Super Tuesday: Sanders and Biden head-to-head as Bloomberg drops out


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The search for the Democrat challenger to Republican President Donald Trump in the November election narrowed on Wednesday to a choice between left wing Bernie Sanders and centrist Joe Biden, who staged a comeback in Super Tuesday voting.

Mr Biden was set to win 10 of the 14 states up for grabs on Tuesday, including delegate-rich Texas. The former vice president roared ahead in the overall tally of delegates who will choose a presidential nominee at the Democratic convention in July.

His strong performance ended Mr Sanders' status as the Democratic front-runner and prompted former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to drop out of the race.

Mr Bloomberg on Wednesday gave up his presidential campaign and endorsed Mr Biden, after spending more than $500 million of his own money on ads across the United States. But Mr Bloomberg failed to deliver convincing results on Tuesday, not winning any of the 14 states.

"I'm sorry we didn't win," Mr Bloomberg, 78, told a crowd of supporters in a New York City hotel. "A viable path to the nomination just no longer existed."

He said he was endorsing Mr Biden because was most likely to beat Mr Trump. "I hope you will join me in working to make him the next president."

His media company, Bloomberg News, lifted its election coverage restrictions hours after his announcement to quit the race.

His exit ended a novel electoral strategy, a vast experiment in political advertising, as Mr Bloomberg, 78, skipped the four early-voting states and instead focused on the 14-state Super Tuesday contest. His only victory on Tuesday came in the US territory of American Samoa.

The billionaire did not say whether he would spend part of his fortune to help Mr Biden, but being a centrist too, Mr Bloomberg's absence from the race will help the former vice president.

In a tweet to Mr Bloomberg, Mr Biden wrote: "I can’t thank you enough for your support — and for your tireless work on everything from gun safety reform to climate change. This race is bigger than candidates and bigger than politics. It’s about defeating Donald Trump, and with your help, we’re gonna do it."

Mr Sanders, a senator and democratic socialist who is popular with young voters, lashed out at what he said was "the kind of venom we’re seeing from some in the corporate media," and attempted to draw a stark contrast between himself and Mr Biden.

"What this campaign, I think, is increasingly about is: Which side are you on?" Mr Sanders told a news conference in his state of Vermont.

He criticised Mr Biden's position on trade and for voting for the Iraq war.

"One of us in this race led the opposition to the war in Iraq – you're looking at him. Another candidate voted for the war in Iraq."

But Mr Sanders later admitted that he was "disappointed" by Tuesday evening's results and said he was falling short in inspiring young people to vote.

“Of course I’m disappointed,” told a news conference at his campaign office in Burlington, Vermont. “I would like to win every state by a landslide. It’s not going to happen.”

Speaking about the youth vote, he said: “Have we been as successful as I would hope in bringing young people in? And the answer is no.”

Speaking to reporters in Los Angeles, Mr Biden said he did not want the primary race to turn ugly.

"What we can't let happen in the next few weeks is let this campaign turn into a campaign of negative attacks," Mr Biden said. "The only thing that can do is help Donald Trump."

In another move that could reshape the race, Elizabeth Warren, 70, is "talking to her team to assess the path forward," a campaign aide said.

The liberal senator, who was seeking to become the nation's first female president, had disappointing results across the board on Tuesday, including coming in third in her home state of Massachusetts.

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that top allies of Ms Warren and Mr Sanders are discussing ways for their camps to unite, with the expectation that Ms Warren will drop out the campaign soon.

A resurgent Mr Biden, 77, rolled to electoral victories across the South, Midwest and New England, and is now set go head-to-head with Mr Sanders, who won three states and led in California, which has the biggest pool of delegates. The results in the Western state won’t come in for several days or even weeks.

Mr Biden, whose campaign had been ailing just weeks ago, registered surprise victories in Texas and Massachusetts. But on the eve of Super Tuesday, a number of endorsements were made in Texas by former candidates Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Beto O'Rourke, who all pledged their support to Mr Biden.

