Episode description

Kate Adie presents dispatches from the US, the DRC, Italy, Romania and Egypt

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced off against each other in a debate on Tuesday night at a pivotal moment in the race. In the lead up to the debate, both candidates had been neck and neck in the polls. Tom Bateman gauged what the locals made of their performance.

An outbreak of the viral disease, mpox across central and west Africa has infected more than 21,000 people and killed more than 600 – and the Democratic Republic of Congo is at the epicentre. Simi Jolaoso has been to South Kivu, where medical staff are racing to deliver treatment and await vaccinations.

The Italian town of Monfalcone has a population of over more than 30,000 people, more than 6,000 of whom are from Bangladesh: largely skilled workers who came to work at a major shipyard there. This has changed the makeup of the city, which is being met with resistance from certain corners. Especially the far-right mayor, as Sofia Bettiza discovered.

Nicolae Ceaușescu bulldozed one fifth of the city to construct his People’s Palace in Romania’s capital Bucharest. It still towers over its population today. It’s now the location of Romania's parliament and, while efforts have been made to remove the communist era symbols, it was deemed too expensive to demolish. Rob Crossan has been to visit.

George Orwell’s short satirical novel Animal Farm allegorised the rise to power of Stalin and exposed the abuses of his regime in Russia. When Magdi Abdelhadi recently tried to get a new edition of the book printed in Egypt, he found it… a rather Orwellian experience.

Producers: Serena Tarling and Farhana Haider Editor: Tom Bigwood Production coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison