Taxes and the economy dominated the opening minutes of the first presidential debate between candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. Moderator Jim Lehrer tried, with out much success, to get McCain and Obama to discuss how the nation's financial crisis would affect their wish-list of policy priorities. He then moved the debate to the subjects to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Russia.

Click below for a full account of the debate, including analysis, videos, key foreign policy quotes, and fact checking

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain will attend the first televised debate with Barack Obama tonight, reversing a move to delay it over the financial crisis. Senator McCain had vowed not to attend the forum in Oxford, MS, until Congress approved a bail-out plan for U.S. banks and financial institutions. However, his campaign said that enough progress had been made for it to occur.

Democratic leaders in Congress earlier criticized Senator McCain for his appearance there during efforts to agree a deal. Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said the "insertion of presidential politics" into the delicate negotiations had been "harmful"

The topics for the debate (scheduled for 9pm EDT) are national security and foreign policy, considered Senator McCain's strengths, although correspondents say the financial crisis is almost certainly going to be discussed.

The World's Marco Werman finds out how Scottish Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis uncovers the words to 300-year-old songs.

Julie Fowlis & Co

Our daily geography quiz.

Anchor Marco Werman tells us about Swiss pilot and inventor Yves Rossy, who crossed the English Channel in a daring way today. He did it with a home-made jet-propelled wing strapped to his back.

Burmese youth have launched their first television current affairs program. The program, called Youth Speak, is produced by an exile station, and broadcast via satellite from Thailand. Rebecca Henschke went to see the producers at work in their studio in northern Thailand.

Marco Werman speaks with U Gawsita, one of the monks who took part in last year's uprising against the government of Myanmar. 12 months later, he's living in a boarding house in Utica, New York as a political refugee.

U Gawsita leading protest in Rangoon (with megaphone)

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is one steeped in tradition: fasting, family and food. The World's Aaron Schachter reports on a dying Ramadan tradition in Syria: the art of story-telling.

Belarus holds elections this weekend that the authorities promise will be free and fair. The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse reports on the slow pace of change in the former Soviet republic.

Chinese astronauts are on target to conduct the country's first spacewalk tomorrow. The nation is anxious to know how the spacewalk will go. But the country's official news agency may have already written the script. Anchor Marco Werman explains.