While the ball rolled on the pitch for the opening of the 2026 World Cup, the world stage did not stop, with major events unfolding beyond the four lines. Major news involved a diplomatic turnaround in the Middle East, the fierce vote count in Peru’s presidential election and the confirmation of an El Niño with potential record strength.
Crisis in the Middle East: Trump cancels attacks on Iran and Tehran denies agreement
Former President of the United States, Donald Trump, recently announced the cancellation of a series of attacks against Iran, previously ordered by him to take place throughout the day. The decision came after negotiations that, according to Trump, resulted in a consensus on the “final points” of an agreement to end the conflict. This unexpected move coincides with the first of the three openings of the 2026 World Cup.
Minutes after Trump’s statement, however, Iran quickly denied any agreement, stating that no initial memorandum of understanding with the United States had been approved. Tension in the region remains high, highlighting the fragility of talks and the complexity of reaching a lasting solution to the decades of geopolitical friction in the Middle East, keeping the world on alert.
Fierce dispute for the presidency of Peru moves the counting of votes
The presidential race in Peru remains in tight suspense, with Keiko Fujimori retaking the lead in the second round. After three days behind Roberto Sánchez, the conservative candidate now registers 50.002% of the votes against 49.998% for the left-wing deputy, a minimum difference of just 651 votes that can change at any time.
Political instability has been a recent hallmark of Peru, with frequent changes of presidents and a history of polarization. The current election mirrors this reality, promising an uncertain future and the challenge of unifying a deeply divided nation, regardless of the final result of this vote-by-vote count.
Confirmation of El Niño with risk of record strength by the US climate agency
The United States Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently confirmed the formation of El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon characterized by the abnormal warming of surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean. The main concern now is no longer the occurrence, but rather the intensity that the phenomenon could reach.
The bulletin released by NOAA indicated a 63% probability that El Niño will become “very strong”, with the potential to be among the biggest events recorded since 1950. In Brazil, a high-intensity El Niño could cause serious consequences, such as prolonged droughts in the North and Northeast regions, damaging agriculture and water supply, and torrential rains in the South region, increasing the risk of floods and landslides, directly impacting the lives of millions of people.
Brazilian Senate approves “bomb agendas” amid political fights
On the national political scene, the government suffered significant defeats in the Federal Senate, with the approval of several “bomb bills” that could generate a fiscal impact of more than R$200 billion. President Lula’s team attributed the negative result to a series of factors that demonstrate the fragility of political articulation.
- Senators seeking to please their electoral bases and solidify their image for future campaigns.
- The president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), seeking support to guarantee his re-election to the command of the House next year.
- A moment of profound deterioration in the political relationship between President Lula and Alcolumbre.
