After weeks of wrangling over the format and rules, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will have their first and perhaps only presidential debate on Tuesday. The former president’s advisers, who advocated keeping microphones off outside allotted speaking times, are hoping the Republican nominee sticks to policy rather than personal attacks. Ms Harris, a former prosecutor, will aim to cross-examine her opponent without being dragged into petty spats.

Presidential debates have generally not proved decisive in past elections. But this cycle is unusual. President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in a debate on June 27th precipitated his departure from the race. His replacement as the Democratic nominee, Ms Harris, has had one of the shortest campaigns in modern history. The debate will be crucial for her as a means to introduce herself to millions of Americans. Furthermore, Ms Harris will be meeting Mr Trump for the first time ever, another reason why this event is unusually unpredictable.

Closely watched data about British unemployment, wages and GDP are released this week. Inflation figures will follow next week. So far this year Britain’s economy has been a good-news story. Growth surpassed most forecasters’ expectations in the first half of 2024, hitting 1.5% over that period. The annual inflation rate fell from 4% in January to the Bank of England’s target of 2% by May (though core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is still above the target rate, at 3.3%).

The question now is whether the good news will continue. In August the Bank of England cut interest rates, from 5.25% to 5%. Financial markets expect another one or two cuts in 2024, which should help growth. Meanwhile, the new Labour government plans to present its first budget on October 30th. That will probably bring a bevy of tax rises, which could reduce growth if they go too far.

The Brazilian economy is hot, according to data published by the country’s statistics agency on September 3rd. Seasonally adjusted, GDP grew by 1.4% in the second quarter, well above market expectations of 0.9%. Year on year, the economy expanded by 3.3%. Excluding the recovery from covid-19 lockdowns, the quarterly rise was the strongest in nearly 12 years. The jobs market has rallied and the government has increased the real minimum wage. That has boosted consumer spending.

But some analysts fear growth is being fuelled by unsustainable government spending , causing higher inflation. The annual inflation rate rose from around 3.7% in April to 4.5% in July. August’s figures, due on Tuesday, may show the rate dropping slightly, to around 4.3%. Still, later this month the central bank will probably raise interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, to 10.75%.

On Tuesday Jordan holds parliamentary elections. King Abdullah’s courtiers have changed election rules to encourage participation. They have allowed political parties, rather than the norm of independent candidates, to contest 41 of the 138 seats. They have also lowered the minimum age of candidates to 25, and increased the quota of women representatives, from 15 to 18.

But few seem enthused, especially in urban areas. In the last election just 12% of Jordanians voted in Amman, the capital; many expect a similar turnout again. Parliament is little more than a talking-shop. The king appoints the government, and determines foreign policy. Constituency boundaries also remain fixed in favour of the East Jordanian tribes, rather than the country’s large Palestinian population. The Islamic Action Front, the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm, has tried to rally support by championing the group’s Palestinian counterpart, Hamas, which is in effect banned in Jordan. The IAF may emerge as the largest political party. But given parliament’s lack of power, even it is struggling to get out the vote.

One of the treasures of Judaica, the Shem Tov Bible, goes under the hammer at Sotheby’s New York on Tuesday. Rabbi Shem Tov ben Abraham Ibn Gaon, a scholar and kabbalist, produced the illuminated manuscript in the Castilian city of Soria in 1312. At the time Jewish, Christian and Muslim cultures intermingled in Spain. The richly decorated 768-page book contains Hebrew lettering, but also shows stylistic influences from Gothic France and Arab Andalusia.

The book’s history is fascinating. In the mid-14th century it surfaced in Baghdad, capital of modern Iraq. Several hundred years went by before it turned up in Libya, where its mystical powers were said to help women in childbirth. In 1909 the Sassoons, a rich trading family of Iraqi-Jewish descent, purchased the tome. They sold it in 1984 and it eventually made its way to Jaqui Safra, the Geneva-based scion of a Syrian-Jewish banking dynasty. Its next owner is expected to pay $5m-7m.