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What We’re Watching: Brazil’s top court rocked by scandal, Germany’s Merz visits China’s Xi, Russia targets top communication app

In Brasilia, Brazil, on February 19, 2026, Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes participates in the plenary session of the STF following the controversial operation authorized by the justice to investigate Federal Revenue Service employees suspected of leaking information about STF members and their families.

In Brasilia, Brazil, on February 19, 2026, Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes participates in the plenary session of the STF following the controversial operation authorized by the justice to investigate Federal Revenue Service employees suspected of leaking information about STF members and their families.

Photo by Ton Molina/NurPhoto
By Riley Callanan,
Riley Callanan

Riley is a writer and reporter for GZERO. When she isn’t writing about global politics, you can find her making GZERO’s crossword puzzles, conducting research on American politics, or persisting in her lifelong quest to learn French. Riley spends her time outside of work grilling, dancing, and wearing many hats (both literally and figuratively).

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Zac Weisz,
Zac Weisz
Zac reports on global affairs, covering everything from battles between judicial branches and political leaders, to conflicts in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. With the Trump administration keen to alter the world order, though, there’s a heavy emphasis right now on US politics – an area with which he is intimately familiar. Prior to joining GZERO, Zac was a senior national politics correspondent at National Journal, where he covered the 2024 presidential election from its inception to the dramatic finish, as well as major congressional actions during the Biden administration. Prior to journalism, Zac worked as an economic analyst for Oxford Economics, calculating the impact of various tax policies, and of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Born in London, he currently resides in New York City, where you can find him playing football (the original version) or watching it on television while attempting to cook up a storm.
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Alex Kliment
Alex Kliment
Alex wears a few different caps and tips them all regularly. He writes for the GZERO Daily, works as a field correspondent for GZERO's nationally syndicated TV show GZERO WORLD WITH IAN BREMMER, and writes/directs/voices GZERO's award-winning puppet satire show PUPPET REGIME. Prior to joining GZERO, Alex worked as an analyst covering Russia and broader Emerging Markets for Eurasia Group. He has also written for the Financial Times from Washington, DC, and Sao Paulo Brazil. In his spare time, he makes short films and composes scores for long ones. He studied history and Slavic literature at Columbia and has a Master's from Johns Hopkins SAIS. He's a native New Yorker, a long-suffering Mets fan, and owns too many bicycles.
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February 25, 2026

Brazil’s Supreme Court rocked by nepotism and corruption scandals

Trying times, as it were, for the top court of Latin America’s largest country. One court justice has already had to recuse himself from the trial of a prominent bank fraudster because of close family and investment ties with the defendant. Another is under fire for using Brazil’s controversial “fake news” laws to suppress scrutiny of his wife’s contracts with the fraudster’s bank. A third justice, meanwhile, throws a big annual party in Portugal funded indirectly by companies with business before the court. The Supreme Court scandals are partly why “impeaching Supreme Court justices” is the top polling issue for Brazilian voters ahead of this year’s election. Small wonder then that followers of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro – sentenced by the very same court to 27 years for trying to overturn the 2022 election – are likely to win control of Congress. Once they do, the court itself could quickly find itself on trial.

Leader of Europe’s largest economy visits China

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has a clear goal in mind as he begins his three-day trip to China today: shrink Berlin’s trade deficit with Beijing. China is Germany’s top trading partner, but the trade imbalance expanded massively last year. Berlin has accused Beijing of unfair trade practices, such as subsidies to domestic manufacturers. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he hopes to bring the relationship to “new levels.” The trip, though, may have larger implications than just the bilateral ties between Germany and China: Merz is the latest European leader to visit China, following trips by French President Emmanuel Macron last year and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January. It’s also another sign that Europe is reducing its reliance on the United States by bolstering its relationships elsewhere.

Russia targets Telegram communications app

Russia is building its case to ban the communications app Telegram and indicated in local newspapers on Tuesday that it may bring terrorism-related charges against its Russian-born founder, Pavel Durov. The platform is one of the country’s last spaces for relatively free speech — it’s the go-to communication for millions of Russians and even for Russian pro-war bloggers in the military. The Kremlin wants security services to be able to access messages and is pushing users toward the state-monitored app MAX. Backlash has followed, with even Russian pro-government lawmakers and government ministers voicing concern. Still, the mounting legal and political pressure suggests Moscow is preparing to act regardless.

brazil supreme courttelegramrussiakremlingermany-chinabrazil supreme court scandal

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