Rishi Sunak gains early edge in race for UK PM
July 14, 2022, 9:21 am

Rishi Sunak

UK’s former Chancellor of Exchequer Rishi Sunak on Wednesday (July 13) emerged the top contender in the race to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, picking up nearly a quarter of votes in the first round of the leadership contest.

Indian-origin Rishi Sunak has won 88 of the possible 358 votes in the opening ballot of Conservative MPs.

Sunak told the BBC that he feels “great” about the result.

Team Sunak said: “He’s landed a quarter of the party’s votes with eight candidates in the field.”

Minister of State for Trade Policy, Penny Mordaunt, came second with 67 votes, followed by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss with 50 votes.

Mordaunt was modest, saying “I’m honoured” in response to her strong second place.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak are seen in cabinet room in 10 Downing Street during Johnson's birthday, in London, Britain June 19, 2020 in this picture obtained from civil servant Sue Gray's report published on May 25, 2022. Sue Gray Report / gov.uk/Handout via REUTERS

Of the rest, Equalities and Levelling Up Minister Kemi Badenoch secured 40 votes, backbench MP Tom Tugendhat 37, while Attorney General Suella Braverman, who is also of Indian-origin, just made the cut with 32 votes.

Former Minister Jeremy Hunt and Nadhim Zahaqwi, who succeeded Rishi Sunak as Chancellor of the Exchequer, got less than 30 votes — the threshold to advance further — and are now out of the race.

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Zahawi said he does not “intend to make any further intervention” in the leadership contest, following his failure to make the second round.

In a letter posted on Twitter, he wrote that he will continue to work leading the Treasury with “total focus” and thanked the supporters of his campaign.

It remains to be seen whom Hunt and Nadhim Zahawi’s backers will support now.

Source: wefornews

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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.”