Politics · 2026-10-26 · Morning briefing
Lula da Silva wins Brazil presidency, faces hostile congress
Lula da Silva has won Brazil's presidential election, defeating Senator Flavio Bolsonaro by more than four million votes. The victory marks a remarkable turnaround for the 80-year-old, who was jailed from 2018 to 2019 on corruption charges that were later overturned.
Mr Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, has refused to concede and is seeking to have the result annulled. Financial markets, which had bet on his victory, reacted sharply; a Tokyo-listed fund tracking Brazil's Bovespa index fell nearly 15%, and the Brazilian real is expected to weaken against the dollar.
The president-elect will, however, face a legislature dominated by his opponents. The Liberal Party of Jair Bolsonaro and its allies are projected to hold comfortable majorities in both chambers, with more than 280 seats in the lower house and up to 50 in the Senate.
Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.
Read the sources
- Lula wins in Brazil but faces hostile Congress and divided country
- Brazil's Lula defies odds to clinch poll victory against Flavio Bolsonaro
- Brazil’s Lula wins historic fourth term, Flavio Bolsonaro refuses to concede
- Lula Wins Fourth Term In Brazil Amid Divided Electorate
- Brazil's Lula da Silva closely defeats Trump ally Flavio Bolsonaro to win historic fourth term
Ten stories, twice a day. Calm, no notifications.
Get the appMore stories in this edition
- Serbia's Vucic concedes defeat to student-led movement
- Dakar Rally moved from Saudi Arabia for 2027 edition
- Oil prices retreat as demand fears outweigh Saudi supply risks
- US measles cases double, with Pennsylvania at outbreak’s centre
- Gabon ends social media ban imposed amid civil unrest
- Exotic physics may explain 1,000-mile cloud on Mars
- PIDG to deploy $1bn yearly for Africa, Asia infrastructure
- Sri Lanka rescues 40 Iranian sailors stranded by US blockade
- Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado returns from exile