Seven Republican candidates clashed over key issues that will likely define next year's US presidential election, but none seemed able to score a breakout moment to challenge Donald Trump's status as front-runner.
The former president was conspicuous in his absence during the second Republican primary debate on Wednesday night. Just as he did in the first debate last month, he opted to skip the event, leaving his distantly trailing opponents to squabble among themselves during a scrappy two-hour discussion.
The election is not until November 2024, but less than four months remain until the Iowa caucuses officially launch the Republican nomination process, so time is running out for candidates to pitch their visions of America to conservative voters.
At several points during the debate chaos ensued as candidates talked over each other and traded barbs. For several minutes early on, Senator Tim Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were all speaking at the same time while the debate's three moderators tried ineffectually to rein them in.
Still, criticism of Mr Trump was more apparent than it was in the first debate, with several candidates calling him out for his failure to attend.
“You're afraid of being on this stage and defending your record,” former New Jersey governor Chris Christie said.
“You keep doing that, nobody up here's going to keep calling you Donald Trump, we're gonna call you Donald Duck.”
Drawing fire from all candidates was China, which was frequently depicted as a bogeyman threatening American jobs, security and innovation. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum said the US is in a “cold war” with the Asian power, while former South Carolina governor lamented the fact China produces so many essential items for America.
“We need to be focusing on companies that produce in America and supporting those companies that produce in America, not companies that are helping China,” she said.
The sole mention of the Middle East was in the context of Iran's nuclear programme, which according to Mr Burgum “pushes all of the Middle East closer to China and Russia.”
Perhaps the most remarkable moment in the foreign policy discussion came from Ms Haley, who said that if she were president she would order special operations forces to attack Mexican cartels inside Mexico.
“What we will do is we will make sure that we send in our special operations and we will take out the cartels,” she said.
Several candidates endorsed get-tough policies on immigration, including militarising the border with Mexico.
Ms Haley is currently polling at 6.3 per cent, while Mr DeSantis is at 13.8 per cent and Mr Christie is at 2.9 per cent, according to poll amalgamator 538. Mr Trump, meanwhile, is at 54 per cent.
Mr Ramaswamy, at 6.3 per cent, who was credited with a good performance during the first debate, took fire from his Republican rivals several times.
“Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say,” Ms Haley told him after he gave a convoluted answer about whether he would ban TikTok, the Chinese-owned app that critics say can be used by Beijing to harvest data.
Mr DeSantis, once a favourite to challenge Mr Trump has seen his support collapse in recent months. He has been slow to attack Mr Trump in the past but has started to sharpen his critique of the man whose endorsement he once embraced.
“Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be here on this stage tonight. He owes it to you to defend his record,” Mr DeSantis said.
Former vice president Mike Pence, who stands at 4.6 per cent, attacked President Joe Biden, saying he belonged on the “unemployment line” because “Bidenomics has failed”.
When confronted with a question about how to curtail the scourge of gun violence and mass shootings in America, several candidates reasserted their belief in gun rights and Mr Pence said he would implement an expedited death penalty for anyone involved in a mass shooting “so that they meet their fate in months, not years.”
The debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library highlighted the way the Republican Party has drifted from some of the former president’s core values. One of them was highlighted early on – immigration.
A clip of the 40th president calling for “amnesty” for people in the country illegally preceded a question about immigration policy.
Mr Christie, who once represented a Democratic state and backed a similar proposal a decade ago, distanced himself from that, saying it was effectively ancient history.
“We’re no longer in a position to do that any more,” Mr Christie said, calling for “enforcing the law.”
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
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Hot%20Seat
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
THE%20SPECS
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Company%20Profile
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Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20with%2048V%20mild%20hybrid%20system%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E544hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%20at%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh700%2C000%20(estimate)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Elate%20November%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
