on a former president. that means it's going to be a dramatic day. both have a body of work that can be defended and criticised. voters know just what to expect. first—time campaigns have gone outside of the commission for presidential debates and on the deal themselves with only one media organisation. that being cnn. that's why there's so much cnn branding everywhere else because they've been very much in control of this. and it's the first debate as well where the candidates microphones will be muted when they go over time. so we will have to wait and seejust go over time. so we will have to wait and see just what impact that has on the debate. let's have a look now i just what has on the debate. let's have a look now ijust what is in store for us injust a now ijust what is in store for us in just a couple of hours' time. we have this report from our north america editor. two old men whom the voters already know very well — well enough to say they really don't like the choice they're being given. and each man now is hoping to make his opponent look even worse. the campaigns try to weaponise what they see as their opponent's greatest wea kness. social media's flooded with images ofjoe biden looking old and infirm, along with claims he's also mentally incompetent. images unfairly taken out of context, complain the biden campaign. i think he should take a cognitive test like i did. i took a cognitive test and i aced it. doc ronny. . . doc ronnyjohnson. .. it was doc ronny jackson who gave him that cognitive test. democrats love to disseminate trump's verbal slips and more bizarre statements. if there was a shark or you get electrocuted, i'll take electrocution every single time. # start me up # if you start me up, i'll never stop. # the rolling stones don't stop. currently touring america, they're also in their 80s — just about as old as the candidates. their age has not withered fans' enthusiasm outside the gig in philadelphia, but many are worried president biden is too old for another term. i think we just do need some new candidates, some young candidates. nobody talks about his policies or what he's doing. theyjust talk about the fact that he's walking around confused half the time. that's why they call him sleepyjoe. he's too old. but donald trump is only four years younger. if you look at the two, i there's no comparison. so donald trump may be as old, but he's not...he doesn't act- as old, he doesn't act as feeble. he's...it'sjust different, i think. his agility is not a 27—year—old kid. no, it's not. he's a senior citizen. but he is smart. he knows what he's doing. he's experienced. i've got confidence in him so far. in the courtroom, we see donald trump for who he is. he's been convicted of 34 felonies. democrats hoped a series of guilty verdicts against donald trump would repel voters. so far, it has not had a huge impact on the polls. for some of the independents, it might make a little - bit of a difference, _ maybe just around the margins that matters, but it's a close race, - so that margin might actually come to play come november. what happens here tonight will be the most pivotal moment yet in this campaign, and could define the race from now on. well, here in the spin room after the debate is finished, supporters of both candidates will come and spin, say that their guy one and why they did so. but that's already starting. we have been speaking in the last few moments to representatives of both candidates. we spoke first to kevin munoz, the national campaign spokesperson for the biden campaign and he explained why those who may be have doubts about voting for democrats how he would address that. we about voting for democrats how he would address that.— would address that. we know our aaenda would address that. we know our a . enda is would address that. we know our agenda is a _ would address that. we know our agenda is a winning _ would address that. we know our agenda is a winning agenda - would address that. we know our agenda is a winning agenda and l would address that. we know our - agenda is a winning agenda and when you put— agenda is a winning agenda and when you put it _ agenda is a winning agenda and when you put it on — agenda is a winning agenda and when you put it on the ballot box, it wins — you put it on the ballot box, it wins. when donald trump and his extremist — wins. when donald trump and his extremist agenda of a national abortion— extremist agenda of a national abortion ban of cutting taxes for billionaires, of taking away the affordable care act from the american people the ballots, it loses — american people the ballots, it loses. but this will be a close election _ loses. but this will be a close election. this is about which campaign _ election. this is about which campaign will put in the work on the ground _ campaign will put in the work on the ground in_ campaign will put in the work on the ground in support of those battleground voters. look at this week_ battleground voters. look at this week alone from joe biden. more than 1600 events across the battleground states _ 1600 events across the battleground states a _ 1600 events across the battleground states. a $50 million ad buy for the month— states. a $50 million ad buy for the month of— states. a $50 million ad buy for the month ofjune alone. these are the tynes _ month ofjune alone. these are the tynes of— month ofjune alone. these are the types of things that win elections and donald trump isn't doing any of that _ and donald trump isn't doing any of that. �* ., , ,, and donald trump isn't doing any of that. �* ., , , , ., ,, ., that. i've also been speaking to congressman — that. i've also been speaking to congressman byron _ that. i've also been speaking to congressman byron donald's. l that. i've also been speaking to l congressman byron donald's. his that. i've also been speaking to - congressman byron donald's. his name is on a so—called long list of potential vice presidential candidates and he explained to us just what donald trump is doing in these last few hours before the debate begins. he these last few hours before the debate begins.