BBC News

Brazil's leftist President Lula da Silva has been re-elected to an unprecedented fourth term, defeating right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro with nearly 52 percent of the vote. The 80-year-old's win was described as a shock and a remarkable comeback after losing the first round. Supporters celebrated in Rio de Janeiro, while Lula was expected to speak in Sao Paulo. Analyst Bruna Santos said the Bolsonaro campaign had appeared overconfident and that the result could be contested in court; she cited allegations from Bolsonaro supporters of a coup staged by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin and warned the election risked deepening polarisation. Lula promised measures including debt relief and an increase to the Bolsa Familia cash-transfer programme, and he will face a right-leaning Congress. In an emotional address, he thanked supporters and asked Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin to speak.

In Serbia, a student-led protest movement won the general election, defeating veteran leader Aleksandar Vučić after more than a decade in power. Vučić conceded, prompting celebrations in Belgrade and elsewhere. The snap election followed two years of student protests triggered by the 2024 collapse of a train station canopy that killed 16 people, which was seen as emblematic of corruption and negligence. The BBC's Nick Thorpe reported that many young voters had been surprised and had feared police intervention or that Vučić would not concede; he said the Central Electoral Commission had not announced the result and that new, untried politicians backed by the student list had been elected to parliament.