Headlines you might have missed during the holiday season

In most parts of Brazil, 2018 actually started today. It will be a busy year: on the agenda we have the last 12 months of the contested Michel Temer administration, its austerity agenda, and the 2018 Russia World Cup (and high hopes for the Brazilian squad). Most importantly, though, Brazil will hold its general elections in 2018.

The early leader in all polls, former President Lula da Silva, could be excluded from the race. An appeals court will decide whether or not to confirm his July 2017 conviction for corruption and money laundering. If all three judges decide that Lula is guilty, he’ll likely be declared ineligible for public office. Meanwhile, the popularity of extreme right-winger Jair Bolsonaro is growing with the rising tide of authoritarianism in Brazil. He is placing second in all polls and leads in scenarios that don’t include Lula. The 2018 campaign season promises to be an ugly, polarized affair.

But here, we have compiled some of the headlines you might have missed during the holiday season. Happy 2018!

Petrobras agrees to settle U.S. class action over corruption

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