大象传媒

Astonishing sums are being spent in the US election, so we drill down into the figures. Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, talks us through how much campaigns are spending. In Germany spending on elections is a fraction of that in the US, and with greater oversight, as Tanit Koch, managing director at news channel n-tv, explains. We hear about strict new electoral spending rules in South Africa from Dr Magnus Ohman, specialist in African political finance at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. And following a boost in political donations for the last Australian elections we ask Danielle Wood from the Grattan Institute in Melbourne whether it is inevitable that political campaign financing around the world is going to become more Americanised.

Also in the programme, UK prime minister Boris Johnson has said the country must "get ready" for no EU trade deal by the end of the year. David Herzenhorn is bureau chief for Politico in Brussels and tells us why a deal is still proving so hard to reach.

Plus, the Israeli parliament has approved a US-brokered agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, and earlier this week the first cargo ship to sail under its terms docked at the Israeli port of Haifa, having travelled from Dubai. We find out why relations between the sides are warming now, from Bernard Avishai, professor of political economy at Dartmouth College in the United States.