Tallies after Tuesday showed Mr Biden leading Mr Sanders in delegates overall by 433-388. A candidate needs 1,991 delegates to win the Democratic nomination on the first ballot at the July convention.

US stocks surged on Wednesday as investors cheered the centrist’s strong night. Healthcare stocks provided the biggest boost as Mr Sanders and his "Medicare for All" proposal, which would eliminate private health insurance, looked less likely to come to fruition.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 both gained more than 4 per cent, rising for only the second time in 10 days after being battered by fears about the coronavirus outbreak.

Mr Biden argues that after two terms by President Barack Obama's side and decades as a US senator, he has the experience both to beat Mr Trump and run the country. He has promised greater access to healthcare and to mend relations with traditional US allies in Europe that were frayed by Mr Trump's "America First" foreign policy.

Mr Sanders, 78, wants to establish a free universal healthcare system, forgive student loan debt and enact the "Green New Deal" of sweeping economic policies to fight climate change.

If Ms Warren drops out, the Vermont senator might benefit from some of her supporters shifting to him.

In an email to her campaign staff, Warren’s campaign manager, Roger Lau, offered a sobering assessment of Super Tuesday, just three weeks after he said internal projections showed she would finish in the top two in eight states.

Warren, he said, would “take time right now to think through the right way to continue this fight.”

Mr Sanders said he had spoken to Warren over the phone on Wednesday.

"Elizabeth Warren is a very, very excellent senator, she has run a strong campaign. She'll make her own decision in her own time," Mr Sanders said.

Mr Trump said Mr Sanders would have done better on Tuesday if Warren had dropped out of the race beforehand and backed him. "Had Warren endorsed Bernie, we would have had a different story now,” he told reporters in the White House.

In Tuesday's biggest upset, Biden was projected by Edison Research to have won Texas, the largest prize after California. Sanders invested heavily in Texas and was counting on its Latino voters to propel him to victory.

Mr Sanders, who had hoped to take a big step on Tuesday toward the nomination, won Colorado, Utah and his home state of Vermont, Edison Research said.

Mr Biden, with overwhelming support from African-American, moderate and older voters, swept to wins in Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia. Edison Research on Wednesday projected Biden to win Maine.

Fox News and the Associated Press projected Sanders winning California, where 415 delegates are up for grabs. By Wednesday afternoon, Sanders was ahead by 8.7 percentage points with almost 90 per cent of precincts reporting.

But a series of changes in the state that meant to boost voter turnout and smooth its primary election led to a surge in last-minute voters, computer problems and short-staffing that appeared to catch elections officials by surprise.

Long lines, sluggish computer connections and general confusion plagued polling places statewide — raising serious questions about the ability of the most populous state to handle November’s general election, when millions more voters are expected.

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Transmission: 9-speed auto

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Mobile phone packages comparison
Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
%3Cp%3EAl%20Khayma%0D%3Cbr%3EBait%20Maryam%0D%3Cbr%3EBrasserie%20Boulud%0D%3Cbr%3EFi'lia%0D%3Cbr%3Efolly%0D%3Cbr%3EGoldfish%0D%3Cbr%3EIbn%20AlBahr%0D%3Cbr%3EIndya%20by%20Vineet%0D%3Cbr%3EKinoya%0D%3Cbr%3ENinive%0D%3Cbr%3EOrfali%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EReif%20Japanese%20Kushiyaki%0D%3Cbr%3EShabestan%0D%3Cbr%3ETeible%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf 

Results

Stage 7:

1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29

2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time

3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious

4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep

5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM

General Classification:

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35

3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02

4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42

5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

Federer's 19 grand slam titles

Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal

French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling

Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic

US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

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Crops that could be introduced to the UAE

1: Quinoa 

2. Bathua 

3. Amaranth 

4. Pearl and finger millet 

5. Sorghum

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Quick%20facts
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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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