How to use this guide
Brazilian bar and civil-service examiners increasingly test the ability to read the news through a legal lens. This guide gathers the topics most likely to appear in 2026, organized into thematic axes, and for each offers three layers: the fact, the context and the legal point most often tested.
The information reflects the state of these topics in October 2026. In matters of armed conflict and politics, facts change quickly — always check the date of a source before using it in an essay or a legal brief.
Theme 1 — Geopolitics and conflicts
Israel, the United States and Iran. On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the first bombardments, and Iran retaliated against Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz — the route for about 20% of the world's oil. A ceasefire mediated by Pakistan on April 7 was extended but collapsed in early July. Since then, the conflict has alternated between attacks and diplomatic pauses, with Hormuz under Iranian control. Israel has elections scheduled for October 27.
Legal point: the prohibition on the use of force (UN Charter, Art. 2(4)) and its exceptions — self-defense (Art. 51) and Security Council authorization. So-called "preventive self-defense" is not settled in international law.
Russia and Ukraine. The war entered its fifth year in February 2026. Rounds of U.S.-mediated negotiations in Geneva ended without progress, and the only concrete result was a three-day ceasefire in May, for Russia's Victory Day. The front line runs about 1,250 km.
Legal point: the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin (2023) and the duty of cooperation of States parties to the Rome Statute — including Brazil.
North Korea. The regime carried out at least eight missile tests by May 2026 and, on October 3, launched an intermediate-range missile that flew more than 700 km. Kim Jong-un declared the country's nuclear status "irreversible"; North Korea has also supplied weapons and troops to Russia.
Legal point: the Security Council resolutions prohibiting North Korean ballistic launches and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty regime, from which the country withdrew in 2003.
Turkey, Syria and the Kurdish question. After the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Ahmed al-Sharaa's transitional government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) signed, in January 2026, a ceasefire and an agreement to integrate their military and civilian structures into the Syrian State. Turkey, which views the SDF as an extension of the PKK, supported the agreement in the context of its own process for disarming the group.
Legal point: self-determination of peoples versus territorial integrity — a classic tension in public international law.
Nordic military integration. Finland (2023) and Sweden (2024) joined NATO, ending decades of neutrality. Today all Nordic members of the alliance fall under the same allied command, in Norfolk (United States), and NATO land forces now operate in Finland and Sweden, on the northeastern flank.
Legal point: the collective-defense clause in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and the end of neutrality as a foreign-policy option.
For the exam: relate these conflicts to Article 4 of the Brazilian Constitution, which guides Brazil's international relations by non-intervention, the defense of peace and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Theme 2 — Politics and institutions
The United States: Trump and the courts. On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3, in an opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, that the global tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA, 1977) exceeded presidential authority: the Constitution assigns the taxing power to Congress. The administration responded with a temporary global tariff, later raised from 10% to 15%, under another statute that limits the measure to 150 days. Companies and states began seeking refunds of amounts paid.
Legal point: separation of powers and the requirement that taxes be set by statute — a direct parallel with the principle of tax legality in Article 150, I, of the Brazilian Constitution.
France: the 2027 presidential election. The first round is scheduled for April 2027, with Emmanuel Macron barred from seeking a third consecutive term. 2026 polls show the National Rally in the lead — with Marine Le Pen, whose eligibility depends on the outcome of her appeal against a conviction for misuse of funds, or Jordan Bardella as an alternative. Figures such as Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the latter already a declared candidate, compete for the remaining space.
Legal point: ineligibility resulting from a criminal conviction and the debate over provisional enforcement of ancillary penalties — a topic close to Brazil's Clean Record Act (Complementary Law 135/2010).
Public finances: the fiscal framework. Complementary Law 200/2023 replaced Brazil's spending cap with a regime that limits expenditure growth to a fraction of revenue growth and sets primary-balance targets with tolerance bands. The recurring challenge is reconciling the limit with mandatory expenditures that grow faster.
Legal point: the relationship between the framework, the Fiscal Responsibility Law and the requirement to offset tax expenditures (Fiscal Responsibility Law, Art. 14, and Transitional Constitutional Provisions Act, Art. 113).
