First presidential debate between the two major candidates in US

Election 2016

Photo from AP

For the first time in the U.S. presidential campaign, the two major candidates will face each other in a live debate.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will take 90 minutes of questions.

As many as 100-million Americans are expected to watch, in addition to leaders from around the world.

CCTV America’s Jessica Stone reports from the debate hall at a university near New York City.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump head into this debate with the latest U.S. poll showing them deadlocked in a virtual tie.

About three weeks ago, they presented their foreign policy ideas, separately, at a televised forum. Now they’ll debate them face to face. Clinton took a few days off the campaign trail to prepare.

Both candidates met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Clinton also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Tokyo officials say Abe urged her to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, a trade deal she once backed, but now opposes.

If elected, Trump has promised to reject the deal which covers 40 percent of the global economy.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also met with Clinton in New York and invited Trump who failed to show up.

Trump has expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and in late July told a reporter that Russia would not invade Crimea. Russia now administers Crimea, following a referendum which Ukraine rejects.

Both candidates met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, a key ally in the coalition fight against ISIL.

After a series of terrorist bombings in New York City and New Jersey and how to prevent ISIL-inspired terror in the U.S. is likely to come up in the debate.