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Brazil's Lula accuses social media giant Meta of election interference amid tight run-off campaign

Social media platform Meta has 48 hours to respond to claims by Brazil's leftwing candidate and incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's campaign accusing the tech platform of blocking content on the company's platforms. Brazil's Superior Electoral Court on Saturday gave the social media giant 48 hours to clarify whether it reduced the reach of posts by Lula's campaign ahead of the tight October 25 run-off against rightwing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro. 

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Convicted murderer Christa Pike leaves hospital, returns to prison after botched execution

Christa Pike's lawyers on Saturday said that the 50-year-old convicted murderer has been discharged from the hospital and returned to prison. Pike was transported to the hospital in critical condition on September 30 after she survived Tennessee's botched effort to execute her for murdering a classmate when she was a teenager. 

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Powerful 7.6 magnitude quake shakes Panama, triggering tsunami warnings

A strong 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck near the southern ​coast ‌of Panama ⁠on Friday at a 10 km depth, ‌according to the US Geological ⁠Survey, shaking buildings as far away as the capital and prompting evacuations. The US Tsunami Warning ​System showed potential tsunami threats across much of Central America's Pacific ​coast.

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Brazil's Flavio Bolsonaro wins support of third-place candidate in presidential race

Brazil's right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro secured third-place finisher Augusto Cury's endorsement on Thursday, strengthening his position against incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead of the runoff. Cury won nearly three percent in Sunday's first round. A Datafolha poll put Bolsonaro ahead with 52 percent against Lula's 48 percent.

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US files new torture charges against Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and wife Cilia Flores

The United States on Thursday charged ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores with conspiracy to commit torture, adding to drug trafficking and firearms charges. Prosecutors allege detainees, including US citizens, suffered waterboarding, rape and beatings. The pair remain in US custody following a January military raid.

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Fort Hood shooter’s firing squad execution to be livestreamed, Pentagon says

The Pentagon said on Thursday the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan would be livestreamed on December 3 after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to make the execution "public". Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 in a 2009 shooting at the Texas military base. The UN on Friday condemned the decision as "torture". 

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Democratic party sues Trump administration over taxpayer-funded TV 'propaganda'

The Democratic National Committee sued US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday over taxpayer-funded television ads promoting his political message, alleging illegal government propaganda. The lawsuit seeks to halt federal funding for the ads, which have cost more than $12 million to air ahead of November’s midterm elections, according to AdImpact.

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Thousands protest Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, fearing far-right return

Thousands of people joined a student march in downtown Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday to protest against presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of Brazil's October 25 presidential runoff. Bolsonaro led Sunday's first-round vote, prompting demonstrators to rally behind incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and oppose the far right's return to power.

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From the Acropolis, Rubio calls on Europe to emerge from ‘slumber’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday urged Western nations to return to what he called their civilisational roots and ensure the West "maintains its place at the head of the world" in a speech delivered against the backdrop of the Acropolis in Athens. The top US diplomat called on Europe to follow President Donald Trump's America in choosing the "unapologetic pursuit of national power" over the "global community".

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Haiti postpones elections indefinitely amid gang violence

Haiti has indefinitely postponed elections scheduled for December and February, the electoral council said Tuesday, citing technical and operational requirements as gang violence continues to disrupt preparations. The delay leaves Haitians without a democratic process as authorities struggle to register voters and secure areas needed for the poll.

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Paramount completes takeover of Warner Bros, creating media behemoth Skydance

Paramount completed its acquisition of Warner Bros Discover on Tuesday, after a bidding war against Netflix. The deal closed following federal approval of a settlement between Paramount and 12 US states that tried to block the transaction on antitrust grounds. Opponents in the movie industry warned of job cuts, while media groups said Warner-owned CNN's independence could be compromised.

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Family of jailed ex-president Bolsonaro scores big in Brazil as son heads to run-off

Family members of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro won big in Sunday's general election, including the right-wing lawmaker's eldest son Flavio Bolsonaro, who surpassed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the first-round presidential vote. During the campaign, Flavio Bolsonaro promised to secure amnesty for his jailed father. 

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