Bolsonaro beats expectations in Brazil vote, faces Lula in runoff

Brazil's presidential contest will be decided in a second-round runoff after neither front-runner secured an outright majority in the first ballot. Incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro both fell short of the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff, according to reporting from Al Jazeera. The early results showed Flávio Bolsonaro performing better than analysts had anticipated, positioning him to challenge Lula in the decisive head-to-head vote. Bolsonaro's stronger-than-expected showing changes the immediate political landscape and forces both campaigns to recalibrate ahead of the runoff. The runoff will pit two prominent and ideologically opposed figures against each other, guaranteeing a polarized campaign through the second round. Al Jazeera's correspondent Lucia Newman reported on the situation from São Paulo, noting the tight nature of the contest as votes were counted. With no candidate achieving an outright win, attention now turns to the run-off, where turnout, coalition-building, and shifts in voter preferences will determine the next president of Brazil.