Defeating an authoritarian strongman at the ballot box is no small feat. So how did Serbian students do it? Did Brazil’s fandoms swing an election? And how was the seemingly immovable Viktor Orbán toppled?

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An offhand remark about Mao Zedong has landed Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé in hot water with Beijing. Why has China taken offence so readily and what does it gain from doing so?

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From Texas to Michigan, Democrats have delivered a stunning midterm rebuke to Donald Trump. What does the electoral upheaval mean for the president, the Republican Party and the future of US politics?

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France has accused Iran of hacking hundreds of supermarket refrigerators, spoiling millions of euros’ worth of food. Is this the new face of hybrid warfare?

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Algeria’s army is venturing beyond its border for the first time in more than 50 years to address conflicts in neighbouring Niger. Why does Niger need the help? And what does Algeria’s revitalised army mean for Africa?

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The Israeli general election is poised to be one of the most consequential in the country's history. Can Netanyahu cobble together another government? What can those in Palestine, Lebanon and beyond expect if he does?

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For 27 years, the Ottawa Treaty bound international law, banning 165 countries from using anti-personnel mines. Today Russia’s neighbours are abandoning the deal. If the treaty unravels, what is the future of conflict?

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Six months into the US’s war with Iran, is any kind of military victory possible? Or is the Strait of Hormuz the US’s Suez? Rear admiral Mark Montgomery, Bloomberg’s Dina Esfandiary and historian Stephen Wertheim discuss.

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