Briefly

UNITED STATES

Trump to skip primary Republican debates

Former US president Donald Trump on Sunday said he would skip the upcoming Republican primary debates, citing his large lead in opinion polls as evidence that he was already well-known and liked by voters ahead of the election. Trump has suggested he would likely pass on Wednesday night's debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, arguing that it did not make sense to give his Republican rivals a chance to attack him.

ECUADOR

Early election results point to likely runoff

Early results in Sunday's special presidential election in Ecuador pointed to a leftist backed by the country's ex-president likely facing a runoff with the son of a banana tycoon. Leftist Luisa Gonzalez appeared set to advance to an Oct 15 runoff, according to early results. She would likely face Daniel Noboa, a former lawmaker and the son of Alvaro Noboa, a banana tycoon.

Agencies Via Xinhua