Brazil's Lula secures fourth term; Flávio Bolsonaro seeks annulment

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth term as president of Brazil. He defeated his far-right opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro, in a race that ended with a dramatic fightback for the incumbent. Following his victory, Bolsonaro refused to acknowledge the result. He formally requested that the election outcome be annulled.

Bolsonaro cited a recent decision by a supreme court justice as the reason for the challenge. The justice had ordered an extension to voting hours. Flávio Bolsonaro is following a path similar to his father, Jair Bolsonaro, the former president. Jair Bolsonaro also refused to admit defeat to Lula four years ago. He later attempted a coup and was convicted for the effort.

Tom Phillips, reporting from São Paulo, assessed the political fallout. He stated, “The Bolsonaro response is exactly as I feared, but I don’t think it will mean very much.” Phillips noted that world leaders are already recognizing Lula’s win. He added that Bolsonaro has little chance of overturning the result. Phillips described the victory as the crescendo of a 50-year political career for Lula. He identified Lula as the first elected working-class leader of Brazil who has helped millions escape poverty.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have sealed off the city of Hebron. The city, which is home to 250,000 people, was closed following a gun attack on a military checkpoint on Friday. Two Israeli soldiers died in that incident. The Israeli army stated that the displaced population left voluntarily.

The Hebron municipality provided different numbers. It reported that 370 families, or nearly 2,000 people, had been displaced. The neighborhood of Farsh al-Hawa, which is closest to the checkpoint, has been flattened. Palestinians in the West Bank do not vote in Israel’s upcoming elections, but they face immediate consequences from the outcome.

Yousef al-Jabari, the mayor of Hebron, accused the Israeli state of collective punishment. He said, “They have dragged people from their houses, and they have prevented the media from getting into the district.” Al-Jabari claimed that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government are using Palestinian land to displace people. He said they are closing the city and the mosque to reach political goals.

In the US, Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola delayed campaign stops after a car crash. She suffered minor injuries while driving to a stop. Peltola and the occupant of a second vehicle were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Peltola is an Alaska native and former congresswoman. She is seeking to become the first Democrat in nearly two decades to represent the state in the Senate.

The administration has moved to dispute the Alaska result before the count is finalized. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended a pre-emptive lawsuit. The suit aims to block certification of the results if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses. The Department of Justice alleged voter confusion could arise because two candidates named Dan Sullivan are on the ballot.

President Donald Trump campaigned in Michigan for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers. Rogers is tied with Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. During the rally, Trump described singer Nicki Minaj as having “one hell of a beautiful ass.”

In Serbia, long-serving leader Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat. He lost to a student-led movement that protested his government for two years. Vučić ended his 12 years in power. Celebrations erupted in the streets of Belgrade after the news broke.