A televised mayoral debate in Sao Paulo, Brazil got heated Sunday night, after one of the six candidates attacked another candidate with a metal chair.

The Associated Press reported that Pablo Marcal, a personal development influencer turned right-wing politician, spoke about allegations against one of his opponents, José Luiz Datena, a former TV presenter turned candidate, during the debate.

Marcal said Datena had wanted to slap him, adding, “You’re not even man enough to do this.”

Datena was then seen during the live video walking toward Marcal’s podium with a metal chair over his head and slamming into Marcal’s side as he raised his arms.

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Immediately following the attack, the debate moderator for TV Cultura interrupted the event and cut to commercials. The debate later resumed on Sunday night without Marcal.

Rather than continue the debate, Marcal was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, where he reportedly received respiratory support.

On Monday, he explained to his followers that he felt pain while breathing and suffered a fracture on the bottom of his rib cage.

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A mayoral candidate in Sao Paulo, Brazil was attacked by one of his opponents with a metal chair during a televised debate over the weekend. (SITE TV POP via Reuters)

Hospital officials said in a statement that Marcal suffered “trauma to the right chest region and right wrist without major associated complications,” adding that he had been discharged.

Marcal called the incident an “attempted homicide” on social media, even comparing it to the attempted assassination of former President Trump in July, and to the stabbing of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in 2018.

An inquiry into Datena’s alleged misconduct never resulted in charges, the Associated Press reported, and the issue was shelved after the accuser retracted her statements.

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A mayoral candidate in Sao Paulo, Brazil was attacked by one of his opponents with a metal chair during a televised debate over the weekend. (SITE TV POP via Reuters)

Datena has also denied the accusations.

After the debate, Datena told reporters the episode had been painful for him because he believes it prompted his mother-in-law to suffer a series of strokes and later dying.

On Monday, Datena acknowledged making a mistake during the debate, though he had no regrets.

“If the circumstances were the same, I would not refrain from repeating the gesture, an extreme response to a history of aggression perpetrated against me and many others by my adversary,” he said.

Marcal’s campaign team said the debate should not have continued without him, adding they hope legal measures are taken against Datena.

On Sunday night, the incident was logged with Sao Paulo’s public security agency as “bodily injury and insult.” An investigation into the matter is ongoing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Charges against Combs not immediately clear as lawyer criticises ‘unjust’ prosecution.

Sean “Diddy” Combs, the American rapper and music producer, has been arrested in New York after being indicted by a grand jury.

The charges on which Combs was arrested on Monday were not immediately clear.

Combs’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo issued a statement expressing disappointment at the authorities’ decision to pursue an “unjust prosecution” against the rap mogul.

“Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal,” Agnifilo said.

“To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts.”

In March, federal authorities carried out raids on properties belonging to Combs in Los Angeles and Miami.

Combs has also been accused of sexual assault and misconduct in a number of lawsuits since November, when his former girlfriend Casandra Ventura sued him for alleged physical and sexual abuse.

Combs and Ventura settled the suit the day after it was filed, without disclosing the terms of the agreement.

Combs has vehemently denied the accusations in the suits against him, saying his accusers were seeking “a quick payday”.

In May, Combs was thrust back into controversy when CNN aired a leaked video of the rapper violently grabbing, dragging and kicking Ventura in 2016.

Combs publicly apologised after the release of the video, calling his actions “inexcusable”.

Combs, who has also gone by the names Puffy Daddy and Love, became one of the most successful producers in the history of rap after founding Bad Boy in the early 1990s.

During his three-decade long career, he has worked with a slew of top-selling artists including the Notorious B.I.G. Mary J. Blige and Usher.

Combs has also ventured into businesses outside of music, including a fashion label, a fragrance brand and a range of alcoholic drinks.

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