Honduras looks to elect its first female president, Xiomara Castro
December 1, 2021, 6:19 am

Honduras looks to elect its first female president, Xiomara Castro

Honduras-International flag-Central America/Pixabay

The BBC reported, Honduras looks set to elect its first female president, Xiomara Castro, after the ruling party conceded defeat.

It said that Ms Castro, the candidate for the left-wing Libre (Free) Party, has a preliminary lead of almost 20 percentage points over her rival.

It mentioned that her victory will bring an end to the 12-year reign of the right-wing National Party, which has been plagued by scandals and corruption accusations.

According to the BBC, Ms Castro will replace the divisive President Juan Orlando Hernández.

He has been dogged by allegations of ties to the drugs trade after his brother Antonio was jailed for trafficking in the United States.

Honduras-Roatan port/Pixabay

Ms Castro has promised to "pull Honduras out of the abyss" of "a narco-dictatorship and corruption".

Her husband, Manuel Zelaya, ruled the country from 2006 until 2009, when he was ousted by a coup. She ran for office twice before in the years following his removal from power.

Votes are still being counted and the electoral council is yet to formally declare the winner. However Tuesday's concession of defeat by the governing party came two days after Ms Castro surged ahead in preliminary results.

Her main rival Nasry Asfura said on a local television broadcast that he had visited Ms Castro and her family.

"Now I want to say publicly that I congratulate her on her triumph and as president-elect," Mr Asfura said, adding: "I wish that God will enlighten and guide her so that her administration will do the best for all of us Hondurans".

The former first lady has promised big changes after taking office.

She inherits a country wracked by problems like violent crime, drug trafficking and large-scale migration to the US.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has sent his congratulations, and said Washington is looking forward to working with her.

Source: BBC

Ukraine urges NATO to prepare sanctions on Russia to deter it from military attack Senior Emirati official: UAE to send delegation to Iran soon

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.”