Candidates running for office in recent primary elections in the US or in November's midterms producing weird, wild and sometimes wacky campaign advertisements in hopes of catching voters' attention.
From a spoof of Top Gun to a shoot-out with President Joe Biden, here is a look at 10 of the top videos so far:
The DC Gang
“Old Joe”, “Crazyface Pelosi” and “Shifty Kelly” find themselves in a Wild West gunfight with Arizona senatorial candidate Jim Lamon.
The Republican hopeful, who ultimately lost his primary to a candidate backed by former president Donald Trump, drives the Democratic trio out of a dusty town.
The advertisement drew criticism, since Mark Kelly, a senator who is portrayed in the video, is married to Gabby Giffords, a former congresswoman who was shot in the head during a 2011 mass shooting.
Top Gov
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential contender for US president in 2024, channelled his inner Tom Cruise to rail against the “corporate media” in this Hollywood-esque campaign advertisement.
Speaking from “Freedom Headquarters”, the Florida politician dons an aviator jacket and sunglasses, while old video clips show him confronting journalists at press conferences.
Mr DeSantis ran unopposed in the Republican primary for governor and will face Democratic pick Charlie Crist later this year.
Crudités
A gaffe can come at any time and haunt you on the campaign trail. The Republican nominee for one of Pennsylvania’s Senate seats, celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, visited a local grocery store to purchase ingredients for crudités.
The point was to highlight inflation under Mr Biden — but things didn’t go according to plan.
Dr Oz mixed up the name of the grocery store, calling it “Wegners” instead of Wegmans, while some of his selections — raw asparagus, anyone? — raised eyebrows.
His Democratic opponent, John Fetterman, used the flub to his advantage, releasing campaign videos mocking Dr Oz as out of touch with Pennsylvanians.
Taxpayer Super Ninja!
The race for Kansas state treasurer may not sound all that exciting, but Republican state representative Steve Johnson did his best to make it so.
His blockbuster-style advertisement features an explosion, a ninja and a cowboy hat. And the glitzy promo may have got Mr Johnson over the line, as he edged out fellow Republican Caryn Tyson in a tight primary.
'Guns are not for duck hunting’
For many, the US Constitution's Second Amendment that gives Americans the right to carry firearms is a contentious issue.
Not for Blake Masters, the Republican pick for one of Arizona’s Senate seats. In this campaign video, the Trump-backed candidate can be seen brandishing a short-barrelled rifle while he talks to camera.
Mr Blake says the weapon is not for hunting, but is rather designed to kill people, and he supports Americans' right to own it.
Another villain
A group of evil characters, including the Joker and Maleficent, share a “safe space” with South Carolina's Tom Rice portrayed by an actor in this campaign advertisement.
The incumbent for the state’s 7th congressional district, Mr Rice was one of only 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Mr Trump after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots.
And the campaign video, released by primary challenger Russell Fry, clearly chimed with voters. Mr Fry won the Republican primary and is likely to head to the US Congress in November.
Nothing nice to say about Biden
Alabama’s incumbent governor doled out on some parental advice while taking a jab at Mr Biden in her campaign advertisement.
Kay Ivey said that if you can’t say anything nice about someone, don’t say anything at all, before slipping into an awkward silence.
Ms Ivey easily won the Republican primary and is the favourite to win in November.
Democrats back fringe Republicans
In one of the stranger turns of this primary cycle, Democrats have been seen paying for advertisements that support Republican candidates.
The idea is that if far-right Republicans are given a boost and win in their primary, they will be easier to defeat in the general election.
In the case of Ron Hanks, running for the Republican ticket for one of Colorado’s Senate seats, the tactic did not work. Mr Hanks was beaten in the Republican primary by the more moderate Joe O’Dea.
Fake news!
Republican candidate for Arizona governor, Kari Lake, went full Donald Trump in her first TV advertisement appealing to voters in the state.
Ms Lake included baseless claims of a rigged 2020 presidential election, railed against the media and backed a border wall with Mexico.
She also burnt a surgical mask in an apparent dig at Covid-19 precautions.
Ms Lake won her primary and will face Democrat Katie Hobbs in the November elections.
‘You want the nunchucks?’
This may not be a campaign advertisement, as such, but when a politician brings a weapon to the fight, you can’t help but pay attention.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich pulled out a set of nunchucks before his primary for one of the state’s Senate seats, in a nod to a similar video he posted in 2019.
“You want the nunchucks. You got the nunchucks,” he tweeted.
Unfortunately, the weapon was not enough to help him win his primary, with Mr Brnovich losing to Trump-backed Mr Masters.
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm
AS%20WE%20EXIST
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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
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
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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More from Neighbourhood Watch
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Kandahar%20
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General%20Classification
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It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Maestro
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
