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Pascale Harter introduces correspondents' stories from the United States, Brazil, Serbia and China

The cost of living is a crunch issue for many American voters - but how might it affect their choices in next week's midterm elections? The question whether economic pressures might favour Democrats at the ballot box, or Trump's MAGA loyalists will help keep Congress under Republican control. Sarah Smith takes the political temperature in Iowa and Michigan.

Brazil's incumbent left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva confounded expectations to secure victory in a second-round run-off last week. His opponent, Flavio Bolsonaro, had been predicted to follow in his father’s footsteps to become the country’s next leader. Ione Wells reveals how Lula turned it around.

In Serbia, after more than a decade in charge, Alexander Vucic was ousted in a snap parliamentary election last weekend by the Student List – a political movement born out of two years of anti-corruption protests. But there are challenges ahead - such as who to appoint as the country’s new Prime Minister and President. Guy Delauney reports from Belgrade.

And footballer Kylian Mbappe got into hot water in China this week, after an off-the-cuff comment about his favourite internet memes – including one referencing Chairman Mao - went viral. This led to several Chinese sponsors to drop the Real Madrid superstar - but how angry were people really? From Beijing, Stephen McDonell reflects on what the online furore revealed about how China's government manages online discourse.

Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison