In a week of high-stakes competition and political shifts, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, saw both athletic triumphs and setbacks, while Japan welcomed a new leader promising significant changes. Additionally, scientific advancements and developments in the entertainment industry also made headlines.
At the Milan Cortina Games, figure skater Ilia Malinin, known as the "Quad God," experienced a difficult performance, falling repeatedly during the men's free skate program on Friday, February 13, 2026, according to NPR News. This experience, as described by Dr. Sahen Gupta, a sports performance psychologist, "bears a lot of similarities to grief." Meanwhile, in the women's 500-meter speedskating competition, Dutch fans, who make up about 94.7% of long-track fans at the venue, were hoping for a win by Femke Kok, the 1000-m silver medalist, according to Time.
Away from the sporting arena, Japan witnessed a significant political shift. After a record-breaking election victory last week, Takaichi, the first woman to lead Japan after decades of male leadership, is now stronger than ever, according to Time. She led her party to win 316 of the 465 seats in the lower house of Japan's parliament, the largest seat total since the party's inception in 1955. Takaichi aims to revise the country's pacifist constitution, rebuild its military, and favor big government spending to spur growth.
In other news, scientists discovered how parasitic wasps castrate moth larvae hosts by injecting them with a domesticated virus, according to Nature News. This virus causes the larvae's testes cells to die.
The entertainment industry also saw developments. Producer David Kaplan, of Kaplan Morrison, discussed the risks involved in producing "Josephine" and developing an "It Follows" sequel, according to Variety. Kaplan stated, "It takes a village of people who believe."
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