Brazil to shorten workweek in win for Lula ahead of runoff

Brazil's Senate on Thursday approved a constitutional amendment to reduce the working week to five days from six without a salary cut, likely providing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva with an edge ahead of Flavio Bolsonaro in the presidential runoff on October 25 . Lula is expected to sign the shorter workweek into law next week. Brazil's leftist leader has taken a number of steps in recent days to shore up support before the runoff, including new fuel tax cuts, extending existing subsidies and pledging to pardon the debts of more than 3.6 million small businesses to the federal government and others. But the pledge to trim the workweek turned into a top promise Lula hoped to deliver on before the runoff.