This Week's Brief

Why Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Half-Time Show Went Global

The Super Bowl may not travel well outside American football circles, but its half-time show definitely does. For anyone interested in music, culture or politics, it’s global theatre. A snapshot of what US public sentiment looks like beyond Washington. And people from across the world, from Nigeria, Germany to China were on tender hooks (as was all of Latin America, obvs).

What Mattered

Viewership wars: Turning Point USA’s alternative half-time show flopped. A Kid Rock–led line-up, alongside artists who are relatively unfamiliar, drew between 5.2-6.1 million viewers. Bad Bunny by Neilson (estimates of U.S. views alone) pulled almost 22 times that at 135.4 million (est) viewers. It was a Latin fiesta that dominated the night.

Yes, a real wedding: serenaded by Lady Gaga and Los Sobrinos, the Puerto Rican salsa band that supports Bad Bunny’s work.

Puerto Rico on stage: with Ricky Martin joining the celebration.

The visuals: so much grass that performers could barely see out of their costumes (the grass is now a meme).

The message: No place for hate in the Americas. North or South.

Not everyone was amused. US President Donald Trump called the show the “worst ever”, branding it “an affront to the Greatness of America”.

But politics aside, NFL fans and non-fans had a 13.4 minute fiesta.

And it was reminder worth repeating: Despite the rhetoric dominating immigration in the US, nearly one in five people in the country speak a language other than English, at home. More than 40 million of them, Spanish (including Bad Bunny’s very own Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory).

These are the stories that caught our eye, cause nothing distracts us from connecting the dots!

📌 Winter Olympics: Protests, Drama & Booing

📌 Vonn Down: Ski Legend

📌 Epstein’s Long Shadow Reaches Downing Street

📌 Laura Fernández Wins Costa Rica’s Presidency

📌 Sanae-Katsu: Japan’s Conservative Disruptor Wins Landslide

📌 Roblox Under Fire Down Under on Child Safety

📌 Super Bowl, Super Spat, Super Week: Anthropic Takes Aim at OpenAI

📌 Conflict Watch

Winter Olympics

Unity on Ice, Protests on the Ground

The Winter Olympics looked at risk of being subsumed by politics, but Italy has pulled out all the stops to preserve the Games’ spirit of unity — or at least, to try.

Opening Ceremony Drama

Cortina d’Ampezzo has become ground zero. US Vice President JD Vance was booed at the opening ceremony, while Mariah Carey was warmly received for singing in Italian (with the help of a phonetic teleprompter).

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday condemned violent protests targeting the Milan–Cortina Games, branding demonstrators “enemies of Italy” after clashes over environmental concerns and heightened security. In a strongly worded social media post, Meloni contrasted volunteers and workers supporting the Games with those she accused of damaging Italy’s image abroad.

Medal Watch

At time of publication, Norway led the medal table, followed by Switzerland and Austria. But there are plenty of competitions up ahead. Keep a tab on the Medal tally.

Avery Krumme’s Olympic Breakout

Seventeen-year-old US skier Avery Krumme has wasted no time making her mark at her first Winter Olympics. She will compete on Monday in the slopestyle finals, a discipline combining rails and ramps, scored on execution and difficulty. Krumme switched nationality from Canada to the United States in 2024 and has a strong chance to elevate her profile further if she contends for a medal.

Vonn Down: Ski Legend Airlifted After Early Crash

Lindsey Vonn was airlifted to hospital but is stable after crashing early in the women’s downhill. The 41-year-old, who damaged her ACL in a World Cup race at Crans-Montana just over a week ago, elected to compete regardless. Starting 13th, Vonn clipped a gate and somersaulted off the course seconds into her run. She lay on the ground for around 15 minutes before being airlifted away, with spectators applauding as the helicopter departed.

