Memes from Ukraine

This issue includes a look at Brazil's election and candidates (of course), Turkey's new so-called 'disinformation law' (which is an attack on freedom of media and expression) and a feminist debate on safe abortion in Morocco. Plus, data journalism in Iran, memes from Ukraine, most viewed YouTube video worldwide on Sunday, a grim update from Chad's protests, good news from Mexico, and so much more.

Brazil's "most important presidential election" is coming to an end this Sunday

This Sunday, on October 30, people in Brazil will decide whether Now-President Jair Bolsonaro or former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (short: Lula) is better suited for the top job in the country moving forward.

• Refresher: This is the second and last round of Brazil's presidential election. In the first round on October 2, Lula won more votes than Bolsonaro but not enough to win the election.

Why this matters:
There are more than 156 million registered voters in Brazil for this election. The country is one of the world's largest democracies. Experts warn that should Jair Bolsonaro win, the health of Brazilian democracy will continue to weaken. (El País)

Tell me more about the candidates:
Here's a quick summary:

• Jair Bolsonaro, a lot of people consider him to be far-right, has been President since 2019, not very popular, is a retired military officer, evangelical Christians, businesspeople and rural landowners really like him. He has cut taxes, made it easier for more people to own guns, is not passionate about global warming. During his time in office, Brazil had the fourth highest Covid-19 death toll in the world; some 685,000 people died from the virus. Many blame his 'I don't think this virus is that dangerous' rhetoric and actions. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and football player Neymar endorsed him. (Buenos Aires Times) Bolsonaro also threatened that might try to hang on to power even if he loses. And so much more. Your 'red flag beeper' should go off by now (if it didn't already).
• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (short: Lula), he was President from 2003 until 2010, this is his sixth presidential campaign, very popular, many say that his social programs helped millions of people get out of poverty. In 2017, he was sentenced to ten years in jail after being charged for corruption and money laundering but was freed from house arrest in 2019 because the Supreme Court was like, 'he didn't get a fair trial.' This is kind of one of Latin America's greatest political comebacks.

What are the topics?
Basically, 'How does Brazil move forward after Covid-19? Will the government help with stimuli? What about public health? Inflation? Social equality! The environment!' (Deutsche Welle)

How does Brazil's election work?
Youhave to vote in Brazil if you are literate and between 18 and 70 years old. The president is elected to a four-year term.

Do you have an idea who is going to win?
Nope. 'Lol," (basically) said Felipe Nunes, the head of the polling group Quaest, whose research suggests 50 percent of voters think Bolsonaro deserves a second chance and about the same number think Lula does. 'This is not a contest between two people. It's a battle between two worldviews.' (The Guardian) This is also one of the reasons why there's so much fake news spreading around. Some experts say, 'tech companies have to be more responsible.' (The Brazilian Report) As of last week, Alexandre de Moraes (the country's elections chief and a justice on the Supreme Court) has the power to decide what can be said online. 'Uhm, what if he abuses his power?' some ask. (The New York Times)

Good to know:
Recently, the National Congress was also elected. Duda Salabert and Erika Hilton are the first trans women in Brazilian history to be elected as federal deputies. However, after the general elections on October 2, the National Congress is more socially conservative than ever. (El País)

Zoom out:
NPR's Shannon Bond reported that fake news about Brazil's election are spreading in far-right media in the United States. Kind of like, 'look, the same voting machines that robbed us of our vote in 2020 is flipping votes in Brazil, too!!11' -- even though no such voting machines are used in Brazil's election. "It shows just how sticky these narratives are," said Lee Foster, senior vice president for analysis at Alethea Group. The same fake news spread on social media ahead of Australia's federal election earlier this year. (AAP)

Turkey's new 'disinformation law' is super dangerous for free speech

As of last week, Turkey has a new 'disinformation law'. (Reuters)

Why this matters:
In eight months, there will be general elections in Turkey. Experts fear, however, that Now-President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government will use this law to further shut up critics, silence free expression and control public debate. The country has long been hell for journalists.

Tell me more about the law:
On the one hand, the government and people close to it believe that "Turkey has taken a very important step in the fight against disinformation". On the other hand, journalists, media watchdogs, and rights groups all over the world are like, 'this is an attack on what's left of freedom of media and expression in...