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| US hopefuls spar in final debate | US hopefuls spar in final debate |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Barack Obama and John McCain are going head-to-head in a final televised debate before the US presidential poll. | Barack Obama and John McCain are going head-to-head in a final televised debate before the US presidential poll. |
| With just three weeks before the vote, Mr McCain badly needs a victory to dent his rival's growing opinion poll lead. | With just three weeks before the vote, Mr McCain badly needs a victory to dent his rival's growing opinion poll lead. |
| Asked why his economic plan was the best for the struggling US economy, Mr McCain said it would put US homeowners - who were hurting and angry - first. | |
| Mr Obama said his plan would create jobs, help homeowners without handing money to banks and give long-term help. | Mr Obama said his plan would create jobs, help homeowners without handing money to banks and give long-term help. |
| The final debate is being held at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, hosted by Bob Schieffer of CBS News. | |
| Both candidates sought to explain how they would make their promised economic rescue packages and spending plans fit with a rising US budget deficit. | |
| Pugnacious John McCain is about to walk into yet another trap BBC North America editor Justin Webb Read Justin's thoughts in fullLIVE: Video and textSend us your comments | |
| Mr Obama said the $700bn rescue plan would, if handled correctly under his presidency, give US taxpayers their money back. | |
| He rejected Mr McCain's charge that he planned to raise taxes on higher earners to "spread the wealth around", saying that "nobody likes taxes" but that investment in the economy was necessary. | |
| Mr McCain sought to fight back against repeated attempts by the Obama campaign to link him to the policies of the Bush administration. | |
| "Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago," he said. | |
| Mr McCain said he would be able to balance the federal budget by cutting wasteful spending and urged voters to compare the records of the two candidates. | |
| The debate comes as a new national poll puts Democratic Senator Obama ahead by 53% to 39%. | |
| The poll, by the New York Times and CBS News, suggests that Mr McCain's recent turn to negative campaigning has backfired. | |
| The majority of those voters whose opinion has changed for the worse about the Republican presidential candidate cite his attacks on Mr Obama. | The majority of those voters whose opinion has changed for the worse about the Republican presidential candidate cite his attacks on Mr Obama. |
| Many of those attacks have focused on Mr Obama's links to Bill Ayers, formerly of US radical group Weather Underground, which waged a violent campaign against the Vietnam War during the 1960s and 1970s. | Many of those attacks have focused on Mr Obama's links to Bill Ayers, formerly of US radical group Weather Underground, which waged a violent campaign against the Vietnam War during the 1960s and 1970s. |
| Mr Obama served on a charity board with Mr Ayers, now a university professor in Illinois. | Mr Obama served on a charity board with Mr Ayers, now a university professor in Illinois. |
| Barbs | Barbs |
| The BBC's Jamie Coomarasamy in New York says Mr McCain has taken to calling himself the underdog, a fighter who, as he puts it, is in just the position he would like to be - but many Republicans are less optimistic. Economic plans comparedLast chance to shine | The BBC's Jamie Coomarasamy in New York says Mr McCain has taken to calling himself the underdog, a fighter who, as he puts it, is in just the position he would like to be - but many Republicans are less optimistic. Economic plans comparedLast chance to shine |
| Mr McCain has suggested he will bring up the issue of his opponent's past associations in order to question whether Mr Obama has the character and judgement to lead. | Mr McCain has suggested he will bring up the issue of his opponent's past associations in order to question whether Mr Obama has the character and judgement to lead. |
| It is a line of attack which many Republicans have been urging him to use more, our correspondent says, but one which polls suggest has not been helping him with independent and undecided voters. | It is a line of attack which many Republicans have been urging him to use more, our correspondent says, but one which polls suggest has not been helping him with independent and undecided voters. |
| Already the candidates have exchanged barbs on their latest economic proposals. | Already the candidates have exchanged barbs on their latest economic proposals. |
| Mr McCain has proposed an extra $52bn in tax cuts to help retired people whose savings have been hit by the credit crunch, while Mr Obama wants an additional $60bn emergency spending package to help states, the unemployed and companies to create jobs. | Mr McCain has proposed an extra $52bn in tax cuts to help retired people whose savings have been hit by the credit crunch, while Mr Obama wants an additional $60bn emergency spending package to help states, the unemployed and companies to create jobs. |
| Mr McCain attacked Mr Obama's plans as "more of the same" tax and spend, and warned that it would be a disaster to raise taxes during a recession. | Mr McCain attacked Mr Obama's plans as "more of the same" tax and spend, and warned that it would be a disaster to raise taxes during a recession. |
| But Mr Obama sought to tie John McCain to the "failed Bush economic policies" and said that putting a Democrat in charge was the only way to fix the economy's woes. | But Mr Obama sought to tie John McCain to the "failed Bush economic policies" and said that putting a Democrat in charge was the only way to fix the economy's woes. |
| Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee has said it will halt its advertising in Maine and Wisconsin, two states it had been hoping might swing to Mr McCain. A Quinnipiac University poll on Tuesday gave Mr Obama more than 50% support in Wisconsin. | Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee has said it will halt its advertising in Maine and Wisconsin, two states it had been hoping might swing to Mr McCain. A Quinnipiac University poll on Tuesday gave Mr Obama more than 50% support in Wisconsin. |
| Uphill task | Uphill task |
| The debate is taking place against a dark public mood, with deep worries about the direction the country is going in. | The debate is taking place against a dark public mood, with deep worries about the direction the country is going in. |
| More than 85% of voters think the country is going in the wrong direction, and 80% do not trust the government to do the right thing, according to the latest NY Times poll. | More than 85% of voters think the country is going in the wrong direction, and 80% do not trust the government to do the right thing, according to the latest NY Times poll. |
| The state of the economy now rates as overwhelmingly the most important issue for voters. | The state of the economy now rates as overwhelmingly the most important issue for voters. |
| Meanwhile, the scale of the economic challenge facing the next president was demonstrated by the news that the US government's budget deficit hit a record high of $455bn in the current financial year that ended on 1 October - even before the cost of the $700bn bail-out is taken into account. | Meanwhile, the scale of the economic challenge facing the next president was demonstrated by the news that the US government's budget deficit hit a record high of $455bn in the current financial year that ended on 1 October - even before the cost of the $700bn bail-out is taken into account. |
| The final US presidential debate will be available live in streaming video on the BBC news website, with full commentary, a blow-by-blow description, and analysis, from 0100 GMT. | The final US presidential debate will be available live in streaming video on the BBC news website, with full commentary, a blow-by-blow description, and analysis, from 0100 GMT. |