A televised debate Wednesday between American Republican presidential hopefuls spiraled into the ‘Battle of the Heels, Part 2’ after businessman and political novice Vivek Ramaswamy lobbed a personal insult at ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, the only female candidate on stage.

The two (plus Florida Governor RonDeSantis and two others) were involved in a heated exchange on US foreign policy – that news agency AFP slyly called a “first in Republican debates” – when the Indian-origin Vivek Ramaswamy branded Nikki Haley a “Dick Cheney in three-inch heels“.

Ms Haley – who also exchanged ‘heel’ swipes with Mr DeSantis last week, amid talk he wears lifts to seem taller – snapped, “(I wear) five-inch heels… and I don’t wear them unless you can run in them.”

An apparently unapologetic Mr Ramaswamy also posted a video of his comment on X.

The choice should be clear: We can elect a president who will keep us out of World War III or we can elect a Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels. Because there are two of them on stage with me tonight. @RonDeSantis @NikkiHaley pic.twitter.com/i21U4tErmU

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 9, 2023

The incendiary back-and-forth came in the first 20 minutes of the debate and as Mr Ramaswamy held forth on Israel’s war on the Palestinian people and the Hamas’ terror attack last month; on this subject all Republican challengers appear united and Ms Haley said she would “finish” Hamas.

“… Israel has the right and the responsibility to defend itself. I would tell him (Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) to smoke those terrorists on his southern border…” Mr Ramaswamy thundered, “(if elected President) I will smoke the terrorists on our southern border.”

READ | “Smoke Those Terrorists”: Vivek Ramaswamy’s Message To Israel Amid War

“(Do the voters want a) leader from a different generation – who is going to put this country first or do you want Dick Cheney in three-inch heels. We’ve got two of them on stage tonight,” he said.

“They’re not a fashion statement, they’re for ammunition,” Ms Haley hit back.

The reference to former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney was part of criticism of his rivals’ foreign policy stance; this includes Ms Haley backing funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The attack on Nikki Haley was also a reference to her leaving public office to accept a position on the board of American aerospace giants Boeing; she stepped down in March 2020, less than a year later, in opposition to federal support for the company during the global coronavirus crisis.

Mr Ramaswamy’s crass jab was followed by an even tenser (and still more personal) exchange with Ms Haley, in which he called her a hypocrite in their scrap over TikTok – a Chinese video-sharing platform.

READ | “Leave My Family Out”: Nikki Haley Attacks Vivek Ramaswamy On Debate Stage

While other Republican Presidential hopefuls – Ms Haley, Mr DeSantis, Senator Tim Scott and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie – have also backed Israel’s war against Hamas, Mr Ramaswamy has dismissed them as ‘neocons’ as he positions himself as an ‘America First’ candidate.

‘Neocon’ refers to Neoconservatism – a foreign policy supporting democracy as well as intervention in international affairs. Neocons are seen as taking the ‘peace through military strength’ route.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

With input from agencies

The University of Bath is currently accepting applications for its undergraduate Economics courses for the academic year 2024-25. According to the university press release, the undergraduate Economics programs offer students the opportunity to engage in professional placements and study abroad experiences. The courses are designed to explore the decision-making processes of consumers and producers and their impact on supply and demand. Those interested in starting their studies in September 2024 will need to submit their applications through the Universities and Colleges Admission Service’s (UCAS) official website, ucas.com, by January 31, 2024.

Application process:

The application process includes the submission of a personal statement, a teacher’s reference, and other required information.

Eligibility criteria:

