Trump v Clinton: World's media see no clear winner

Some media highlight the candidates' body language

While most media outlets across the world cannot decide who won the second debate between the two hopefuls, most newspapers highlight the "cruel" nature of the encounter and others focus on the sexual allegations surrounding both candidates.

Perhaps predictably, Russian state TV sees a "confident" Trump performance but an Argentine newspaper records a Clinton victory in the debate.

'Don't dismiss Trump'

There "are no chances for Trump to be dismissed" from the race, Alexei Fenenko of Lomonosov Moscow State University tells Russia's centrist Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily, because with just a month left before the elections, "Republicans just have no time to promote an alternative figure".

And according to Russian state Rossiya 1 TV, "it is obvious that this time Trump performed far more confidently than in the first round and the counter-attack against Hillary and her husband put paid to the wave of accusations against him".

Meanwhile, Chinese media are critical of Trump's "body language". State broadcaster CCTV says Trump's "very menacing and threatening" gestures lacked "protocol".

But this is not enough to dent Trump's hopes according to China's Global Times. His "future isn't about his scandals. Rather, it is about US voters deciding whether they will continue to tolerate the hypocrisy that Clinton represents", it says.

People in Hong Kong gathered to watch the debate in the morning

In Mexico, meanwhile, the political weekly Proceso sees the debate as a "wasted opportunity" for Trump "in not asking women to forgive him". But Clinton also failed to take advantage, it says. "Instead of explaining more eloquently her government's proposals, [Clinton] fell into the trap of dismissing the personal accusations which her opponent to the US presidency was hammering home."

But the Democrat wins the praise of Argentina's La Nacion daily. "Clinton never lost her composure not even when faced with the most virulent of Trump's attacks...This was enough for her to win the night."

'Sick' democracy

"Never has a TV duel been so cruel", says a headline in Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung. French broadsheets also lead with the debate, with Le Monde saying that Trump went on the attack "to forget his setbacks", while Le Figaro notes Trump's "all-out attack" on Clinton.

But in Italy, La Repubblica's "first conclusion" is that "American democracy is sick". "The mutual undermining is total. It's hard to find in the recent past a similar level of animosity, contempt and insult," says the paper.

Noting that Clinton "failed to deliver a knockout blow", Corriere della Sera daily adds that "Trump has no cause for celebration". "The only success of 'The Donald' was that he avoided being carpeted," it says. 

'Achilles heel'

In the Middle East, Lebanon's al-Nahar wanted to see Trump showing contrition after the "scandalous tape" revelations.

Trump launched a scathing attack on former President Bill Clinton, who was in the audience

"Tens of millions of Americans who watched the debate were expecting to see Trump showing some regret... Instead, he launched a fierce attack against former President Bill Clinton," writes the anti-Syria daily.

Iranian daily Khorasan describes the sexual allegations as the "Achilles heel" of both candidates.

"Sex issues have become the main debate in America's election campaign and it seems that Hillary Clinton has the opportunity to ride this wave with her winning gender card. However, Trump will also try to use this same issue, namely Bill Clinton's past record in this regard.... It may be said that sex issues have now turned into the Achilles heel of both." 

BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.