Brazil

As Brazil’s Oct. 31 presidential runoff election draws nearer, the two leading candidates are said to be courting a third one, who is effectively out of the race, for support. Dilma Rousseff, handpicked by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Jose Serra, former governor of the Sao Paulo state, are scrambling to gain the support of Green Party candidate Marina Silva. Silva is no longer in the running but support for her rose to an unexpected 19 percent in the first round of voting held Oct. 3, The Wall Street Journal says. Rousseff topped the votes with 47 percent while Serra garnered 33 percent.