Iberian Peninsula Hit by Deadly Flooding as Geopolitical Tensions Rise
Heavy flooding in Spain and Portugal claimed at least one life and left a young girl missing, while the United States faced increasing international scrutiny over its foreign policy decisions. The extreme weather event, caused by Storm Leonardo, coincided with ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions between the U.S. and Iran, and growing calls for a global boycott of the U.S.
Storm Leonardo brought torrential rain and strong winds to the Iberian Peninsula on Tuesday, causing widespread flooding and damage. A man in Portugal's Alentejo region died on Wednesday after his car was swept away by floodwaters, according to local authorities. In Spain, rescuers were searching for a missing girl amidst the devastation, according to Sky News. Roads and towns were flooded, damaging homes and forcing residents to evacuate. Streets were drenched in Ronda, Spain, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, the United States and Iran were scheduled to hold talks in Oman on Friday in an attempt to de-escalate the threat of military confrontation, Al Jazeera reported. Mohsen Milani, a politics professor at the University of South Florida, stated that both sides face intense domestic pressure to succeed.
Adding to the international tensions, Donald Earl Collins, a Professorial Lecturer at American University in Washington, DC, argued in an Al Jazeera opinion piece that it was "time for the world to boycott the US." Collins cited a series of actions by the Trump administration over the past year as violations of international norms and laws, including tariff barriers, sham negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and the declaration of a false ceasefire with Israel.
In other news, the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup was set to be staged in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, according to Al Jazeera. India was the reigning champion, having defeated Australia in the previous final in Barbados.
In a separate development, "prediction markets" were gaining traction, allowing individuals to bet on various world events, including political upheavals and even the return of religious figures, The Guardian reported. The report highlighted an instance where someone correctly predicted and profited from Donald Trump's actions against Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, netting nearly $500,000 on a prediction market platform.
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