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

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 Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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