For students from the CBSE and CISCE boards in the 12th standard, an average of 85 per cent across four approved subjects is necessary, with 85 per cent in Mathematics for BSc Economics and BSc Economics with Politics, and 90 per cent in Mathematics for BSc Economics and Mathematics.CBSE exam takers are required to focus on the subject of Mathematics, not Applied Mathematics.Information regarding the entry prerequisites for A-level and the International Baccalaureate Diploma can be located on the dedicated pages for each course.Students who may not meet the academic requirements in time have the option to complete an International Foundation Year with Bath’s partner institution, Bath College. Students who achieve the required grades at Bath College are guaranteed progression to a University of Bath degree. Foundation Years offered by other UK colleges and universities will also be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students from different boards, pursuing other qualifications, or uncertain about their 12th Standard subject choices should get in touch with undergraduate admissions at admissions@bath.ac.uk.Applicants must also meet the University of Bath’s English language requirements. BSc Economics and BSc Economics with Politics necessitate an IELTS score of 7.0 overall with no component scoring below 6.5, while BSc Economics with Mathematics requires an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with no component scoring below 6.0. The University also accepts Indian 12th standard English scores for students studying CBSE, ISC, or CISCE boards, in addition to some other qualifications. Students looking to enhance their English language skills may be eligible to enrol in a pre-sessional course.

Fee structure:

The annual tuition fee for Indian students commencing these programmes in 2024 is 25,700 pounds (Rs 26,28,786). Students undertaking a placement year are required to pay 7,135 pounds as they receive support from the University during this period. Tuition fees increase annually, so it’s advisable to budget for a potential increase of up to five per cent each year throughout the course. Tuition fees are to be paid annually in accordance with the specified payment terms.

For further details, visit the official website.

Financial support for international students

International scholarships offer a reduction in tuition fees to outstanding overseas students based on their academic performance.

The Chancellor’s Scholarship

The Chancellor’s Scholarship is a grant that covers the first-year tuition fees, valued at a maximum of 2,000 pounds (Rs 2,04,567). It is designed for international and EU students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievements in their studies. All eligible international students will be granted a first-year tuition fee waiver of up to 2,000 pounds. These scholarships are available without a set limit, so meeting the criteria ensures you will receive an award.

Qualification requirements

To be eligible for the Chancellor’s Scholarship, you must:

Be classified as a new first-year overseas fee-paying student.Attain A-Level grades of at least A* A* A, or their equivalent.

Application process

If you apply to the University of Bath and meet the eligibility criteria, you will automatically be considered for both the Chancellor’s Scholarship and the International Baccalaureate 50th Anniversary Scholarship. You will be notified by email if you qualify for one or both of these Scholarships upon confirmation of your examination results.

The International Baccalaureate 50th Anniversary Scholarship

The International Baccalaureate 50th Anniversary Scholarship is a grant covering the first-year tuition fees, worth up to 8,000 pounds (Rs 8,18,332).

To find out about other scholarships, click here

The deepening of the security cooperation and partnership between the US and India will be among many topics that will be discussed during the 2+2 ministerial dialogue between them in New Delhi on Friday, the State Department has said ahead of the crucial meeting of foreign and defence ministers from the two nations.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host their American counterparts Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on November 10.

“India is a country that we have a deep partnership (with). He (Blinken) will be going for the 2+2 security dialogue with Secretary of Defence Austin, so I expect, of course, that deepening the security cooperation and partnership will be one of the many topics that are discussed,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference on Wednesday.

“It was something that was obviously raised during Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi’s state visit earlier this year, and I know the Secretary looks forward to being there and engaging directly with his counterparts on this,” Mr Patel said in response to a question.

Earlier, a senior State Department official said India and the US share the goal of preventing the spread of the current conflict in the Middle East, underlining that this would be an important topic of discussion during the 2+2 ministerial meeting in New Delhi.

The two sides would also discuss the Indo-Pacific region, Russia and Ukraine along with the bilateral issues.

“They will be travelling to India for the annual 2+2 Dialogue, in which they have extended discussions with their ministerial counterparts. The 2+2 Dialogue was created in 2018,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu told reporters on November 1.

“(The 2+2 dialogue) allows our two countries to have high-level discussions about strategic and defence issues. In addition, the Secretary will hold meetings with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and other senior Indian officials,” Mr Lu said.

Responding to a question, Mr Lu acknowledged that China would be one of the topics of discussion.

“Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in terms of our efforts to support a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific is very much formally on the agenda. I think we will be interested to hear how India’s discussions with China are going related to border issues, and I’m sure our Indian counterparts will be very interested to hear about Wang Yi’s visit to the United States and the announced meeting between President (Joe) Biden and President Xi (Jinping) at the APEC Summit,” he said.

Mr Biden and Mr Xi are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held in San Francisco next week.