Son of disgraced ex-president Jair Bolsonaro takes election lead in Brazil | First Thing

Flávio Bolsonaro, presidential candidate for the rightwing Liberal party, speaking to supporters on Sunday. Photograph: Sérgio Lima/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Flávio Bolsonaro, presidential candidate for the rightwing Liberal party, speaking to supporters on Sunday. Photograph: Sérgio Lima/AFP/Getty Images First Thing: Son of disgraced ex-president Jair Bolsonaro takes election lead in Brazil Flávio Bolsonaro is favorite to win 25 October runoff against 80-year-old incumbent leftwing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Plus the ‘pawsome’ new recruit to Mexico’s national guard Good morning. Brazil’s presidential race will go to a second round after the far-right candidate, Flávio Bolsonaro, beat the incumbent leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, but failed to secure the outright majority he needed to avoid a runoff. The 45-year-old son of the disgraced former president Jair Bolsonaro will go into the second round as strong favourite, likely to pick up votes from the election’s other rightwing candidates, including Ronaldo Caiado, who secured 2.1%, and Renan Santos, who won 2.2%. The second round will take place on 25 October. How have Bolsonarista politicians taken a grip on Brazil? Brazil’s far right put in an even stronger than expected showing, with a succession of Bolsonarista politicians winning congressional or gubernatorial races. They included Jair Bolsonaro’s second son, Carlos Bolsonaro, and his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, who both won seats in the senate. Bolsonaro’s youngest son, Jair Renan Bolsonaro, was elected to the lower house of congress. Woman in Cornell rape allegations case targeted with threats, her lawyer says View image in fullscreen The woman has filed a civil lawsuit ⁠alleging that several members of a Cornell fraternity drugged and raped her in 2024. Photograph: Lauren Petracca/Reuters The woman who has alleged that ⁠she was drugged ⁠and raped ​by Cornell University students has been the target of threats, her lawyer said. Thomas Giuffra told CNN that people had threatened to silence or harm her if she did not withdraw her civil lawsuit ⁠alleging that several members of a Cornell fraternity had drugged and raped her in 2024. Giuffra ‌said he had also been threatened. “I’m not afraid of these people,” he ‌said. “But the threats, the abuse to protect what’s going on, the status quo – these guys are disgusting. They should stay in their mother’s basement and stay out of the world.” What has been the latest response from Cornell University? In a video message, the Cornell University president, Michael Kotlikoff, said the school would take “a serious look at the role of fraternities and sororities in campus life”, adding: “At ​their best, these organisations can provide ‌students with friendship, belonging, mentorship ‌and a powerful sense of community. But being part of a group can never diminish ‌individual responsibility.” White House defends new press aide who posed with rifle in ‘Fuck Joe Biden’ shirt View image in fullscreen Deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, who defended the appointment. Photograph: Lenin Nolly/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Beni Rae Harmony revealed on Friday she was going to work for Donald Trump, just days after covering him as a correspondent for Real America’s Voice, a partisan rightwing outlet originally created as a video podcast platform for the president’s former adviser Steve Bannon. It then emerged she had posed for a holiday photograph in 2021 wearing a “Fuck Joe Biden” T-shirt and holding a rifle. The White House deputy press secretary, Anna Kelly, defended the appointment, saying: “Beni Rae Harmony has been a trusted voice for the Maga movement as a White House correspondent. She will be an outstanding addition to President Trump’s communications team as an assistant press secretary – we look forward to having her onboard!” US bombers pulled from RAF Fairford base after suspected terror plot View image in fullscreen A US Rockwell B-1 Lancer bomber at RAF Fairford. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA The US air force has pulled its bombers from RAF Fairford in England following an investigation into an alleged planned terrorist attack at the base. At least 10 B-1 bombers out of 12 flew out of the base on Sunday, including some that arrived on rotation less than a week ago, underlining the haste of the departure. According to reporting by US media, the withdrawal appears to be in response to fresh or renewed security concerns about safety on the base. Five British nationals were initially detained on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism last weekend after three vans were found near the base. They were later released on bail. What are the latest developments in the Middle East? Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has announced the start of a new military operation to retake all territory held by the Houthis. The statement came just hours after the Houthis cut a vital supply route linking the besieged city of Taiz with the government’s interim capital, Aden. Yemen’s internationally recognised government has struggled to hold off Houthi territorial gains, even with the military support of Saudi Arabia. In other news … View image in fullscreen Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (center) departing a police station following his arrest in February. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters The former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has launched legal action against British police over their raids on his property in connection with the Epstein files. It represents the first time a member of the British royal family has challenged the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them since the trial of Charles I in 1649. He was executed. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, a frequent target of criticism from Trump and from Israel, has announced a snap general election three days after rightwing parties torpedoed the emergency legislation his minority government had put forward in response to growing public anger over the country’s housing crisis. A US marine stationed on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa is accused of murdering a Japanese woman and has been arrested, police said. Donald Trump has named Jay Clayton, the director of national intelligence, to also serve as the new White House AI czar. Trump announced that Clayton would lead what the US president called “the Super Intelligence Force (SIF)”. More than 400 schools in France will be closed or partly closed on Monday as authorities brace for another week of student protests. A minister said 24 schools had been burnt or ransacked and 78 education staff members injured. Stat of the day: Digger may lose $150m after Tom Cruise film bombs at the box office View image in fullscreen Tom Cruise and Riz Ahmed in Digger. Photograph: Warner Bros Entertainment Inc/PA Tom Cruise is used to success, but his appearance in Alejandro G Iñárritu’s critically panned satire doesn’t seem to have pulled in an audience. It took just $20m globally in its opening weekend, against a reported $150m production budget and $100m marketing spend. Don’t miss this: Are rumors of lost gold spurring clandestine excursions into New York sewers? View image in fullscreen Someone exiting a maintenance hole in Brooklyn. Photograph: Williamsburg365 Can it really be true that underground invaders of the city’s sewer system are lured by the promise of lost valuables? Adam Gabbatt investigates. … or this: My sister Nicole married OJ Simpson – this is what I wish I had known View image in fullscreen Denise Brown wants to end domestic violence. Photograph: Mikaela Martin/The Guardian Since Nicole Brown Simpson’s murder in 1994, Denise Brown has devoted herself to the cause of ending domestic violence. Emine Saner interviews her. Climate check: Extreme heat warnings issued for parts of southern California View image in fullscreen Hot conditions in Venice Beach on Saturday. Photograph: Caroline Brehman/Reuters The National Weather Service in the US has issued extreme heat warnings for parts of southern California, including Los Angeles, until Thursday. Burbank, a suburb north of Los Angeles, recorded 102F on Saturday, a few degrees shy of the October record for the region set in 1987. Last Thing: Mexico debuts tiniest national guard recruit – Comando the chihuahua View image in fullscreen The Mexican dog that joined the national guard. Photograph: Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Diminutive Comando stands just 8in tall and looks nothing like the ⁠powerful dogs usually associated with military or police units. However, the 13-month-old pup is being trained not ⁠just as a crowd-pleasing mascot but for search-and-rescue work as well. If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com Explore more on these topics US news First Thing newsletter news Share Reuse this content