Erstellt am: 2. 11. 2012 - 15:36 Uhr

US candidates get back to business

Reality Check: US election campaigning re-starts, New York clean-up, Serbia phone tapping, the talking elephant

Clean-up operations are underway after Superstorm Sandy, but it will be some time before life really gets back to normal for the people of New York and New Jersey.

Meanwhile, the presidential candidates are back on the campaign trail, using every last moment to canvas extra votes.

Most analysts say that Sandy gave Obama the chance to look presidential at a crucial moment, and the support of the Republican governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie will certainly come in handy. However, when Steve Crilley met up with veteran political analyst, Stephen Hess, in his Washington DC office, Professor Hess said the "Sandy effect" is unlikely to affect the end outcome.

However, Chris Christie switching camps must mean something. David Martosko of the Daily Caller says that Christie's action has a logic that is consistent with his post of governor, and he may also have a longer term agenda.

Hurricane Sandy Aftermath

Away from the politics, people in New York are struggling to get some sort of order back into their lives. David Kriegleder reports from Lower Manhattan that despite the damage and devastation, many New Yorkers still managed to celebrate Halloween in traditional style.

Serbia phone tapping

A little over 3 months after the dramatic political upheaval in Serbia, things are far from settled as the new government gets into its stride. The Deputy Prime Minister says his and the Prime Minister's phones are being tapped by the police at the demand of "interest groups", and a dogged power struggle appears to be going on under the surface of the political system. Nick Thorpe looks at some of the allegations that are flying, and the deep rooted divisions in Serbian politics.

The talking elephant

Last week is was a beluga whale that was imitating its human companions, now an elephant is reported to be speaking some basic Korean.

The 22 year old Asian elephant called Koshik, who is a resident at the Everland Zoo in Seoul, can say "yes", "no", "good", "sit", "lie down", "not yet", and "foot", but scientists are still puzzled over exactly how he does it, or whether he fully understands what he is saying.

Angela Stöger from the University of Vienna has been studying Koshik, and she explains what she has found.

FM4 Reality Check

Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.00, and after the show via Podcast or fm4.orf.at/realitycheck.