World leaders embrace Lula's fourth term despite Flávio Bolsonaro's legal challenge

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth term as president of Brazil. The incumbent defeated his far-right opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro, in a vote that concludes a dramatic political comeback for the veteran leader.

Flávio Bolsonaro has refused to concede the election. He asked for the results to be annulled, citing a decision by a supreme court justice to extend voting hours. This mirrors the actions of his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who also refused to acknowledge his defeat four years ago before attempting a coup and being convicted.

The outcome marks the culmination of a 50-year political career for Lula. As the first elected working-class leader of Brazil, he has helped millions of people escape poverty. World leaders are now recognizing his victory.

Tom Phillips, reporting from São Paulo, noted that the Bolsonaro response was expected but likely to have limited impact. Phillips said, "I don’t think it will mean very much." He added, "All these world leaders are now recognising Lula’s win, and I don’t think Bolsonaro has a hope of overturning this result."

Phillips described the victory as the crescendo of Lula’s career. "[For Lula] this is the crescendo of an incredible, if sometimes controversial, 50-year political career," Phillips said. He emphasized Lula's role in lifting families out of poverty.

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces sealed off the city of Hebron following a gun attack on a military checkpoint. The attack on Friday killed two Israeli soldiers. The neighborhood of Farsh al-Hawa, closest to the site, has been flattened.

The Hebron municipality stated that 370 families, nearly 2,000 people, have been displaced. The Israeli army said the displaced population left voluntarily. Palestinians in the West Bank do not vote in Israel's upcoming elections, but the outcome will affect their lives.

Yousef al-Jabari, the mayor of Hebron, accused the Israeli state of collective punishment. "They have dragged people from their houses, and they have prevented the media from getting into the district," al-Jabari said. He added, "Netanyahu and his gang are using Palestinian land to displace Palestinian people, closing the city, closing the mosque, in order to achieve their political goals."

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