— these last few hours before the debate beains. ~' ., , ,, , debate begins. he knows the issues. he sent debate begins. he knows the issues. he spent on — debate begins. he knows the issues. he spent on the _ debate begins. he knows the issues. he spent on the campaign _ debate begins. he knows the issues. he spent on the campaign trail - he spent on the campaign trail realty— he spent on the campaign trail really for— he spent on the campaign trail really for months, except for that episode _ really for months, except for that episode in— really for months, except for that episode in lower manhattan. he spent on the _ episode in lower manhattan. he spent on the campaign trail talking to the american _ on the campaign trail talking to the american people. he's been talking with advisers. donald trump's prep has been _ with advisers. donald trump's prep has been engagement, engagement with everybody— has been engagement, engagement with everybody across our country and hearing _ everybody across our country and hearing from people what is going on in america _ hearing from people what is going on in america. obviously he has observed _ in america. obviously he has observed it first—hand watching the new5, _ observed it first—hand watching the news, knowing what is going on in the business world. he is going to come _ the business world. he is going to come in _ the business world. he is going to come in tonight talking about the issues _ come in tonight talking about the issues that are really plugging our country _ issues that are really plugging our country. what does hurting every men and women _ country. what does hurting every men and women in america, especially the working _ and women in america, especially the working class men and women of our country _ working class men and women of our count . , , ., ., ., ., country. this is a ma'or moment in the campaign. _ country. this is a ma'or moment in the campaign, but _ country. this is a major moment in the campaign, but it's _ country. this is a major moment in the campaign, but it's also - country. this is a major moment in the campaign, but it's also a - country. this is a major moment in the campaign, but it's also a major event of itself, made for television but with a huge entourage that goes behind that. i can go to my colleague, our north american correspondent who is somewhere behind me on the floor of the spin room. what is going on where you are? $5 room. what is going on where you are? �* , , ., room. what is going on where you are? n room. what is going on where you are? as you say, this is a basketball _ are? as you say, this is a basketball court - are? as you say, this is al basketball court normally, are? as you say, this is a - basketball court normally, today, does the venue for a sport of a different kind. you can see it is filling up now, the various camera crews and reporters for the networks recording their pieces to camera. a few interviews going on. we had the governor of the state of georgia here a short while ago, a republican who has had his differences with donald trump. you know, making his case for what he would like to see tonight. a focus on the issues, he was suggesting. over there, you've got the cnn studio, which is where they are going to be doing their postdebate analysis, getting those representatives from both sides, just the way we have heard from the commons to the bbc earlier, making their case for each of the two candidates. and although katrina, there can often be a certain kind of hyperbole about these debates, they —— their importance can be overstated particularly in a race where minds are already made up. i think this one, have we have been hearing, really does matter. the polls are deadlocked, the candidates themselves know this is an opportunity to speak over the heads of those pundits and pollsters directly to the american people and what happens here tonightjust might shift the decisions being made, particularly in those marginal states where this election will be won or lost. states where this election will be won or lost-— won or lost. john, we have been focusin: won or lost. john, we have been focusing a _ won or lost. john, we have been focusing a lot — won or lost. john, we have been focusing a lot on _ won or lost. john, we have been focusing a lot on style _ focusing a lot on style and character, but as you say it's about the substance of the debate as well. what cognitive issues will be discussed tonight? chin what cognitive issues will be discussed tonight? cnn hasn't released a _ discussed tonight? cnn hasn't released a list _ discussed tonight? cnn hasn't released a list of _ discussed tonight? cnn hasn't released a list of the - discussed tonight? cnn hasn't| released a list of the questions discussed tonight? cnn hasn't - released a list of the questions the candidates are going to be asked, but you can make a pretty good guess as to what the main topics are going to be. the economy, of course. president biden is likely to find himself under attack from former president trump over his record, particularly their periodic bouts of inflation that we've seen on mr biden's watch. migration is well will be an attack point for mr trump. you know, on the other hand, this is not the same world we were living in back in 2020 when these two men mask debated. one of the most notable things that has shifted, of course has been the constitutional right to abortion with the sweeping away of roe v wade and i think a lot of analysts just —— a lot of analysts are expecting mr biden to take that issue to mr trump and to try to pin it on him and to suggest that he owns that decision. mrtrump and to suggest that he owns that decision. mr trump himself is sometimes suggested indeed he does. so they are the kind of things we are likely to see discussed. of course that question of the tight control over the microphones over how long each candidate will have to speak, the hope from the hosts here is that by constraining them in that way, we can get a discussion that is focused on the issues rather than what we saw in 2020, which was a bit of a shouting match.