BREAKING: Lula wins Brazil’s presidential elections

[BBC]- Brazil’s Former President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva has won the run-off of the presidential election and incumbent far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has failed to win a second term in power.

Lula won 50.83% of all valid votes, whilst 49.17% of votes went to Bolsonaro, with just under 99% of the votes counted at 22:59 GMT.

The new president will be sworn in on 1 January 2023.

It has been an agonising few months in Brazil.

Two bitter rivals went head-to-head and a nation took sides.

There was much bitterness, vitriol and division both from the candidates and their followers.

That polarisation is unlikely to disappear. Congress is dominated by lawmakers loyal to Bolsonaro and Lula will face an uphill struggle to get his policies past them.

Bolsonaro supporters were confident of victory and this will be a shock to them.

But Lula supporters are relieved and happy.