Oby Makes u-turn

September 26 was an historic moment in Germany. That day, voters went to the polls to choose who would succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor after almost 16 years at the helm. But the election campaign was littered with fake news. We take a closer look in this edition of Fact or Fake.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.⁣⁣⁣⁣

FBI agents managed to foil a number of plots to influence the election results, which involved hacking a media company and abusing social media. The hackers allegedly took details from 100,000 voters.

Gambian voters will cast their votes on December 4 in a hotly contested presidential election. Observers view the polls as a crucial litmus test of Gambia's democracy.

Gambian President Adama Barrow has comfortably won re-election, the electoral commission said on Sunday, though he may face a legal challenge from opposition candidates who rejected the results because of unspecified irregularities. Barrow received around 53% of Saturday's vote, far outstripping his nearest rival, political veteran Ousainou Darboe, who won about 28 percent.

Nearly five million eligible voters in Hong Kong will elect just 20 of the city's 90 lawmakers; the others will be appointed by committees close to Beijing. The elections to the Legislative Council come after Beijing forced through changes to the city's electoral laws.

West African bloc ECOWAS said they hoped to have an election plan from Mali by the end of this year, after a meeting with the interim leaders. Mali's authorities had previously said elections could be delayed.

A small-town mayor is set to take on Prime Minister Viktor Orban in 2022 parliamentary elections, after winning an opposition primary. Peter Marki-Zay will represent a broad spectrum of parties who have joined forces to oust Orban and his ruling Fidesz party.

A parliamentary committee has said holding the vote would be "impossible." The country's election board has now suggested January 24 as an alternative.

Volatile Libya was scheduled to hold democratic elections, meant to finally pave the way to stability and peace. But, with the vote now postponed, young Libyans are growing increasingly frustrated with the country's political elite.

Iraq's top court has ratified the results of its October election, rejecting a case brought by an ex-paramilitary alliance.

Weeks after removing Queen Elizabeth as head of state, Barbados is set for a general election. The country's ruling party currently has an overwhelming majority in parliament.