added.
The couple also share kids Theo and Amelia, while Peter shares his eldest children with ex-Katie Price.
At the time, the singer shared how proud he was of Princess and Junior for taking the time to visit Emily in hospital after labour before then flying to Austrlia.
He said on Instagram: “Junior and princess. The fact that you drove to Somerset to be with us hours before and the days that followed to see the arrival of your baby sister,”
“AND THEN to get on a plane and travel 12,000 miles to be with your grandmother in a very difficult time for her shows me what beautiful children you are.”
Peter admitted it’s tough to see his mum, who is a “pillar of strength” struggling so muchCredit: InstagramThe singer often visits his family Down UnderCredit: instagram
Chile has nearly 15.8 million registered voters, and this year, for the first time since 2012, all of them are required by law to vote in the presidential race.
Kast is believed to have the upper hand in Sunday’s run-off.
Though he came in second place during the first round of voting in November, he is expected to sweep up additional support from conservative candidates who did not make the cut-off for the second vote.
But some voters expressed scepticism about the emphasis on crime in this year’s race.
Daniela Ocaranza, a mother who lives in a low-income neighbourhood in Santiago, considers the heightened focus on crime to be a ploy.
She volunteers at an organisation that fights for affordable housing, and she thinks politicians are leveraging the uptick in crime to convince the voters to put more resources into security.
“Crime has increased,” Ocaranza acknowledged. “But this happens in all countries.”
She said the media is partly to blame in raising fears. It shows “you the same crime 30 times a day — morning, noon and night — so the perception is that there is more”.
“But there are many other things that are more important,” Ocaranza stressed, pointing to issues like education, healthcare and pensions. They are areas that she sees best addressed by Jara, whom she will be voting for on Sunday.
For his part, Johnson said politicians draw up hardline policies to appease residents who want urgent action taken.
But he noted that research has shown punitive measures don’t typically produce results. In the meantime, he warned that the outsized fears about crime can have real-world ramifications.
“Today, there are fewer people consuming art, going out to see theatre, going out to restaurants. So it doesn’t just limit someone’s quality of life but also economic development,” Johnson said.
“Fear is extremely harmful. It might even be more hurtful than the actual crime.”
Congressional Democrats are sounding alarms over the deep involvement of Saudi Arabian and other Middle Eastern royal families in Paramount’s proposed bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.
Warner Bros. Discovery owns CNN, HBO and the historic Warner Bros. film and television studios in Burbank, behind such beloved American classics as “Casablanca,” “Citizen Kane,” and Bugs Bunny, and blockbuster hits including “Harry Potter,” “Dirty Harry,” “The Matrix,” and “Friends.”
Late last week, the Larry Ellison controlled Paramount came up short in the bidding for Warner Bros., in part, over the Warner board’s concerns about Paramount’s deal financing. On Monday, Paramount launched a hostile takeover of Warner Bros., appealing directly to Warner shareholders — asking them to sell their Warner stock to Paramount for $30 a share.
Paramount’s gambit has thrown the auction, and Warner board’s selection of Netflix’s $72-billion deal, into doubt.
Paramount has long insisted that it represents the best partner for Warner Bros., in part, because of the Ellison family’s cozy relations with President Trump. The company has trumpeted its ability to gain the blessing of the Trump administration.
Paramount’s bid is heavily backed by Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar’s sovereign wealth funds. The three royal families have agreed to contribute $24 billion — twice the amount the Larry Ellison family has agreed to provide in financing for Paramount’s proposed $78-billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to regulatory filings.
Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, would also have an ownership stake.
On Wednesday, U.S. Reps. Sam T. Liccardo (D-San Jose) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Boston) called on Warner Bros. board to recognize the consequences of selling the legendary company, which includes news organization CNN, to foreign governments.
“This transaction raises national security concerns because it could transfer substantial influence over one of the largest American media companies to foreign-backed financiers,” Liccardo and Pressley wrote.
“Warner’s platforms reach tens of millions of American households through HBO, Max, CNN, Warner Bros. Pictures, Discovery, and numerous digital and cable properties,” the lawmakers wrote. “They also shape the news, entertainment, and cultural content consumed by the American public.”
Transactions “foreign investors with governance rights, access to non-public data, or indirect influence over content distribution creates vulnerabilities that foreign governments could exploit,” the lawmakers wrote.
Paramount Chairman and Chief Executive David Ellison on the Paramount lot in August.
(Paramount)
Paramount, in its regulatory filings, said the three Middle Eastern families had agreed to give up voting rights and a role in the company’s decision-making — despite contributing more than half the equity needed for the deal.
Representatives of Warner Bros. and Paramount declined to comment.
The Ellison family acquired Paramount in August. David Ellison, the chief executive, attended a White House dinner last month to celebrate Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The involvement of bin Salman was concerning to the lawmakers.
“The fund is controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom (according to the declassified 2021 report of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence) ordered the murder of U.S. resident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” the lawmakers wrote.
Over the weekend, Trump said the Netflix deal, which would give the streaming an even more commanding presence in the industry, “could be a problem.”
