Plus: The Indian midwives who stopped murdering girls, and the debate around gene editing. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Today I bring you Anthony Zurcher's analysis of last night's debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, during which the vice-president managed to put her rival on the defensive. We'll also hear from undecided voters whose choice could determine the race come November. I'm also sharing a very moving piece from India, on midwives who were pressured to kill baby girls in the 90s, and the few women they have saved. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Harris goads Trump into flustered performance | | Trump and Harris debated policy but personal attacks also dominated the 90 minute event. Credit: EPA | In Philadelphia on Tuesday night, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced each other off for the first (and possibly last) time. During a tense hour and a half, the US vice-president put her Republican rival on the defensive. "The pattern for much of this debate was Harris goading her Republican rival into making extended defences of his past conduct and comments," Anthony Zurcher writes from Philadelphia. That pattern was set early in the night, when the Democratic candidate suggested that Americans attend Trump rallies to witness people "leaving [them] early out of exhaustion and boredom". The former president spent most of his answer - to a question on immigration - defending his rally sizes. Right after the debate ended, a snap CNN poll of voters watching said that Harris performed better. Although it is a momentary snapshot in a knife-edge election, reactions from both camps hint at their post-debate mood. While Republicans complained about what they say was favouritism from the moderators who fact-checked assertions made by Trump, the Harris campaign immediately called for a new presidential debate before November.
What voters say: Undecided voters tell the BBC they were impressed by Harris - but will the debate determine their votes?
Watch: Our video team has compiled the debate's key moments, from abortion policy to the economy.
Ringing endorsement: Taylor Swift broke her silence on politics right after the debate to announce she would vote for Kamala Harris. | |
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| The midwives who stopped murdering girls | Thirty years ago, Amitabh Parashar filmed a series of shocking confessions: midwives admitting they routinely murdered new-born baby girls, under pressure from families. A few of them were saved and adopted. Decades later, Amitabh set up the meeting of a woman with the midwife who spared her life. |
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| | Amitabh Parashar, BBC Eye Investigations |
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| | Midwife Siro Devi is clinging to Monica Thatte, sobbing. Monica, in her late 20s, has returned to her birthplace - the Indian town where Siro has delivered hundreds of babies. She and several Indian midwives like her were regularly pressured to murder newborn girls. Monica, evidence suggests, is one they saved. She sobbed hard, holding Monica close and combing through her hair. “I took you [to the orphanage] to save your life… My soul is at peace now,” she told her. |
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| | | Listen: Siro and Monica's story is also the subject of a podcast from Amitabh Parashar. Give it a listen here. |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | Gene editing sparks excitement and worry |
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| | | Gene editing has been used to develop bird flu resistance in chickens Credit: BBC | The science of gene editing is still in its infancy. But modified foods such as meat from heat-resistant cattle and pitless cherries are already on the shelves in Japan and the US. In Europe, a fierce debate between supporters of the technology and opponents who raise concerns around safety and animal welfare is underway. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | A chance find | The story of how the world's oldest gold treasure was unearthed. | |
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And finally... | A lobster roll eating competition saw drama beyond the sight of contestants attempting to out-gorge each other, when one man began to choke. Luckily for him, there was a remarkable intervention from New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, who performed the Heimlich manoeuvre. Perhaps even more remarkably, the competitor was filmed giving a quick thumbs up and calmly resuming his feast. | |
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Football Extra | Get all the latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League, weekdays to your inbox. | |
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MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | | The Essential List: The best of the BBC, handpicked by our editors, in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe. | | In History: The past comes to life through the BBC's unique audio, video and written archive, each Thursday. Subscribe. | | US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday. Subscribe. | |
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– Jules | | | | |
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