SAO BERNARDO DO CAMPO, Brazil — Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defied an order to turn himself in to police on Friday as he hunkered down with supporters at a metallurgical union that was the spiritual birthplace of his rise to power.

The once popular leader, who rose from poverty to lead Latin America’s largest nation, had until 5 p.m. local time to present himself to police in the city of Curitiba to begin serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction.

At 5 p.m., however, da Silva remained inside the union building in the Sao Paulo suburb of Sao Bernardo do Campo, about 260 miles northeast of Curitiba.

A defense attorney for da Silva said the former leader will not resist arrest.

Forcing da Silva out of the union building on a Friday night would be a logistical nightmare given the thousands of supporters outside — clashes would be a possibility — and heavy traffic in Sao Paulo.

“The intention is not to force compliance at any cost, but rather follow the order the best way possible, with tranquility and without a media show,” Luis Antonio Boudens, president of the federal police, said in a statement.

Brazil’s top court, the Supreme Federal Tribunal, voted 6-5 earlier to deny a request by da Silva to stay out of prison while he appealed a conviction that he contends was a way to keep him off the ballot in October’s election. He is the front-running presidential candidate despite his conviction.

Feds take down Backpage.com, websites in enforcement action

PHOENIX — Federal law enforcement authorities seized Backpage.com and its affiliated websites, according to a notice posted online.

A notice that appeared Friday at Backpage.com said the websites are being seized as part of an enforcement action by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service.

Numerous state and federal authorities in Arizona, California and Texas were also “participating in and supporting the enforcement action,” the notice stated.

The notice doesn’t characterize or provide details on the nature of the enforcement action.

The classifieds website has been the focus of scrutiny over the issue of its sex ads, which have included those involving children being trafficked by adults. Backpage has denied knowingly facilitating sex trafficking.

GOP Rep. Farenthold resigns after sexual harassment claims

WASHINGTON — Texas Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold abruptly resigned Friday, four months after announcing he wouldn’t seek re-election amid sexual harassment allegations.

“While I planned on serving out the remainder of my term in Congress, I know in my heart it’s time for me to move along,” Farenthold said in a video statement.

In December, Farenthold had posted another video denying a former aide’s 2014 accusations, including that he’d subjected her to sexually suggestive comments and then fired her after she complained. Still, the congressman apologized in that video for an office atmosphere he said included “destructive gossip, offhand comments, off-color jokes and behavior that, in general, was less than professional.”

Hospital: Ex-spy ‘responding well’ to care in poisoning case

LONDON — The former Russian spy who was left fighting for his life after exposure to a rare nerve agent is no longer in critical condition, a British health official said Friday, a month after the mysterious poisoning triggered a diplomatic crisis between Moscow and the West.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were found unconscious on a bench March 4 in Salisbury and were hospitalized for weeks in critical condition. British authorities blame Russia for what they say was poisoning with a military-grade nerve agent called Novichok. Russia denies the accusation.

Dr. Christine Blanshard, the medical director at Salisbury District Hospital, said Skripal, 66, “is responding well to treatment.” Yulia Skripal, 33, regained consciousness last week.

Arizona, Texas prepare to send troops to border

AUSTIN, Texas — Arizona and Texas announced Friday that they were preparing to deploy National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border in response to President Donald Trump’s call for more border security.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said 150 Guard members would deploy next week. The Texas Military Department, the umbrella agency over the Texas National Guard branches, said it would soon discuss preparations.

Trump told reporters Thursday that he wants to send between 2,000 and 4,000 National Guard members to the border to help fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez’s office said Friday that it had not deployed any Guard members. The office of California Gov. Jerry Brown did not respond to questions about troop deployment.

Woman used kitchen knife to decapitate son, cops say

SWEDEN, N.Y. — A woman used a “large-bladed kitchen knife” to sever the head of her 7-year-old son 10 days after she was released from a hospital mental health unit, authorities said Friday.

Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 36-year-old Hanane Mouhib after Abraham Cardenas was found dead Thursday night in the family’s home in the town of Sweden, about 15 miles west of Rochester in rural New York. She was charged with second-degree murder.

“There’s absolutely no explanation for us,” Sheriff Todd Baxter said at a news conference Friday. “The word ‘evil’ comes to mind.”

According to public records, Mouhib is a licensed nurse practitioner who had worked at a Rochester psychiatric center.

Ford is recalling 350,000 trucks and SUVs in North America because they might be in a different gear than the one shown on the shift indicator. The recall covers the 2018 F-150 pickup and Expedition SUV with 10-speed automatic transmissions, and 2018 F-650 and F-750 trucks with six-speed transmissions.

Three judges for the Nobel literature prize have resigned. Peter Englund, Kjell Espmark and Klas Ostergren gave few details Friday. Judges on the 18-member committee are appointed for life and are technically not permitted to leave. In 1989, three judges tried to quit, but the academy declined to accept their resignations.