Sunday Summary - 15th February, 2026

Welcome dear readers, 

For many of you, the year is already in full swing. Meanwhile, in Brazil, there is a popular saying that the year only officially begins after Carnival. Jokes aside, it is true that the two continents separated by an ocean share one thing: the upcoming week is especially loaded with cheerful and colorful celebrations. 

In Europe, during the preparations for the exciting week ahead, all we can hope for is no rain and much dancing, singing, and drinking to keep us warm in the cold. Despite its reputation for great warm weather, Brazil will likely experience a harsh temperature drop (varying from 20°C and 35°C) and rainstorms in many regions. 

On that note, there are still other important matters, we should not ignore. As to why, I will give you a brief summary for you to catch up while you prepare your gorgeous make-up and elaborated costumes. 

Environmental disasters

Last Friday, six tornados arrived in Brazil’s Southern region, causing the death of nine people and destroying trees, houses, cars, and power transmission towers. These extremely strong winds, including one exceeding 300km/h and travelling 40km, refreshed the year’s warmest day as one of the cities' temperatures reached up to 38°C. Due to its geographic location, this region is prone to these events’ occurrence. 

However, climate disasters have not been exclusive to the world’s Southern hemisphere. In France, storm Nils killed three people, and caused floods, school closures, and power outages due to winds of over 200km/h, exceeding all their records of weather alerts. This has been the most destructive storm in 17 years. It has also affected Spain, Portugal, England, and Wales in lower scales, but still damaged roofs, infrastructure, and caused flooding. 

Politics

This week, the Portugal Socialist party celebrated a win against the extreme right party Chega. With 66.7% of votes, António José Seguro was elected president. However, almost 50% of the voters missed the elections, showing a concerning worldwide phenomenon: a lack of political participation. Seguro presented himself and campaigned as a safe option for voters, and committed to maintaining dialogue with the current central-right Portuguese government. 

Since the US blocked oil to Cuba, the island is going through a severe energy crisis which is affecting the country’s companies, transport, tourism, schools and universities. However, through emergency measures, they are prioritizing using fuel for essential services (e.g., public health, food production, and defense) and economic activities. The reason for this blockage is because US authorities see a need for a government change in Cuba, as they claim it is a failed nation. Trump, known for his bold negotiation strategies, called for an agreement with no specific terms and claimed that once they reach a deal, the humanitarian crisis will be avoided. 

Besides the emergency measures, humanitarian aid provided by Mexico is crucial to keep the country functioning and maintain its sovereignty and dignity. To show cooperation and support, they sent about 536 tons of food, besides hygiene products. 

Epstein files 

As the last point of interest for this week, the Epstein files are still featured in the media spotlight after revealing multiple new controversial names. It is worth mentioning that this does not necessarily indicate their direct involvement with the crimes, but only the possibility thereof, since the cases' investigation is still ongoing and there is no concrete evidence. Besides, there are legitimate complaints about the U.S. Department of Justice not abiding by the law and keeping relevant information from the public. 

The documents include email exchanges with Elon Musk to arrange travel plans to the private island, but the billionaire stated he has never visited the place. Another rather surprising disclosure is Bill Gates’ email in search of medicine to avoid the consequences of having sex with Russian girls. Donald Trump’s name is included in a list of sexual abuse allegations against him and other high-profile figures. Compromising pictures of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, have also been published. Despite missing context and their denial of any wrongdoing, all of them are suffering backlash. 

I hope you all enjoyed receiving this brief update on this week’s news as much as I enjoyed searching for the most diverse contents globally. 

Keep your eye out for next Sunday!