Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (R) whispers to former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, during a campaign rally to launch Lula's presidential candidacy for the upcoming October elections, at the Workers Central Union (CUT) headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil on January 25, 2018. A Brazilian appeals court Wednesday upheld ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's conviction for corruption, dealing a body blow to his hopes of running for re-election this year. The three-judge panel sitting in the southern city of Porto Alegre unanimously ruled that his original 9.5-year jail sentence be extended to more than 12 years. Lula was defiant, telling he intends to run for the presidency despite the court setback. AFP PHOTO