Turkey holds runoff vote on Sunday

The first round of voting failed to produce a clear winner, with Erdoğan in the lead and Kılıçdaroğlu close behind. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Turkey holds runoff vote on Sunday [Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dance as they give handouts to commuters in Istanbul, Turkey, May 23, 2023.] Credit: Francisco Seco/AP Turkey Turkey is set to hold a [runoff election on Sunday]( after the first round of voting failed to produce a clear winner on May 14. Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who’s been in office for two decades, secured a slight lead, followed closely by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The economy remains one of the biggest issues for voters. And the election takes place [three months after earthquakes]( in southeast Turkey killed more than 50,000 people. Turkey is a member of NATO and has also played a mediating role between Moscow and Kyiv amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Iran-Belgium Iran and Belgium have conducted a [prisoner swap]( in an exchange facilitated by Oman. Tehran freed Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele while Brussels released Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi. Iran had accused Vandecasteele of espionage, while Belgium accused Assadi of planning a thwarted bomb attack against an exiled Iranian opposition group in France. Both sides have [denied the other’s claims](. Somalia The al-Shabab militant group has [attacked a military base]( housing an African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia. The mission has been assisting Somalia’s federal government in its war against the armed group since 2022. The al-Qaeda-linked group has been trying to topple the government since 2006 to establish its own rule. Residents in the area said they woke up to the [sound of explosions]( and heavy weapons. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Will Brazil’s ‘Fake News Bill’ regulate disinformation or stifle free speech?]( [Leonardo de Carvalho Leal and Mayara Stelle administer the Twitter account Sleeping Giants Brazil, a platform for activism whose stated mission is to attack the financing of hate speech and dissemination of fake news, Dec. 11, 2020.]( Credit: Andre Penner/AP/File photo A controversial, 3-year-old bill is weaving its way through Brazil's Congress that could [regulate social media platforms]( in the same way as TV and radio. The “Fake News Bill” has staunch supporters, but some also accuse it of being a form of censorship. [90% of the cars on Ghana's roads are imported used cars. Many are polluting or unsafe.]( [Over 100,000 cars are imported to Ghana every year mostly from the United States. And 90% of the cars on Ghana's roads are imported used cars.]( Credit: Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman/The World US consumers have plenty of reasons to snap up electric vehicles. They are helping the US meet its climate goals, and new owners may qualify for a tax credit. But some of their old cars end up on roads across Africa. These vehicles provide vital transportation in poor countries, but they also [cause pollution and are unsafe](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Calling all international students! School is out for the summer. ☀️📚🍎 But we have one more assignment for you! If you are a student or recent graduate of an American univerisity, we’d like to know why you chose to study in the US. - Was it all that you hoped for? What do you like, what do you not like? - When you graduate, will you return home? Record a voice memo with your story and email it to myworld@theworld.org. Remember to include your name and location. And we just might feature your story on the program! 🎙️ --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot The US federal government has been [giving away lighthouses]( at no cost or by selling them at auction. The structures have stood like sentinels along America's shorelines for generations. The aim is to preserve the properties, most of which are more than a century old. Lighthouses are no longer essential for navigation since the development of modern technology, including GPS systems, but the beacons remain an object of fascination among the public. 🚢 [The Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light stands in Keweenaw Bay in Chassell, Mich., June 2, 2022.] Credit: Luke Barrett/General Services Administration via AP/File photo --------------------------------------------------------------- The Top of the World newsletter will resume after Memorial Day. 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