Income tax: exemption up to R$ 5,000. Law 15,270/2025, in force since January 1, 2026, exempted from personal income tax those earning up to R$ 5,000 per month and created a sliding reduction up to R$ 7,350. To offset the cost, it introduced a minimum tax on annual income above R$ 600,000 and 10% withholding on profits and dividends above R$ 50,000 per month paid by the same company.
Legal point: progressivity (Constitution, Art. 153, § 2, I) and the end of the broad dividend exemption — a central issue for wealth planning and family holding companies.
Supreme Federal Court: unified maternity leave. On September 23, 2026, in ADI 7,495, Brazil's Supreme Federal Court ruled unanimously that biological and adoptive mothers have the same leave criteria and duration — 120 days, extendable by 60 — whether they are private-sector employees, federal civil servants or members of the military. The Court prohibited reducing the leave according to the adopted child's age, applied the decision to leaves in progress and left any shared parental leave to the legislature.
Legal point: full protection of children (Art. 227) and equality; the effects of the decision were set from the conclusion of the judgment.
The prison system: restricting temporary release. Law 14,843/2024 amended the Criminal Enforcement Law to restrict temporary release — now kept, as a rule, only for study — and denied the benefit to those convicted of heinous crimes or crimes involving violence or serious threat. The Supreme Federal Court is reviewing both the law's constitutionality (ADI 7,663) and, with general repercussion, whether it applies to those serving sentences for crimes committed before it took effect.
Legal point: non-retroactivity of harsher criminal law (Art. 5, XL) and the dispute over whether sentence-enforcement rules are criminal or procedural in nature.
Theme 3 — Economy and international relations
BRICS and de-dollarization. The 2026 summit took place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, under the Indian presidency. The bloc set aside the idea of a single currency — publicly rejected by India and denied by the Brazilian government — and focused on payment infrastructure in local currencies, such as BRICS Pay. The bloc's ministers also criticized unilateral tariffs as inconsistent with WTO rules. The dollar remains dominant in world reserves, but trade in local currencies is growing.
Legal point: local-currency settlement agreements and Brazil's foreign-exchange regime (Law 14,286/2021, the new foreign-exchange framework).
OPEC+ and oil production. After years of cuts, OPEC+ has been reversing voluntary reductions since 2025. In August 2026, seven countries approved an increase of 188,000 barrels per day from September; on September 6, they decided to keep the same levels for October — 10.478 million barrels per day for Saudi Arabia and 9.949 million for Russia. The group expressed concern about attacks on energy infrastructure amid the Gulf war and the Hormuz blockade.
Legal point: OPEC+ operates under a voluntary Declaration of Cooperation (2016), not a binding treaty — a good example of soft law.
Brazil–China. China is Brazil's largest trading partner. Bilateral trade reached a record US$ 171 billion in 2025 and, from January to September 2026, already totaled US$ 143 billion, with a Brazilian surplus of US$ 26.1 billion. Oil has taken center stage: in the first half, Brazilian oil exports to China rose 62%, to US$ 15.1 billion, reflecting China's search for suppliers outside the Gulf. Soybeans remain the main item, and beef ran into a safeguard quota imposed by Beijing.
Legal point: trade safeguards under the WTO and dependence on a few products and a single market.
Argentina: energy crisis. The Argentine government extended the energy-sector emergency by decree in 2026. In winter, gas shortages led to scheduled cuts for industries, compressed natural gas stations and thermal power plants, and to an emergency purchase of a gas cargo from Petrobras. Delays in pipeline-reversal works and the lack of firm capacity in summer complete the picture.
Legal point: regional energy integration and the supply contracts among Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina.
World Bank: indicators. In January, the World Bank projected global growth of 2.6% and 2.0% for Brazil in 2026. With the war in the Middle East and the oil shock, the estimates were revised downward over the year: the April regional report put Brazil at 1.6%, and the June global revision pointed to 1.9% for the country and 2.5% for the world. Guyana, driven by oil, is the regional standout.
Legal point: Brazil as a member of the World Bank Group and the role of the Bretton Woods institutions in the international financial architecture.
