Lula defeats Bolsonaro in razor-tight Brazilian presidential election

Right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro lost the Brazilian presidential election on Sunday night in a razor-tight runoff against left-wing figurehead Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Lula will return to Brazil's presidency for an unprecedented third term.

With less than two per cent of votes left to count, Lula led with 50.8pc, with Mr Bolsonaro trailing on 49.2pc.

Joe Biden, the US President, said he was “looking forward to working together [with Lula] to continue the cooperation between our two countries in the months and years ahead".

"I send my congratulations to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his election to be the next president of Brazil following free, fair, and credible elections," Mr Biden said.

Lula's victory completes a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the Left-wing figurehead, who presided over the country between 2003 and 2010, leaving office as the most popular head of state in Brazilian history.