Global News Podcast (BBC World Service)
Episode: Winter Olympics disrupted by protests and 'sabotage'
Date: February 8, 2026
Host: Paul Moss
Overview
This episode centers on the disruption of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics by protests and alleged sabotage, while also covering major developments in global politics, medical innovation, technology, and cultural movements. Listeners are brought up to date on the environmental and social backlash against the Games, rising international tensions, and notable advances in medicine and technology.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Winter Olympics Protests & Sabotage in Italy
- [01:57] Politics overshadowed the festive opening of the Milan Winter Olympics.
- Audience loudly booed both US Vice President JD Vance and the Israeli Olympics team.
- Protests erupted centered on environmental impact and sustainability; violence broke out between some protesters and police using water cannons and tear gas.
- [03:09] Ambarasan Ethirajan explains the protests:
- The “Unsustainable Olympics Committee,” comprising students, housing activists, and sports groups, mobilized against "environmental impact" of new Olympic venue construction.
- "When you build such a huge venue, it is causing damage to the surroundings." – Ambarasan Ethirajan [03:20]
- Protest divided into peaceful demonstrators and a more violent subgroup.
- [04:10] Reports of sabotage on Italian railways:
- Three incidents: switch box set on fire (Pesaro), severed cables (Bologna), and a "rudimentary explosive device" elsewhere—all causing significant train delays.
- Echoes of similar sabotage during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- Officials blame “anarchists and extreme left” but pledge Games will continue. Also report ongoing cyber attacks, blamed on Russia, targeting both Olympic and government sites.
2. Other Major Global Stories
a. Jacques Lang and Epstein Scandal (France)
- [05:16] Jack Lang, legendary French politician, embroiled in new Epstein revelations [Hugh Schofield reporting]:
- Lang’s name appears hundreds of times in newly revealed Epstein files; no accusation of criminality but significant embarrassment.
- Connections included financial ties and facilitation of property sales involving Epstein.
- “It was clear that the pressure on him to go was very, very strong.” – Hugh Schofield [07:53]
b. France Urges 29-Year-Olds to Have Children
- [08:02] The French government sends letters to all 29-year-olds encouraging them to consider parenthood to combat historic low birth rates.
- Stephanie Prentice explains the policy motivation: "Its goal, it says, to tackle what it calls the 'if only I had known' mentality." [08:39]
- Reaction from public and experts is predominantly critical, emphasizing economic insecurity over lack of awareness.
- Professor Stephanie Tatin diagnoses “a tangle of societal, economic and behavioral reasons” for the declining birth rate [09:10].
c. Groundbreaking Face Transplant in Spain
- [10:16] Spain marks the world’s first face transplant from a donor who chose assisted dying.
- Dr. Juan Peribarret emphasizes the donor’s “maximum expression of love and generosity” as she approached euthanasia [10:55].
- Benefits included the unique opportunity to fully prepare for the complex surgery.
- Recipient is doing well, regaining sensation and movement [12:08].
- Dr. Peribarret looks to advances ahead: “We are going to advance a lot in terms of regenerative medicine and biology.” [12:50]
3. Ukraine: US Pushes for Peace Deal
- [15:00] US reportedly sets June deadline for Ukraine peace deal in advance of midterm elections.
- Zelensky reveals this comes amidst intensifying Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
- “This is a level of attack that no terrorist in the world has ever allowed themselves to carry out, and Russia must feel the response of the entire world.” – President Zelensky (quoted) [16:29]
- [16:39] Local journalist Katerina Malofieva describes life under bombardment in Kyiv:
- "At home, the heating is completely cold, the radiator is cold... situation is difficult for all members [of this part of the city]." [16:39]
- [17:49] Sarah Rainsford from Kyiv: Air defenses struggle; “I think the mood is actually hardening” against Russia despite the hardships [18:12].
- Ceasefire discussions ongoing, but main issues—especially territorial ones—remain unresolved.
- “The hardest decisions… would eventually have to be decided by the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, as well as Donald Trump.” [19:30]
4. Thailand’s Uncertain Election
- [19:42] Jonathan Head reports on Thai elections:
- Youthful reformers face entrenched conservative forces and unelected bodies despite likely winning most votes.
- “Everyone here knows winning in Thai elections is never enough. Powerful, unelected bodies like the courts will ultimately decide who actually runs this country.” [21:13]
5. Technology: Elon Musk’s Ambitious AI Data Centers in Space
- [21:44] Elon Musk proposes launching solar-powered AI data centers into orbit, claiming it will be the lowest-cost option “within two years, maybe three.” [21:47]
- [22:20] American astrophysicist Adam Michael Becker is deeply skeptical:
- Explains cooling and radiation challenges in space are vastly underestimated.