Theme 4 — Science, health, society and culture
Public health: mpox. After 1,079 cases and two deaths in 2025, mpox began rising again in Brazil in early 2026: by March there were 140 confirmed and 539 suspected cases, most in São Paulo. Most cases are mild or moderate. Globally, the WHO had declared an international emergency in August 2024 because of clade 1b in Africa, and surveillance of new variants continues.
Legal point: the International Health Regulations (2005) and the shared competence of the Union, states and municipalities in health (Constitution, Art. 23, II), a matter settled by the Supreme Federal Court during the pandemic.
Cosmetic procedures: the use of phenol. In June 2024, after the death of a 27-year-old man in São Paulo following a phenol peel, Brazil's health regulator, Anvisa, provisionally banned the import, manufacture, compounding, sale, advertising and use of phenol-based products in health and cosmetic procedures, and has extended the measure while it conducts a technical assessment. In 2026, the Federal Council of Medicine regulated the procedure as a medical act, but the sanitary restriction on the products remained — a tension between professional regulation and health regulation.
Legal point: Anvisa's health-police power (Law 9,782/1999), civil liability of clinics and professionals (Consumer Protection Code, Art. 14) and the debate over medical acts (Law 12,842/2013).
Space technology: the Amazônia-1 satellite. Launched on February 28, 2021 from India, Amazônia-1 is the first Earth-observation satellite entirely designed, integrated, tested and operated by Brazil, through its National Institute for Space Research (INPE). It images any point every five days and supports deforestation monitoring. Its projected lifespan was four years, and its successor, Amazônia-1B, is scheduled for launch in 2027.
Legal point: the Outer Space Treaty (1967) and the international liability of States for objects launched into space.
Environment: the climate summit. After COP30 in Belém (2025), COP31 takes place in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20, 2026, under an unprecedented arrangement negotiated with Australia after a long dispute over the venue. On the agenda are new nationally determined contributions (NDCs), the global goal on adaptation, a just transition and the roadmaps launched in Belém for transitioning away from fossil fuels and ending deforestation. COP32 will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2027.
Legal point: the Paris Agreement (2015), its NDCs that are not binding as to results, and Article 225 of the Brazilian Constitution.
Geology: earthquakes in the Amazon. Brazil lies within the South American plate, but the western Amazon records deep tremors linked to Andean subduction. The largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the country's history — magnitude 6.6 — occurred in January 2024 in Ipixuna (Amazonas), more than 600 km deep, without damage. Historical studies point to an earthquake of estimated magnitude 7 near present-day Manaus in 1690.
Legal point: civil defense and disaster-risk management (Law 12,608/2012).
Art and culture: a Picasso recovered. In June 2026, French police found, during an anti-drug operation in the Paris region, a portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter painted by Picasso and valued at €12 to 15 million. The work had been stolen from an art storage facility by a 37-year-old security guard, who claimed he wanted to expose the company's security flaws.
Legal point: the 1970 UNESCO Convention on illicit trafficking of cultural property and the contractual liability of storage and custody companies.
Review table
| Topic | Key fact of 2026 | Legal basis for the exam |
|---|---|---|
| Israel–U.S.–Iran | War since February 28; Hormuz closed | UN Charter, Arts. 2(4) and 51 |
| Russia–Ukraine | Four years of war; talks without agreement | Rome Statute; ICC warrant |
| North Korea | Intermediate-range missile on October 3 | Security Council resolutions; NPT |
| Syria and the Kurds | SDF integration agreement (January) | Self-determination vs. territorial integrity |
| Nordic countries in NATO | Unified command; forces in Finland and Sweden | Art. 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty |
| Trump and the courts | Supreme Court strikes down IEEPA tariffs (6–3) | Tax legality; separation of powers |
| France 2027 | National Rally leads the polls | Ineligibility after conviction |
