Sanders, Bloomberg exchange insults as race for Democratic nomination heats up
February 18, 2020, 11:24 am

Sanders, Bloomberg exchange insults as race for Democratic nomination heats up

Bloomberg’s campaign said the attacks from Sanders were “shameful” and compared him with Trump. (Reuters)

Democratic White House contenders Bernie Sanders and Michael Bloomberg stepped up their attacks on each other on Monday, with Sanders accusing the media mogul of trying to buy the election and Bloomberg saying the senator and his fervent supporters were hurting the party.

Sanders compared the former New York mayor with Republican President Donald Trump, saying both were billionaires trying to use their wealth to bend a corrupt political system.

“Mr. Bloomberg, like anyone else has a right to run for president. He does not have a right to buy the presidency!” Sanders told thousands of supporters at a rally in Richmond, near San Francisco, who booed vehemently at the mention of Bloomberg’s name.

The attacks in California, including criticism of Bloomberg’s record on race, echoed a series of attacks that Sanders, a self-identified democratic socialist who regularly rails against the political influence of billionaires, leveled at Bloomberg over the weekend in Nevada and Colorado.

That drew a response on Monday from Bloomberg, who tweeted a video featuring alleged Sanders supporters – his fervent online backers known as “Bernie Bros” – attacking other candidates and their supporters on social media.

It ended with a clip of Sanders calling for “civil discourse,” followed by the question “Really?”

“We need to unite to defeat Trump in November,” Bloomberg said in the tweet. “This type of ‘energy’ is not going to get us there.”

Bloomberg’s campaign said the attacks from Sanders were “shameful” and compared him with Trump for also unfairly criticizing Bloomberg. It said the attacks were a sign of the growing political threat Bloomberg posed.

Bloomberg has risen sharply in recent opinion polls in the race for the Democratic nomination to challenge Trump in the November 3 election after pouring hundreds of millions of his dollars into advertising in states that vote in March or later.

Sanders leads polls nationally and in Nevada, where the next nominating contest will be held on Saturday, after strong finishes in the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.

“At this point, the primary is Bernie’s to lose and ours to win. Bernie knows this. Trump knows this. That’s why they are united in the campaign against Mike,” said Kevin Sheekey, campaign manager for Bloomberg.

“This campaign will not sit idly by and allow these false attacks to stand without response,” Sheekey said in a statement.

Bloomberg skipped the four early voting states in February - South Carolina will also vote on Feb. 29.

At the rally in Richmond, Sanders also criticized Bloomberg’s past support in New York of “stop-and-frisk” police policies during his time as mayor that disproportionately hit African Americans. Bloomberg has apologized for his support of that tactic.

Sanders also said Bloomberg had in the past opposed a minimum wage and had called for cuts to government-run social assistance programs.

“Imagine a multi-billionaire opposing a rise in the minimum wage. Imagine a multi-billionaire asking for cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid,” Sanders told the crowd.

source: Reuters

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.