Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his main challenger Flavio Bolsonaro wrapped up their campaigns on Saturday in the powerhouse state of Sao Paulo, where a fifth of the nation's vote is based, seeking to rally supporters and convince the undecided on the eve of Sunday's nail-biter election.

The head of Tennessee's prison system has resigned in the first major shake-up since the stunning failed execution of convicted murderer Christa Pike, who is in critical condition after surviving two lethal injections. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who previously denied Pike clemency, has halted further executions through the rest of the year while a review is conducted.

The mudslinging between Brazil’s incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his election rival, Flavio Bolsonaro, has heated up ahead of what is expected to be an extremely close vote this weekend. From stating loose rumours as facts, to taking comments completely out of their context, they are both doing everything they can to win a few more votes.

Christa Pike, who has been on death row in Tennessee for more than 30 years for torturing and murdering a classmate, was on Wednesday set to be executed, but the lethal injections meant to kill her failed. Pike was then transported to a medical facility, where her attorney says she remains in a "critical condition".

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that his department had cut 20 percent of US admirals, generals and officers who did not fit his vision. "Simple translation of that: no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors – just tough, ready, committed troops," he said.

El Salvador will hold presidential elections on February 28, 2027, the electoral tribunal said Wednesday, opening the way for President Nayib Bukele to seek a third term after constitutional changes removed presidential term limits. Bukele has drawn praise for sharply reducing gang violence but faced criticism over rights abuses during his crackdown.

The Federal Reserve's watchdog on Wednesday found no grounds for a criminal referral over a roughly $1 billion cost overrun on renovations to the central bank's Washington buildings, while faulting project oversight. The findings prompted President Donald Trump to renew his call for former Fed chief Jerome Powell to resign.

A federal judge on Wednesday approved a settlement clearing Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery after 12 US states challenged the deal on antitrust grounds. The agreement includes safeguards for CNN’s editorial independence and requires the merged studio to release at least 30 films a year for its first two years.

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the way for Tennessee to execute Christa Pike, 50, the state's first woman put to death in 200 years. The ruling came hours after a federal appeals court temporarily halted the lethal injection to consider claims that Pike's childhood sexual abuse was not adequately weighed at sentencing.

Trade ministers of the Group of 20 are meeting in Milwaukee for two days of talks on Wednesday, but US President Donald Trump’s tariffs are expected to hang heavy over the talks. "Don't expect any breakthroughs," an analyst watching the event said.

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the Trump administration to resume deporting migrants to countries other than their own while it considers the legality of the practice. The court’s conservative majority temporarily blocked safeguards requiring deportees to receive notice of where they would be sent and time to raise persecution concerns.

OpenAI will not release its latest artificial intelligence model, Astra 6.1, after internal tests found it fell short of safety standards, the maker of ChatGPT confirmed on Monday. The decision came ahead of a meeting of AI leaders at the White House Tuesday convened by US President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson amid mounting controversy over the risks posed by rogue AI. 

Argentine President Javier Milei on Monday threatened to sue the UK over the Sea Lion oil project near the disputed Falkland Islands. Argentina claims sovereignty over the British-administered territory, where a 1982 war killed 255 British and 649 Argentine troops. Developers Navitas and Rockhopper say they hold valid British-issued exploration licences.

US prosecutors reopened an investigation on Monday into an alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell University after the woman involved accused the school of failing to punish those responsible adequately. In a lawsuit, she said seven Chi Phi fraternity members had drugged her with ketamine and assaulted her.

The Trump administration's policy of deportating thousands of people to countries with which they have no links is "increasing risks of torture and ill-treatment and enforced disappearance", a panel of independent UN experts warned on Monday. An investigation by an international consortium of journalists including FRANCE 24 reporters determined last week that more than 25,000 third-country nationals had been deported by the end of August.

From Pope Leo XIV's historic first visit to France to US President Donald Trump meeting China's President Xi Jinping to flooded streets in Bangkok, FRANCE 24 looks back at the week's most striking pictures.

A powerful storm unusual for this time of year intensified on Sunday over the northeastern United States, bringing torrential rain and powerful winds that cut off power to tens of thousands of people and killed one person, according to US media.

US news outlet CNN has been removed from a press pool that is accompanying President Donald Trump on a trip to Tennessee on Saturday. Last week, the Trump administration barred CNN, along with MS NOW and Politico, from accessing the White House. A judge then ordered their access temporarily restored, saying the move was likely unconstitutional.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping capped a state visit to Washington on Friday with pomp and pageantry but no real breakthroughs. Trump said he discussed the Iran war with Xi during his two-day visit, with both men confirming they will meet twice more before the end of the year.     

The US Supreme Court on Friday ruled the Trump administration can use a controversial new federal database that would ostensibly verify voter citizenship in November’s elections. Critics argue the administration is exaggerating the threat of non-citizen voters – an extreme rarity in US elections – to implement policies that would disenfranchise likely Democratic voters.