Political and Climate Upheaval: Arrest of Brazil's President Bolsonaro, Imprisonment, and Podcasting Activities of Bayrou
In the heart of August, a rare and powerful storm named Floris swept over the northern parts of the UK, primarily affecting Scotland and northern England. The storm, which passed on August 4, 2025, brought intense rainfall and severe winds, causing significant disruptions in transport and electricity networks.
The Met Office issued an amber weather warning for much of Scotland and yellow warnings for parts of northern England and Northern Ireland, highlighting the significant risk of travel disruption and localized flooding. Satellite imagery from Meteosat-12 clearly showed the storm moving across the UK and onward toward Denmark and Norway.
The storm was unusual for its strong winds occurring in August, a month typically less prone to such events. Wind gusts reached 80–90 mph in exposed upland areas of Scotland, with gusts of 50–60 mph more widely. This led to a higher risk of trees being uprooted, with over 50,000 homes in Scotland losing power, and rail networks experiencing extensive disruption. In northern England, similar disruptions were reported, including affected air travel at Newcastle Airport.
The storm's force was so exceptional that it set a new August record for the British nation, with winds reaching 132 km/h in Wick, Scotland. This is only the second time since 2011 that the Met Office has issued a strong wind warning at the "amber" alert level in August.
Meanwhile, representatives from nearly 180 countries will gather in Geneva, Switzerland, from Tuesday to discuss plastic pollution for 10 days under the auspices of the UN. The goal of the gathering is to write the first global treaty aimed at reducing plastic pollution.
Elsewhere, a tragic incident occurred in Cambodia where a 23-year-old French woman named Lisa Girard was found dead near Siem Reap on August 4. Local authorities believe she died of exhaustion after a long-distance run of more than 20 kilometers. Lisa arrived in Cambodia in 2024 after a hitchhiking trip from France for an NGO.
In Brazil, former president Jair Bolsonaro has been placed under house arrest. A Supreme Court judge in Brazil has estimated that Bolsonaro had violated a social media expression ban. If Bolsonaro makes any further missteps, he will be issued a provisional detention order, and he faces more than 40 years in prison in his trial.
In France, François Bayrou, the Prime Minister, plans to launch a podcast and a series of YouTube videos on Tuesday. The purpose of Bayrou's podcast, named "FB Direct", is to defend the 2026 budget. However, there are reports suggesting that Bayrou's podcast may face government censorship, according to Le Parisien.
As Storm Floris is no longer active, the UK continues to assess and manage the aftermath of the storm. The impact on Scotland and northern England from August 4 will be remembered for its heavy rain, strong winds, power outages, and transport disruptions.
- The intense weather event, known as Storm Floris, which hit the UK on August 4, 2025, was unusual for its strong winds occurring in August, typically a month less prone to such events.
- Meanwhile, in environmental-science news, representatives from nearly 180 countries will gather in Geneva, Switzerland, from August 8 to discuss plastic pollution, aiming to write the first global treaty to reduce plastic pollution under the auspices of the UN.
- In crime-and-justice news, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been placed under house arrest, with a Supreme Court judge alleging that he had violated a social media expression ban.
- In general-news, François Bayrou, the Prime Minister of France, plans to launch a podcast and a series of YouTube videos titled "FB Direct" on Tuesday, aimed at defending the 2026 budget, although there are reports suggesting that the podcast may face government censorship, according to Le Parisien.