— of a shouting match. well, we don't have too much _ of a shouting match. well, we don't have too much longer— of a shouting match. well, we don't have too much longer to _ of a shouting match. well, we don't have too much longer to wait - of a shouting match. well, we don't have too much longer to wait to - of a shouting match. well, we don't| have too much longer to wait to find out. we will chat to you later on, but for now on the floor of the spin room, thank you for that. wherever you are in the uk or right around the world, you will be able to watch the world, you will be able to watch the cnn presidential debate on bbc. you will be able to seejoe biden take on donald trump. we will have live coverage. our special programming begins at one o'clock to five o'clock british time on the bbc news channel and also on bbc .com. in the uk, you can watch it on bbc one. on the bbc iplayer or the bbc news app. and you can also listen in on bbc five live and on bbc sounds. for now, it is back over to you in the studio. the bbc has tracked down and confronted a people smuggler — responsible for organising a small—boat crossing to the uk in april in which a seven—year—old girl died. our paris correspondent andrew harding was on the beach in france during that initial incident, and, in a lengthy investigation, tracked the smuggler through europe to luxembourg — and a warning this report does contain flashing images. excuse me, sir. andrew harding from bbc news. we've come to luxembourg to confront a man we've been chasing across europe. we know who you are, you're a smuggler. no. he's responsible for putting hundreds of people in small boats heading from france to england. and responsible for one boat in particular. this one. we came across it back in april on a beach in northern france. police, battling with a group of smugglers. chaos as people clambered onto the boat. we saw a girl here in a pink coat. she was one of five to die at the scene. her name was sara, seven years old, born in belgium, raised in sweden. a few days later, we found her father, ahmed, an iraqi man consumed by grief — and also by guilt. but what of the smugglers? multiple sources tell us the man paid to arrange sara's journey is still active and working from a distant city. so we've come now to antwerp, a city in northern belgium, to try and track down the smuggler, the man who organised the boat and who, to some extent, was responsible for sara's death. and so we set a trap. one of our team poses here as a migrant looking to cross the channel. wearing a hidden camera, he goes to meet a middleman in antwerp. someone who can put us in touch with the smuggler. and the plan works. we are now waiting for the smuggler to call us. he's just sent us a text message, so it could be any moment now. finally, he does call. believing he's talking to a potential client, he offers us seats on his next boat. so, the smuggler is still in business. but he's not in belgium any more. we now hear he may be on the run, that he's heading to luxembourg — and we're in pursuit. we've received a photo and video suggesting he's hiding in some sort of camp. an online search directs us to this migrant reception centre in the city of luxembourg. our new plan is a stakeout. we've been watching for three whole days now. still no sign of him. but by now we have more evidence. this photo of the smuggler and his passport. he's called rebwar, from iraq. and then we catch this glimpse of him inside the camp. and a few hours later, we're racing to catch him outside. that's my colleague ahead of me, in black. we know who you are, you're a smuggler. no. he insists we have the wrong man. "i swear it," he says. do you want to call him? just check that he's got the same number that we've been calling. but then we call him on his mobile. the same number he used when he offered to smuggle us to england. who are you? so he's answering the phone. we know that this is you, sir. we know 100% that you are a smuggler. that you are responsible for the death of this seven—year—old, that you put her on a boat, that you took money from her parents, that she and four other people died. that's you. we know this is our man. he's getting on a tram now. we're going to let him go. there's not much more we can do. so, he leaves. and while we don't follow him, we do inform the french authorities, who've declined to comment. as for the family sara left behind, they're being housed temporarily in this tiny french village. ahmed has claimed that hiring a smuggler was his only option. true or not, he now says he's learned a hard lesson. "the smugglers only care about money," he says. "i hope they'll be arrested and my daughter's death will not be in vain." but his other children have no access to school here and no idea what comes next. what do you miss most? to have, like, a normal life, like everybody. that's what you miss? do you think you will have one soon? where do you think? in england. i'm sorry. but there's little chance of that right now. her sister's body has been buried here in france. but this grieving family has no permission to settle anywhere in europe. instead, they wait in limbo while the smuggling industry thrives. andrew harding, bbc news. in northern ireland, the leaders of the five main political parties standing in the election have taken part in a televised debate tonight. one of the main focuses was on health and the nhs and our ireland correspondent chris page was watching. under the lights and behind the lecterns, for the last big tv events of their campaign. although this is an election to the uk parliament, in northern ireland there is still a focus on what the parties are doing in the devolved assembly. how do the parties justify voting to cut the health service budget? westminster decides the overall budget for the government in belfort, but its local politicians who decide how the money should be divided up and spent. the most important thing to have been achieved is a recognition in the british government that stormont has been underfunded and, with a new labour government coming into play, there is an risk of getting a better deal so we can invest in our health service and continue with transformation. hospital waiting times here are the longest in the uk but the party controlling the health ministry said of the parties are starving it of funds. the finance minister gave a project which doesn't take account of this year's pay rise, so we are faced with pressure with the pay rises for nurses, doctors and all of the staff may not be met, and those are precious those people are facing in a cost of living crisis, with all the other pressures. we need real leadership, real resources and to take tough decisions. two leaders competing directly in the westminster election accused each other of not being significantly committed to the devolved government. we can tackle the financial challenge we have talked about with respect to health but also our public services and also that trust deficit that the institutions will be there in future. we don't have a deputy first minister as a candidate, we don't have our education minister as a candidate and we didn't have any ministers abandoning their pitch three months. five parties vying for votes across 18 constituencies in seven days' time. reform uk have condemned campaigners for the party who were apparently recorded making racist, homophobic and islamophobic comments while campaigning to elect nigel farage as mp. let's speak to our political cor