Dear Rappler reader,

Who will be the next President of the United States? At this point, it can go either ways. On the eve of their first head-to-head presidential debate Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in a virtual dead heat in the race for the White House. Experts say, neither candidate is a clear favorite when it comes to debates, both having strengths and weaknesses. While the US faces uncertainty, in Syria, east Aleppo is hit by the worst surge of bombing in years: more than 150 air strikes in over 72 hours. Meanwhile, a UN body reports that the African elephant has suffered its worst population drop in the past decade: a decline of around 111,000 over the past decade due to mainly to poaching. Back home, the Batanes islands, still reeling from the effects of Typhoon Ferdie (Meranti), are again placed under public storm signal no. 2 as Typhoon Helen (Megi) continues to move towards the Batanes-Taiwan area.

Below are the big stories you shouldn’t miss.

Clinton, Trump in virtual tie ahead of first debate

On the eve of their first head-to-head presidential debate Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in a virtual dead heat in their bitter race for the White House. The Washington Post-ABC News poll found that Clinton’s slim margin from last month has now vanished. Instead, the Democrat and her Republican rival tied at 41% support among registered voters, with Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson at 7% and Green Party nominee Jill Stein at 2%. Will the debates make a difference? Trump and Clinton both have strengths and weaknesses, observers say, as far as debates go.

Russia under fire at UN as air strikes pound Syria’s Aleppo

The UN Security Council met for urgent talks on Sunday, September 25, as Syrian and Russian warplanes pounded rebel-held east Aleppo in the worst surge of bombing to hit the devastated city in years. Britain, France, and the United States called the emergency meeting to turn up pressure on Russia and press demands that it rein in its ally, Syria, to halt the intense bombing campaign on Aleppo. French Ambassador Francois Delattre says war crimes are being committed in Aleppo, where more than 150 air strikes have reportedly struck in 72 hours.

NBI probes De Lima’s friends for laundering

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is looking into the bank accounts of at least 10 persons who are suspected to have laundered drug money for Senator Leila de Lima. Also being investigated are several corporations, where some of the stockholders reportedly have connections to drug lords. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II told reporters on Friday, September 23, that the NBI had received from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) the bank records that the bureau requested.

Batanes under signal no. 2 as Typhoon Helen nears

The Batanes islands, still reeling from the effects of Typhoon Ferdie (Meranti), are again placed under public storm signal no. 2 as Typhoon Helen (Megi) continued to move towards the Batanes-Taiwan area. In its bulletin issued 11 pm on Sunday, state weather bureau PAGASA said Helen was 745 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes, still moving west northwest at 22 kilometers per hour (km/h). PAGASA warned that moderate to heavy rain is expected within the 800-km diameter of Typhoon Helen. Sea travel is also risky in the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon. Helen is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday, September 27.

African elephants suffer worst decline in 25 years

Will the African elephant go the way of its extinct relative, the mammoth? Africa’s elephant population has suffered its worst drop in past 25 years, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said Sunday, September 25. Based on 275 estimates from across the continent, a report by the conservation group put Africa’s total elephant population at around 415,000, a decline of around 111,000 over the past decade. The UN body blames the plummeting numbers on poaching.