Sanders leads in New Hampshire Democratic primary, Biden lags
February 12, 2020, 11:32 am

Sanders leads in New Hampshire Democratic primary, Biden lags

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders speaks to the media at a polling station at the McDonough School on Election Day in the New Hampshire presidential primary election in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., February 11, 2020. (Photo: Reuters)

Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders led New Hampshire’s Democratic presidential primary on

Tuesday and former front-runner Joe Biden trailed badly in a bruising setback that raises doubts about the viability of his campaign.

In the second nominating contest to find a challenger to Republican President Donald Trump in November, Sanders had 27 percent, while Pete Buttigieg, the moderate former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was at 24 percent with 65 percent of precincts reporting.

Senator Amy Klobuchar, looking for a breakthrough after a strong debate performance on Friday, was in third with 20 percent.

Biden, the former vice president, was a distant fifth in the early results with 8.5 percent, behind Senator Elizabeth Warren with 9.4 percent. Biden, sensing the disappointing result, left New

Hampshire for South Carolina before the results started rolling in.

The results began to thin the field of Democrats seeking the right to take on Trump in the November 3 election, with businessman Andrew Yang and Senator Michael Bennet dropping out after the polls closed and it became clear they would finish well out of the running.

The moderate Biden was limping to his second consecutive disappointing finish after a fourth-place result in Iowa. He is certain to face growing questions about his ability to consolidate moderate support against a surging Buttigieg and Klobuchar.

Biden, 77, fared poorly in two previous runs for president before winning election in 2008 as President Barack Obama’s No. 2. He hopes to stay afloat this time until the February 29 contest in South Carolina and a series of contests in other Southern states on Super Tuesday on March 3, where his support among African-Americans will be a strength.

“It ain’t over, man. It’s just getting started,” Biden told supporters in South Carolina.

Results rolled in relatively quickly, and Democrats in New Hampshire were confident they would have smoother sailing than in Iowa, where embarrassing technical problems delayed vote-counting and the results for days. Buttigieg narrowly beat Sanders in Iowa, but both campaigns have asked for a partial recanvass of results.

source: Reuters

Algeria’s public debt rises to 45 pct of GDP, economy ‘delicate’: PM Bahrain formally appoints ex-GCC chief Abdullatif al-Zayani as foreign minister

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.”