| Fiscal framework | Complementary Law 200/2023 in force | Fiscal Responsibility Law; Art. 113 of the Transitional Provisions Act |
| Income tax | Exemption up to R$ 5,000; minimum tax | Law 15,270/2025; progressivity |
| Maternity leave | ADI 7,495: 120 + 60 days for all mothers | Art. 227; equality |
| Temporary release | Law 14,843/2024 under Supreme Court review | Non-retroactivity of harsher criminal law |
| BRICS | New Delhi summit; BRICS Pay | Foreign-exchange framework (Law 14,286/2021) |
| OPEC+ | Gradual reversal of cuts | Declaration of Cooperation (soft law) |
| Brazil–China | US$ 143 billion in trade through September | WTO safeguards |
| Argentina | Energy emergency extended | Regional energy integration |
| World Bank | Brazil between 1.6% and 1.9% in 2026 | Bretton Woods institutions |
| Mpox | 140 cases by March | International Health Regulations |
| Phenol | Anvisa restriction maintained | Health-police power; Consumer Protection Code, Art. 14 |
| Amazônia-1 | Successor scheduled for 2027 | Outer Space Treaty |
| COP31 | Antalya, November 9–20 | Paris Agreement; Art. 225 |
| Earthquakes | Record magnitude 6.6 in 2024 | Law 12,608/2012 |
| Picasso | Portrait recovered in June | 1970 UNESCO Convention |
A critical reading
The year 2026 exposed, at the same time, the fragility of international rules on the use of force and the vitality of judicial review of political power. Externally, prolonged armed conflicts show the limits of the UN collective security system. Internally, in several democracies — in the United States, with the tariffs; in Brazil, with maternity leave and temporary release — constitutional courts remain the place where major political choices are tested against the Constitution.
For students, the lesson is that current affairs are not a separate subject: they are the field where the principles tested in exams are applied. For business owners and those who manage wealth, the same facts — the price of oil, dividend taxation, trade with China — quickly reach cash flow and planning.
This guide is for information only. Andrade & Cintra Advogados regularly publishes analyses of current topics in its Insights section.
Sources
Sources are in Portuguese unless otherwise indicated.
- Israel e EUA lançam ataques ao Irão — Graphic News, February 28, 2026
- O que se sabe sobre o cessar-fogo de duas semanas entre EUA e Irã — BBC/O Povo
- Irã diz estar perto de acordo com Omã sobre Ormuz — O Povo, August 2, 2026
- Negociações entre Rússia e Ucrânia terminam sem sinais de avanço — DGABC, February 18, 2026
- Coreia do Norte testa míssil balístico após nova tensão com Seul — Band, October 3, 2026
- Türkiye welcomes ceasefire deal between Syria, SDF — Hürriyet Daily News (in English)
- Otan reforça presença na Finlândia e na Suécia — CartaCapital
- Trump chama decisão da Suprema Corte sobre tarifas de "vergonha" — SBT News, February 20, 2026
- Após eleições municipais, França se prepara para presidencial de 2027 — O Povo
- Lei 15.270/2025 — Reforma do Imposto de Renda — Senior
- STF unifica critérios e prazos da licença-maternidade — Arpen-SP/STF, September 24, 2026
- STF vai decidir se lei que extinguiu "saidinha" se aplica a presos que já cumpriam pena — Portal de Prefeitura
- BRICS avança com BRICS Pay e comércio em moedas locais — Interactive Crypto
- Opep+ mantém para outubro meta de produção prevista para setembro — Canal Rural, September 6, 2026
- Comércio entre Brasil e China bate recorde em 2026 — Agrolink
- Exportações de petróleo do Brasil para a China batem recorde no semestre — Canal Rural
- Argentina recorre à Petrobras para aliviar escassez de gás — eixos
- Banco Mundial reduz previsão de crescimento do PIB do Brasil para 1,6% — Movimento Econômico
- Banco Mundial reduz previsão para crescimento do Brasil — Revista Oeste
- Brasil registra 140 casos de mpox em 2026 — Agência Brasil/Portal de Prefeitura
- Conselho de Medicina regulamenta o uso do fenol, mas Anvisa mantém restrição — Conexão TO, May 28, 2026
- CESI Space solar cells power Amazônia-1B — CESI, July 27, 2026 (in English)
- COP31: UN Climate Change Conference in Antalya — Heinrich Böll Stiftung (in English)
- Maior tremor de terra da história do país é registrado na Amazônia — Diário do Nordeste/Agência Brasil
- Obra de Picasso roubada encontrada pela polícia durante operação antidrogas — Portal Tela, June 22, 2026
Informational content. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.