Lula da Silva defeats Flavio Bolsonaro to win fourth term in Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, nearly 81, won a fourth term in a tight runoff against Flavio Bolsonaro on Sunday, securing 51.7 percent of the vote to his rival's 48.2 percent. Lula defeated Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, in a result that defied polls and global anti-incumbent trends. His victory was powered by better-than-expected turnout, with voters choosing his familiar policies over the senator's far-right novelty. Lula becomes the first candidate since Brazil's 1980s democratization to win after finishing second in the first round. He faces a conservative Congress, economic headwinds with debt above 82 percent of GDP, and potential legislative gridlock in his most difficult term yet.