Can’t lose with warm welcome for neighbour

Lula’s historic Brazilian election victory

This was supposed to go down as one of the closest presidential elections in Brazilian history — until it wasn’t. In the end, 80-year-old leftist President Luiz Inácio (Lula) da Silva of the Workers Party bested (by some four million votes) Flávio Bolsonaro, the hard-right Liberal Party leader and senator, by a lopsided 3.5 per cent of the popular vote.

Speaking of Brazilian history, it rarely happens that the second-place finisher in the first round ends up winning the second, run-off contest in such a decisive manner. More significant, Lula has now won an unprecedented (non-consecutive) fourth term as an elected Brazilian president.

While Bolsonaro has waffled on making a concession speech (like his father in 2022), the writing on the wall shows clearly that he lost badly. He has evidently taken issue with a ruling by a justice of the Supreme Court that extended polling hours country-wide by an additional two hours in light of high voter turnout and other interruptions.

Flávio’s supporters, many galvanized around the “never Lula” camp, were desperate for change — even if it meant the kind of change that could turn Brazil on its head. So Lula resorted to one of the oldest political tricks in the campaign handbook — namely, using fear of an anti-democratic Bolsonaro to swing voters to his side (along with a host of last-minute announcements involving financial incentives to Brazilians). With a right-leaning Congress, voters were understandably worried that Flávio would go about systematically dismantling Brazil’s democratic ethos and institutions.

World Cup Viewer’s Guide: Ronaldo and Neymar seek history

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Two of the best players in soccer start World Cup competition Thursday as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar both seek history in Qatar.

Ronaldo is attempting to become the first male soccer player to score in five different World Cups when he leads Portugal against Ghana. Marta of Brazil has scored in five Women's World Cups.

Neymar, meanwhile, is the leader of a Brazil team seeking a record-extending sixth World Cup title but first in 20 years. Brazil plays Serbia in its first match.

All attention is on Ronaldo, though, following his messy but mutual split this week with Manchester United.

Election results: School trustees 2026

Below you’ll find live 2026 election results for school trustees in Winnipeg divisions.

We can display results only for wards in which Winnipeg voters cast a ballot; we do not have access to live results reporting for school boards outside of Winnipeg.

Hassan gets 3 distance medals in amazing Olympic odyssey

TOKYO (AP) — By the time she reached the 65th and final lap of her eight-day Olympic odyssey, Sifan Hassan's neck had seized up and she couldn't turn her head. She could barely breathe and she couldn't feel her arms anymore.

As she neared the end, she couldn't see properly and thought “why did they move the finish line?”

Her legs knew right where it was.

Deep into her sixth race across three distances that covered more than 24 kilometers on Tokyo's sweltering Olympic track, Hassan burst past world-record holder Letesenbet Gidey to win the 10,000-meter gold on Saturday.

Director Schrader returns to silver screen with complex view of religion and belief

Bleak, wintry and rigorously controlled — until it’s not — this Book of Job-like drama from American filmmaker Paul Schrader looks at the challenges of faith.

The 71-year-old Schrader, known for scripting four Martin Scorsese films (including Taxi Driver and Raging Bull) and for directing his own (including American Gigolo, Affliction and Auto Focus), grew up in a strict Calvinist home — he famously did not see a film until he was 17 — and has always been drawn to stories of agonizing and uncertain redemption.

As the Rev. Toller (Ethan Hawke) wrestles with what it means to lead a righteous life in our badly broken world, his spiritual fate remains in doubt. It is certain, however, that First Reformed marks a cinematic rebirth for Schrader after recent disasters like The Canyons and Dog Eat Dog. Serious, complex and moving, this is not a perfect film, but even its flaws are powerful.

Toller is a solitary man who has come to the ministry late in life, after a family tragedy and a failed marriage. First Reformed, a historic church in upstate New York that was once a stop on the Underground Railroad, has since been reduced to an austerely beautiful tourist shop, more of a museum than a place of worship.