- "Putting a data center in space is like putting a giant blanket around it, and data centers need to be kept nice and cool." – Becker [22:22]
- “It is not impossible to put a single data center into space, but it's never going to be a better idea than building it here on Earth.” [23:32]
- Philosophical critique: Dream of space as an escape reflects “fear of death” and “too much science fiction, misunderstood.” [24:13]
- Warns space ambitions distract from problems solvable on Earth: “None of them are nearly as difficult to solve as the problem of getting a large number of people to... live on the surface of Mars.” [24:48]
- Explains cooling and radiation challenges in space are vastly underestimated.
6. Washington Post Upheaval under Jeff Bezos
- [25:25] Will Lewis, chief executive, resigns after announcing a third of staff are to be laid off; Bezos accused of “killing off the Washington Post”.
- Internal dissent: “Democracy dies in darkness. Many of its staff say these sweeping cuts made a mockery of that motto.” – Rory Gallimore [25:45]
- Business struggles and controversial leadership changes at a major pillar of US journalism.
7. Iranian Protests (Abroad & Cinema)
- [27:23] Protests in Berlin and Washington DC in support of Iranian dissidents; ties to pro-monarchist groups and calls for international action.
- Some protestors disapprove of current US diplomatic talks with Iran.
- [28:57] Iranian New Wave Cinema:
- “The films were extremely bold... stories about class, repression, sexuality, freedom of expression. Allegory gives you a timelessness... origins of a cinema of dissent.” – Ehsan Hochbakt, filmmaker & festival curator [29:36]
- Contemporary filmmakers are now more direct, rejecting allegory for militancy amid current government repression.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Olympic protests:
“When you build such a huge venue, it is causing damage to the surroundings.”
– Ambarasan Ethirajan [03:20] -
On environmental & social activism:
“The other group... wanted to highlight how unsustainable these games could be.”
– Ambarasan Ethirajan [03:52] -
On the French fertility campaign:
“People don’t want to be pressured... lack of awareness isn’t the issue. They haven’t got any money, they haven’t got job security.”
– Stephanie Prentice (quoting social media) [09:00] -
On medical innovation:
“It’s a maximum expression of love and generosity and she was smiling during all that process.”
– Dr. Juan Peribarret on the face donor [11:02] -
On Ukraine’s enduring hardship:
"At home, the heating is completely cold, the radiator is cold... situation is difficult for all members [of this part of the city]."
– Katerina Malofieva [16:39] -
On Musk’s space data center plan:
“Putting a data center in space is like putting a giant blanket around it, and data centers need to be kept nice and cool.”
– Adam Michael Becker [22:22] -
On the philosophical drive to space:
“There are two things... they are afraid of death and want to transcend all limits, and second, they watched too much science fiction and misunderstood it.”
– Adam Michael Becker [24:05] -
On Iranian cinema’s legacy:
“The beauty of allegory, the timelessness it gives you, because it's wrapped in many different layers of image and language. These are the origins of a cinema of dissent, of rebellion.”
– Ehsan Hochbakt [29:50]
Important Timestamps
- 00:47 | Headlines and main stories overview
- 01:57 | Summary of Olympics Opening and Onset of Protests
- 03:09 | Ambarasan Ethirajan on Olympic Protests
- 04:10 | Sabotage of Italian Railways—details and analysis
- 05:16 | Jacques Lang/Epstein scandal
- 08:02 | France’s campaign encouraging citizens to have children
- 10:16 | Face transplant milestone interview
- 15:00 | US pressure for Ukraine peace deal and context
- 16:39 | Life in Kyiv during Russian attacks
- 17:49 | Sarah Rainsford on mood in Ukraine
- 19:42 | Thailand’s election dynamics
- 21:44 | Elon Musk’s AI data centers in space & critical analysis
- 25:25 | Washington Post layoffs and resignation
- 27:23 | International Iranian protests
- 28:57 | Iranian New Wave Cinema
Summary
This episode vividly illustrates the intersection of global spectacle, politics, technological ambition, and cultural dissent. It paints a picture of civil unrest and security anxieties shadowing the Winter Olympics, persistent tensions in Ukraine, uncertain democratic futures, controversial policies in France, and radical futures in tech and medicine. The program is punctuated by insightful reporting and sharp expert commentary, capturing both the urgency and complexity of current affairs around the world.