US veep debate covers foreign policy in civil exchange

Not only was the debate surprisingly civil — Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris talked substantively about foreign policy for a while [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Harris and Pence trade barbs on global role of the United States [Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris and US Vice President Mike Pence participate in their 2020 vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City, Utah.]( Credit: Brian Snyder/Reuters The US vice presidential candidates battled on Wednesday evening in Salt Lake City over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and a troubled economy. But not only was the debate surprisingly civil — Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris [talked substantively about foreign policy]( for a solid chunk of the time, assessing what President Donald Trump has done for America’s role in global affairs and what a Joe Biden presidency would change in the world. In a sober discussion that involved far less rancor than the first presidential debate last week, but still plenty of interruptions, [USA Today moderator Susan Page]( prompted the contenders to address who is more capable of dealing with China, Russia and Iran, as well as the long-term challenges of the climate crisis. Pence harped on Trump’s repeated accusations that China is to blame for the pandemic, whereas Harris bemoaned the lack of public health coordination with Beijing and countered that the incumbent has [lost his trade war with China]( and caused the “loss of American lives, American jobs and America’s standing.” On Russia, the two traded barbs about the [placement of bounties on US soldiers]( serving in Afghanistan, with Harris criticizing Trump for failing to take that issue up with President Vladimir Putin. While Pence stood by Trump’s decision to [kill Iranian terror mastermind Qassem Soleimani](, Harris made the case for reviving the Iran nuclear deal that the Trump administration has nixed in favor of the [“maximum pressure” campaign](. On climate, Pence sought to take credit for US carbon emissions decreasing and accused the Democrats of trying to ban fossil fuels and enact a radical-left “Green New Deal” agenda. Although Harris clarified that [Biden does not seek to ban fracking](, she emphasized the primacy of science on global warming and the importance of rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. What The World is following For its part, Russia is looking at a handful of chaotic scenes in its backyard, with protests and violent conflicts taking root in the Baltics, Caucasus and Central Asia. On Thursday, Moscow claimed it was [not investigating Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya]( — who was added to a wanted list amid growing political strife in Minsk. Meanwhile, Russia is trying to work with France and the US to [impose a ceasefire to avert wider war]( between Armenians and Azerbaijanis over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South Caucasus. And further east, Russia said that it’s [obligated by a security treaty]( to intervene in Kyrgyzstan, where rival groups have clashed after a disputed election. Brazil’s cases of the coronavirus [passed the 5 million mark]( this week, with the death toll approaching 150,000. After the US and India, the nation is the third worst-hit in the world by the pandemic. Critics say President Jair Bolsonaro, [like his counterpart in the White House](, ignores the advice of experts and downplays the medical threat posed by the virus. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Greeks celebrate court ruling on neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn]( [A banner depicting anti-racist Greek rapper Pavlos Fyssas is seen, as demonstrators protest at the close of the trial for leaders and members of the far-right Golden Dawn, in Athens, Greece, Oct. 7, 2020.]( Credit: Costas Baltas/Reuters Large crowds gathered in Athens on Wednesday following a five-year trial as the judges announced a series of decisions involving members of the neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn. The most highly anticipated decision came last: The court ruled that Golden Dawn [was operating as a criminal organization](. Leader Nikos Michaloliakos and six former party lawmakers were found guilty of leading it, and other members were found guilty of participating in it. They now face jail time. [Amid increasing US-China tensions, humor is serious business]( [Jesse Appell, an American comedian usually based in Beijing, hosts a comedy show called "Jess@home" during the pandemic from his parent's kitchen in Boston.]( Credit: Jesse Appell via YouTube American Jesse Appell’s comedy [is part of a long history of cultural diplomacy]( between the US and China. Musical performances, art exchanges and sports competitions have all helped to strengthen the relationship between the two countries since the early 1970s. Fans in China tune in for a laugh, and also to learn about the US from an American’s perspective, something they rarely get in China. --------------------------------------------------------------- Discussion [What's driving the latest coronavirus surges?]( [People wait in line for a rapid antigen test for COVID-19 in the southern neighborhood of Vallecas in Madrid, Spain, Oct. 7, 2020.]( Credit: Manu Fernandez/AP Many health officials around the world are working to contain second waves of the coronavirus. As part of our regular series on the pandemic with Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, join us as we examine what's driving the latest surges around the world. The World's Elana Gordon will take your questions and moderate a discussion with Yonatan Grad, from Harvard's department of immunology and infectious diseases. [Stream the conversation live here]( >> at 11:30 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot The VP debate Wednesday night was a distinct departure from the raucous tone on display last week between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. But despite the more civil discussion about policy, the [candidates might have been upstaged]( by a fly that landed on Vice President Mike Pence's hair. [A screen grab of a tweet from the Washington Post]( [Credit: Screen grab from Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Airlines look for new ways to make money]( - [Justice Dept. officials under fire over child separations]( - [Pandemic tests China-US cultural diplomacy]( - [How the US elections may impact Taiwan]( - [Protests and an annulled vote in Kyrgyzstan]( - [Landmark ruling against Golden Dawn in Greece]( - [EU Parliament votes for bigger carbon cuts]( - [Famous ‘Mafalda’ cartoonist dies]( - [Gene editing is getting complicated]( - [Chemistry Nobel goes to gene-editing duo]( - [Two men charged with beheadings of Americans and British in Syria face US court]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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