Good morning, here’s your Thursday morning briefing to set you up for the day ahead. Look out for these three things happening around the world today.

Brazil’s presidential bid heats up

The eight leading candidates in Brazil’s presidential race will take part in their first televised debate tonight in a bid to sway voters ahead of the general election scheduled for October this year.

Favourites Jair Bolsonaro of the Social Liberal Party, Ciro Gomes of the Democratic Labour Party and Geraldo Alckimin of the Brazil Social Democracy Party will all take to the stand at the Palácio do Planalto, the official workplace of the President of Brazil, in Brasilia.

According to Reuters, far-right candidate Bolsonaro leads in the polls. However, many voters are still uncertain who they will vote for in October. This debate provides a good opportunity for candidates to win some votes.

Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads by a wide margin when included in polls, but he is unable to run after he was found guilty of corruption and money laundering in 2017. Corruption is a huge issue in Brazilian politics. Serving President Michel Temer saw his approval rating fall to as low as 2% after he was similarly charged with corruption in 2017.

Trump’s prison reform talks continue

President of the United States Donald Trump will today hold roundtable talks with state leaders at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, with prison reform at the top of the agenda.

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Despite vowing to get “tough of crime” throughout his election campaign, Trump is been open to prison reforms that will help to rehabilitate criminals and reduce re-offending. The First Step Act, which is waiting to be passed into law, offers incentives such as early release to those that take part in reformative programs while in prison.

Last week Trump told senators that he backed additional changes, such as lesser sentences for nonviolent drug charges.

The White House hasn’t confirmed who will be present at the roundtable today, or what exactly will be discussed. However, the First Step Act, as well as drug sentencing reforms, will likely shape the talks.

Samsung unveils Galaxy Note 9 to curb Chinese climb

South Korean tech giant Samsung will today announce its Galaxy Note 9 handset as it looks to push back against the increasing market share of Chinese smartphone manufacturers.

A Samsung Galaxy Note 9 launch event is being held in New York today, where tech fans will finally get a look at the handset. It is expected to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 8gb of RAM, and storage options ranging from 64gb to 512gb.

Chinese manufacturer Huawei overtook Apple for the first time in the second quarter of 2018, having shipped 54.2m units. This took their share of the market to 16%, with Samsung and Apple holding 21% and 12% respectively.

The consumer response to Samsung’s new handset, the latest in their high-end Galaxy Note line, could offer some indication of whether customers will continue to favour cheaper brands over expensive, high-end models in the coming years.


Yesterday’s highlights

Impossible Burger creators: ‘innovative’ and ‘sustainable’ will become synonymous for future businesses

Facebook Messenger AR games could signal more augmented ads

The true extent of spiralling inflation in football’s transfer market