Flávio Bolsonaro and Lula head to runoff after tight first round in Brazil

Brazil's presidential election has gone to a second round after neither leading candidate secured more than 50% of the vote in the first round of voting. With 98.81% of ballots counted, right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro led with 47.24%, narrowly ahead of incumbent left-wing President Lula da Silva, who received 44.91%.

The two will face each other in a runoff vote scheduled for 25 October.

Flávio Bolsonaro is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for organising a failed coup attempt after losing the previous election.

His strong first-round performance exceeded expectations, particularly as several other right-wing candidates were eliminated in this round, suggesting he may now be the frontrunner heading into the runoff.

The result comes as most countries in Latin America have elected right-wing leaders aligned with the current US administration under President Trump. The upcoming runoff is expected to determine whether Brazil, the region's largest country and economy, follows this broader political trend.

After voting, 80-year-old Lula described the upcoming choice facing voters as one between preserving democracy and descending into chaos.