Gold in Tears: Breezy Johnson Wins as Vonn Is Carried Off

The incident overshadowed celebrations for her teammate Breezy Johnson, who won gold and was seen in tears while sitting in the leader’s chair as Vonn was treated. Germany’s Emma Aicher took silver, with Italy’s Sofia Goggia claiming bronze.

Shock Exit, Golden Run: Maderova Takes Slalom Title

Czech snowboarder Zuzana Maderova won gold in the women’s parallel giant slalom following the shock exit of defending champion Ester Ledecka.

The 22-year-old cruised to victory over Sabine Payer, who had eliminated Ledecka by 0.83 seconds. Italy’s Lucia Dalmasso took bronze.

Politics This Week

White House Removes Controversial ‘Obamas as Apes’ Video After Trump Response

The White House has once again surprised the public and not in a good way.

A video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes was shared on official channels. The White House initially defended the post, but removed it hours later, blaming a staff member for “erroneously” sharing it. Donald Trump later said he “of course” condemned the video, but did not apologise.

Epstein Fallout Continues

Ghislaine Maxwell, associate and former partner of the late Jeffrey Epstein, has refused to answer questions before a US House of Representatives committee, while signalling she may testify in exchange for clemency.

As the list of figures alleged to have interacted with Epstein — for pleasure, business or influence — continues to grow, a clearer picture has emerged: a global ecosystem of middlemen operating at the nexus of power and money, stretching from India to South Africa and beyond. Outside the U.S., Ambassadors have been fired, Ministers have stepped down, advisors have quit, But nowhere however, have the Epstein files posed a more direct threat to a sitting prime minister than in the UK.

Epstein’s Long Shadow Reaches Downing Street

The Peter Mandelson scandal has reached a breaking point. Harriet Harman has called Keir Starmer “weak and naive” for appointing Mandelson as US Ambassador despite his known Epstein ties. Angela Rayner, widely viewed as a potential successor, has reportedly told allies she is “ready” to lead, as Starmer’s position is increasingly described as “untenable”. All while Sir Keir insists, he “will never walk away.”

Growing mutiny: MPs including Rachael Maskell and Kim Johnson are openly questioning Starmer’s survival. Maskell warned that his failure to grasp the severity of recent scandals makes it “very difficult to continue”.

The Mandelson fallout: Rayner has repeatedly stepped in to avert Commons defeats, prompting some backbenchers to argue the “sooner the day comes” that she takes the lead, the better.

Persistent policy friction: Rosie Duffield and others continue to accuse Labour of a “woman problem”, while MPs expressed deep frustration at being left to defend controversial welfare and spending cuts.

Double Speak: UK Admits Failure on Sudan’s Women

In sharp juxtaposition, the UK is committing £20 million to support survivors of sexual violence in Sudan. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the international community “has failed” Sudanese women, describing the conflict as “a war waged on women’s bodies”, marked by sexual torture and public rape used as weapons.

Other Political News

Laura Fernández Wins Costa Rica’s Presidency

Conservative leader Laura Fernández secured a decisive victory to become Costa Rica’s next president, winning 48.3 per cent of the vote. Celebrating with supporters in downtown San José, she pledged to continue transformative reforms and lead a government centred on dialogue.

Sanae-Katsu: Japan’s Conservative Disruptor Wins Landslide

Sanae Takaichi won a landslide victory in Japan, polling strongly among younger voters who view the conservative prime minister — endorsed by US President Donald Trump — as the polar opposite of traditional Japanese politicians. “Sanae-Katsu” has become a cultural phenomenon, with her clothing and accessories selling out rapidly.

‘Import Brides’: Official Expelled Over Birth-Rate Remarks

In South Korea, a senior official has been expelled from his party after suggesting the country should “import young women” from Vietnam or Sri Lanka to boost its birth rate. Kim Hee-soo, head of Jindo County, said the women could be married off to young men in rural areas. The remarks come as South Korea grapples with the world’s lowest birth rates, with its 50-million population projected to halve within 60 years.

