If this election was Donald Trump's to lose, it's quite possible he just lost it.
Instead of presenting a coherent vision for America, or selling voters on any policies, the former president grew increasingly rattled under a meticulous dismantling by Vice President Kamala Harris during last night's debate in Philadelphia.
The former prosecutor systematically peeled back Mr Trump's attack lines, turning the tables on the convicted felon as he angrily fumbled his way through his tired talking points, repeatedly forcing him to resort to racist claims and debunked falsehoods.
We knew it was going to be an interesting 90 minutes when Mr Trump early on said that Haitian immigrants are eating pet dogs in Ohio, a false claim propagated by his running mate JD Vance.
“In Springfield, they're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats,” Mr Trump said, as an incredulous Ms Harris looked on.
Unfortunately for Mr Trump, it was about the only memorable thing he said all night.
The 78-year-old businessman skulked, sulked and pouted like a scolded schoolboy as his rival took him to task over his previous statements, his felony convictions and his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. On the other side of the television's split screen, Ms Harris, meanwhile, smiled at the moderators and cameras and shrugged off Mr Trump's jabs.
“I have travelled the world as Vice President of the United States and world leaders are laughing at Donald Trump. I have talked with military leaders, some of whom worked with you, and they say you're a disgrace,” she said after he repeated his false claim he had won the 2020 election.
“Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people, so let's be clear about that, and clearly he is having a very difficult time processing that,” she added, referring to the 2020 popular vote result.
Even Mr Trump's allies admitted his shortcomings, with diehard supporter Senator Lindsey Graham telling one reporter afterwards that his performance was a “disaster”.
Ms Harris controlled the narrative throughout much of the night, even though ABC's moderators gave several more minutes of talking time to Mr Trump.
Mr Trump questioned the racial identity of Ms Harris, who is the first woman, black person and person of South Asian descent to serve as Vice President.
“I think the American people want better than that, want better than this,” she responded.
A key issue in the November 5 election is abortion. The conservative Supreme Court, with three Trump-picked justices, has scrapped the federal right to terminate a pregnancy, something Mr Trump has boasted about in the past but since back-pedalled on amid backlash from many women.
Instead of trying to defend his shifting stance, he accused Democrats of wanting to abort babies even after they have been born. That attack line makes no sense as it would be infanticide, which is of course illegal.
Ms Harris pointed this out and said “Donald Trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body”, a line that will resonate with women voters much more than anything he can say.
At points, Mr Trump seemed to yearn for the days when he was running against President Joe Biden, 80, whose own execrable performance at the last debate in June led to him stepping aside for Ms Harris.
He called Mr Biden a “weak, pathetic man” who “doesn't know he's alive”, and repeatedly attacked the President's record.
“It's important to remind the former president, you're not running against Joe Biden, you're running against me,” Ms Harris told Mr Trump.
The Vice President, who has dodged media briefings and given few interviews since becoming the Democratic nominee, came into the debate needing to convince sceptical voters that she is more than an amalgamation of carefully scripted talking points.
The event was the first time Ms Harris and Mr Trump had met in person, and for many Americans it was the first time they had heard her speak at length.
She has faced criticism for her “word salads”, where she has given long-winded answers that have frequently been taken out of context and done the rounds on social media.
Ms Harris performed well enough to quash some of those accusations. If salad was on the menu tonight, it was Mr Trump who wilted.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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Aston martin DBX specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 291kph
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: Q2, 2020
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
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Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
The five pillars of Islam
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Zayed Sustainability Prize
