Conviction against Brazil’s da Silva upheld, appeal expected

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (AP) — Two appellate court judges voted Wednesday to uphold a graft conviction against ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, raising the specter that the former leader won’t be able to run for Brazil’s top job despite holding a lead in the polls.
The decision is the latest legal setback for da Silva, who was wildly popular as president between 2003 and 2010 but has since been dogged by several corruption allegations amid a mushrooming graft scandal that h