In the first presidential debate last night Mitt Romney and Barack Obama clashed over the economy, tax and healthcare.

After countless speeches, meetings and discussion, the war in Syria remained the unsolved problem that loomed over this year's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.There were no breakthroughs on a civil war that has frustrated diplomats, paralyzed the Security Council and even raised new questions about the relevance of the United Nations. Syria's foreign Minister described a global conspiracy that involved the media to bring down his government. He accused Americans, Europeans and fellow Arabs of meddling in Syrian affairs by calling on Assad to step down…

Justin Trudeau has announced…he will seek the Canadian Liberal Leadership. Addressing a crowd of about 450 people in Montreal the 40 year old son of Former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau concentrated his speech on his love for his country and nation-building. He immediately lashed out at the Federal Conservatives, accusing them of being driven by ideology. Trudeau enters the leadership race as the early favourite to win at a time Liberals gather in Ottawa next April for the convention to choose a successor to interim leader Bob Rae. Rae replaced Michael Ignatieff following the Liberals' disastrous showing in the 2011 federal election.

The question of when life begins is in the public square again. The Supreme Court of Canada has decided to hear the case of Ivana Lev-kovic who was charged with concealing the dead body of her infant, but then acquitted. She was originally charged with concealing the body of a dead "child". But, whether it was a "child" or not was the issue depending on time of death, of which the pathologist was unable to determine . The hearing by the Supreme court begins October 10th and threatens to be politically explosive. The court has also agreed to hear other appeals on issues of life and death, including one of a woman who abandoned her infant after giving birth in a store bathroom.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has rejected President Obama's call for freedom of expression, saying defamation of Islam will not be tolerated. Morsi has previously claimed to be a believer in Human Rights and Democracy. The President of Yemen Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi agreed with Morsi. Morsi's call to limit freedom of expression comes at a time of outrage across the Muslim world over an amateur video insulting to Islam. Dozens of people have died in demonstrations associated to that outrage. President Obama said at the United Nations that full freedom of expression cannot be curbed.

A Southern Ohio church drew a huge crowd for the dedication of a towering 52-foot roadside statue of Jesus. It replaces one destroyed two years ago in a lightning fire.