Brazil's presidential runoff too close to call as Lula and Bolsonaro make final pitches

Brazil's presidential election is unusually close ahead of Sunday's decisive runoff, with candidates Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro holding a final campaign day on Saturday. The vote will determine whether Brazil remains one of South America's few leftist-led nations or shifts to a right-wing government under Bolsonaro. In the first round, Bolsonaro led with 47 percent of votes against Lula's 45 percent, and a new poll now shows the candidates tied at 50 percent each. Lula met voters on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, while Bolsonaro campaigned at the house where his father, Jair Bolsonaro, recovered from a 2018 stabbing. The election's outcome carries significant geopolitical implications, as a Bolsonaro victory would align Brazil closely with US President Donald Trump. Football star Neymar has publicly endorsed Bolsonaro, referencing his former Barcelona jersey number 11 twice to signal support for the candidate's ballot number 22.