US

In simultaneous town hall debates, President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden made their cases for why voters should choose them.

The two candidates were meant to be going head to head in their second presidential debate last night, but the event was cancelled because of Mr Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis.

Here are four key moments from each of their town halls in Florida and Philadelphia.

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28 September: Trump ‘paid no income tax at all’

Trump doesn’t own money to “sinister people”

The president acknowledged he may owe $400m (£310m) as part of his business dealings – and although he didn’t reveal who he owes money to, he insisted it was not to Russia or any “sinister people”.

Mr Trump said he would be willing to release details about his debts, but again refused to release his tax returns – more than four years after he first promised he would.

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Barrett won’t be used as ‘pawn’ over election

Biden on Supreme Court confirmation

The former vice president said he is willing to take a position before Election Day on the idea of expanding the Supreme Court – “depending on how” Republicans handle Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination.

Mr Biden suggested he might be willing to consider some Democrats’ calls to expand the court as a counter to GOP powerplays in recent years.

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Trump promises better healthcare, but light on detail

The president insisted he will implement an improved and more affordable healthcare system, but refused to give any details.

He attacked the Affordable Care Act, and said he would implement “much better healthcare under a much better price”.

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Biden warns 100% renewable energy can’t be achieved by 2030

He put distance between his clean energy goals and the Green New Deal – saying the policy plan popular with progressives isn’t achievable within the timeframes it has laid out.

Mr Biden pointed to a piece of the deal that calls for 100% renewable and zero-emission energy sources by 2030, and said the country needs more time to invest in technologies that will eventually lead to net-zero emissions.

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30 Sept: Trump refuses to condemn white supremacists

Trump fails to denounce QAnon conspiracy theorists

The president declined to denounce the QAnon group’s false conspiracy theory that Democrats are part of a global paedophile ring.

At first, Mr Trump appeared to praise its followers for opposing paedophilia – but then said he knew nothing about the movement.

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First US presidential debate – highlights

Biden says some of Trump’s tax cuts will stay

He said he does not plan to eliminate all the tax cuts enacted by Mr Trump – just those that apply to thetop earners.

Referencing tax cuts for the top 1%, he said: “That’s what I’m talking about eliminating, not all the tax cuts that are out there.”

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People queue for hours as early voting begins in US

Trump says he will accept election loss… if ballot is fair

Under intense questioning, the president said he would honour the results of a fair election – but only after casting an extraordinary amount of doubt on the likeliness of fairness.

“And then they talk ‘Will you accept a peaceful transfer,'” Mr Trump said. “And the answer is yes, I will. But I want it to be an honest election, and so does everybody else.”

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Biden: ‘We need to take COVID-19 seriously’

Biden on coronavirus vaccinations

Mr Biden dodged revealing if he thought all Americans should be vaccinated against COVID-19.

He said that decision would depend on the reliability of the vaccine but that it would “have to have a very positive impact and how you can affect positively 85% of the American public”.

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