Former US president Donald Trump was the elephant not in the room at the first Republican debate of the 2024 election cycle, instead turning to an interview with alt-right media figure Tucker Carlson to have his say.
The pre-recorded 45-minute discussion failed to provide any new insight into Mr Trump's posture or beliefs.
His main points were clear, but well-worn: his top priority is the southern border, the media is “corrupt”, the establishment Republicans are out to get him and the 2020 election results were a “fraud”.
The former president briefly addressed his administration's 2020 killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force commander Maj Gen Qassem Suleimani.
“We killed many using the CIA. I have to say this bad, very bad actors. Were very good at it,” Mr Trump said, before backtracking on his comments that the CIA was seriously involved in the Iranian military leader's killing.
“That was really us [the White House] … Not so much CIA, but we did some very good work with the CIA.”
The assassination of Maj Gen Suleimani in Iraq set off an escalating war of words between Tehran and Washington. In its aftermath, Iranian politicians voted to designate all US forces around the world as “terrorists”.
Later in 2020, Iran sentenced a man to death over allegations that he provided information on Maj Gen Suleimani to US and Israeli intelligence agencies.
Mr Trump aimed a number of foreign policy-related barbs at US President Joe Biden and said that Washington would be a stronger competitor against China with the Republican back in office.
When Carlson asked Mr Trump what he believed leaders of rival nations, namely Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, thought of Mr Biden, he replied: “I think they can't believe it … they had great respect for our country. They respected me, they had great respect for our country.”
On the war in Ukraine, he called Mr Biden “incompetent”.
“That's a war that should end immediately … it would have never started if I were president,” he said.
Mr Trump was accused of cozying up to Moscow during his time in office and even faced impeachment over allegations he attempted to coerce Ukraine into handing over damaging information about the Bidens, threatening to pull military aid.
In a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, Mr Trump failed to challenge Mr Putin on any major issue and blamed the decline in relations on both sides, saying: “The United States has been foolish. I think we’ve all been foolish … We’re all to blame.”
One analyst at Brookings wrote following that summit: “In a matter of minutes in Helsinki, and in front of the entire world, the Kremlin won the narrative and Russian President Vladimir Putin strutted out of his joint press conference with President Trump with the glow of victory.”
The Wednesday night discussion with Carlson at times waded into much darker waters, sidelining kitchen-table policy issues in favour of discussing the potential for his own assassination, the possibility of civil war and conspiracies around convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The interview was streamed at the same time as the first Republican debate, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and hosted by Fox News.
Mr Trump declined to participate in the Fox News debate, citing his high polling numbers.
It was an awkward absence for the main debate stage; the former president is well ahead in the polls, with none of his challengers so far posing a substantial risk to his achieving the Republican nomination.
Adding to the irony is Carlson's own interest in outcompeting the network debate event.
He was fired from his primetime slot on Fox News earlier this year, less than a week after the network agreed to pay $787.5 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation lawsuit, during which a series of concerning text messages sent by Carlson around the time of the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection were revealed.
The interview was streamed hours before Mr Trump was due to turn himself in for his indictment in Georgia over allegedly attempting to reverse his loss in the state in the 2020 presidential election.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Bullet%20Train
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Leitch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Brad%20Pitt%2C%20Aaron%20Taylor-Johnson%2C%20Brian%20Tyree%20Henry%2C%20Sandra%20Bullock%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Small%20Things%20Like%20These
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Tim%20Mielants%3Cbr%3ECast%3A%20Cillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Watson%2C%20Eileen%20Walsh%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
MEYDAN RESULTS
6.30pm Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer).
7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Galaxy Road, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Al Modayar, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner George Villiers, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
Winner Lady Parma, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Zaajer, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
