Brazil's Rousseff Set for Narrow Win in Presidential Run-Off
Brazilian President and candidate for the reelection, Dilma Rousseff, poses for photographers with yerba mate, shortly after voting at a polling station in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 26 October 2014. Photo by EPA/BGNES
Last polls suggest Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is expected to win by about 8 percent in the second round of elections for head of state held Sunday.
Rousseff is now facing A?cio Neves, the candidate of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PDSB) in what many experts say has been the tightest race since democracy was restored in Brazil in 1985.
Different surveys cited by the BBC suggest support for the incumbent would be at about 52-53 percent, but other pollsters say figures can easily change due to the 10-percent share of voters who are either undecided or are intending to cast a blank vote.
She received about 41% in the first round, while Neves was second with slightly over 33 percent.
Critics accuse the President of failing to keep the Brazilian economy afloat, with GDP stagnating after years of staggering success that placed the country among the world's leading economies.
But advocates remind of her social welfare programs and efforts to eradicate poverty which have generally yielded results.
A bribery scandal at the state-owned oil giant Petrobras marred her campaign, with Neves accusing the cabinet of being corrupt.
Rousseff's Workers Party (PT) has been in power since 2002 after her predecessor Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva, credited with helping Brazil's economy on its feet, assumed office.
Neves, on the other hand, is often described as more business-friendly, but has vowed not to suspend social welfare programs.
He surprisingly came second in October 5's first round after environmentalist Marina Silva had been tipped for weeks to be Rousseff's most dangerous rival.

About 142 million Brazilians are eligible to vote on Sunday.
Croatia Reintroduces Military Service After 18-Year Hiatus
Earlier this month, Croatia welcomed its first group of conscripts at the Eugen Kvaternik military training center near Slunj, marking the return of compulsory military service, which had been suspended since 2007
Turkish and NATO Defenses Intercepted a Third Missile Over Incirlik
Turkish air defenses shot down a third missile targeting Incirlik Air Base, near Adana, reportedly fired from Iran, according to Cumhuriyet
Putin Wins Big as Trump Lifts Sanctions on Russian Oil Amid Iran War
The United States has temporarily eased restrictions on the purchase of certain Russian oil shipments currently stranded at sea, as global energy markets face growing strain due to the ongoing war involving Iran.
Did Iran’s Allies Down a U.S. Air Force Plane? KC-135 Goes Down in Iraq
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on Thursday while taking part in Operation Epic Fury, the name given by the Pentagon to American military operations connected to the war with Iran. U.S. Central Command confirmed the incident
French Soldier Killed in Iraq as Iran War Spreads Across the Middle East
The widening conflict linked to the war with Iran has claimed the life of a French soldier in Iraq, while drone attacks and missile launches continued to shake the Middle East on Friday
Sirens Sound at Key NATO Base in Turkey as Iran Tensions Rise
Air raid sirens were heard early Friday morning at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey, a strategic NATO facility hosting U.S. troops near the city of Adana.