Opposition Figure Seized After Release in Caracas

Venezuela opposition leader María Machado said colleague Juan Pablo Guanipa was kidnapped just hours after being released from detention. Armed men in civilian clothes reportedly abducted the Justice First party leader from Caracas’s Los Chorros neighbourhood, forcing him into one of four vehicles.

Business This Week

Roblox Under Fire Down Under on Child Safety

Australia’s communications minister, Anika Wells, has expressed alarm over reports of child grooming and harmful content on the gaming platform Roblox. She has demanded the company explain how it is addressing sexual and self-harm material and called for its PG rating to be reviewed by the Australian Classification Board.

The eSafety Commissioner has also written to Roblox, stating it will test the platform’s safety assurances, including disabling chat features and making under-18 accounts private.

“We remain highly concerned by ongoing reports regarding the exploitation of children on the Roblox service,” said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.

AI This Week

Super Bowl, Super Spat, Super Week: Anthropic Takes Aim at OpenAI

Anthropic had a breakout week as investors bet the start-up has cornered the enterprise AI market, potentially worth hundreds of billions in revenue. Unlike OpenAI, Google and Meta, Anthropic has focused on selling developer- and business-facing tools rather than consumer products.

The strategy sharpened with the release of new software that unsettled public markets, alongside a Super Bowl advert that openly targeted rivals — drawing a pointed response from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Anthropic is spending millions on NFL championship advertising to criticise OpenAI’s plans to introduce ads into ChatGPT. The punchline: “Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude.”

An Anthropic co-founder also said the humanities will be “more important than ever” in the AI age, outlining the company’s hiring priorities. Read more at the Financial Times and Fortune.

Conflict Watch

17 per cent of the world’s women lived in conflict zones in 2024. That figure is set to rise sharply in 2026.

💣 Iran

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been sentenced to more than seven additional years in prison after beginning a hunger strike, as Tehran intensifies its crackdown following nationwide protests.

The ruling comes amid negotiations with the US over Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran’s top diplomat said Tehran’s strength lies in its ability to “say no to the great powers”.

💣 Gaza / West Bank

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man in Gaza on Monday, with medical officials reporting three additional deaths, including a child, in Gaza City’s Zaytoun neighbourhood on Sunday — actions that violate the October ceasefire.

💣 Taiwan

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $328.5 million US Foreign Military Sales contract to supply IRST21 Legion-ES infrared sensor systems to Taiwan’s Air Force. The deal coincides with political deadlock in Taipei over President Lai Ching-te’s $40 billion defence spending plan, amid mounting US pressure to counter China.

💣 Thailand–Cambodia

Cambodia has rejected Thai claims over Ta Krabey Temple and the Ta Mone Temple Complex, warning of escalating military tensions along the border. The fallout previously toppled Thailand’s government, bringing Anutin Charnvirakul to power. While fighting has paused, the issue remains politically potent ahead of the 2026 election.

💣 Sudan

The WHO has warned Sudan’s health system is “under attack”, reporting strikes on three health facilities in South Kordofan in a single week amid ongoing fighting between the army and RSF forces.

💣 Ethiopia / Eritrea

Eritrea has dismissed Ethiopian accusations that its troops are operating inside Ethiopian territory, calling them “false” and part of a prolonged hostile campaign.

💣 Yemen

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council has named a new 35-member cabinet following violent clashes in the south. Only two women were appointed: Afrah al-Zouba and Ahd Jaasous.

💣 Sahel

UN officials warned the Security Council that Islamic State affiliates are growing more resilient in West Africa and the Sahel, expanding recruitment, funding streams and technological capabilities.

💣 Ukraine–Russia

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian energy infrastructure is a legitimate military target. Dubai authorities have extradited a suspect accused of shooting a senior Russian intelligence officer in Moscow. The US has reportedly set a new deadline for peace talks, proposing an end to the war by June.

💣 Haiti

Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council has handed power to US-backed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé after nearly two years of instability marked by extreme gang violence.

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