Final presidential debate between Trump and Biden begins

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden are face-to-face in their final presidential debate, just less than two weeks ahead of the crucial presidential elections on November 3. A planned second debate on October15 was cancelled after 74-year-old Trump refused to do a virtual face-off with 77-year-old Biden despite concerns over the president’s COVID-19 diagnosis. The two rivals instead attended town halls on competing television networks. Trump and Biden fiercely clashed over a number of issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, economy and climate, during the first presidential debate last month, marked by angry interruptions and bitter accusations. The one-off debate between the vice presidential candidates Mike Pence and Kamala Harris took place on October 7 in Salt Lake City, Utah. US Presidential debate 2020: Live updatesOn Monday, the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced new rules under which it will mute microphones for two minutes of the rival speakers so as to give them uninterrupted opening remarks during the final debate being held in Nashville,Tennessee. The decision to mute microphones comes after a chaotic first presidential debate that saw the two candidates interrupting each other repeatedly. The final debate is being moderated by NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker. Under the new rules, Trump and Biden will each have two minutes of uninterrupted time to speak at the beginning of every 15-minute segment of the debate. The commission said both campaigns have agreed to the two-minute, uninterrupted rule. Earlier former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Bihar in-charge Devendra Fadnavis said: “Prime Minister Modi will hold 12 election rallies in Bihar for NDA (National Democratic Alliance) candidates. On October 23, he will hold rallies in Sasaram, Gaya and Bhagalpur. On October 28, Prime Minister will hold rallies in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Patna. On November 3, he will hold rallies in Chhapra, East Champaran and Samastipur. On November 3, rallies in West Champaran, Saharsa and Araria will be held.” Fadnavis had asserted that people’s trust in Prime Minister Modi will not only benefit his party but also its allies.”A lot of enthusiasm is seen among people, wherever we go in Bihar and take Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name. The country and its people have placed their trust in PM Modi. This trust will benefit not only us but also our allies,” he had said.The BJP and the JDU had agreed to contest on 121-122 seats respectively in the 243-member assembly. The JDU, which has a share of 122 seats according to the understanding, has given seats to Hindustani Awaam Morcha of Jitin Ram Manjhi from its quota.BJP had formally inducted the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and assigned the party 11 seats as part of seat distribution among allies for the Bihar polls.Bihar assembly elections will be held in three phases — October 28, November 3, and 7 and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-presidential-elections/final-presidential-debate-between-trump-and-biden-begins/articleshow/78819628.cms