Brazil's Lula wins fourth term, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in close runoff

Brazil's left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term in office, defeating right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro in a closely contested presidential runoff, NPR reported.

The election was tightly fought, with Lula receiving approximately 51.7% of the vote to Bolsonaro's 48.2%, according to official results cited by DW English.

Lula's victory came after he narrowly lost the first round of voting to Bolsonaro, marking a significant comeback in the election, The Guardian reported.

The campaign was marked by intense competition and mudslinging between the candidates, and the vote count was extended by two hours due to the closeness of the race, DW English noted.

With nearly 99% of votes counted, Lula, who is nearly 81 years old, secured his historic fourth term, continuing his leadership in Brazil, according to The Guardian and NPR.