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Trump And Sanders Win In New Hampshire

Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have taken their first victories of the 2016 White House race with commanding wins in the New Hampshire primary.

Brash real estate magnate Mr Trump took 35% of the vote, appealing to voters seeking a political outsider and also benefiting from the lack of a clear mainstream opponent.

He beat Ohio Governor John Kasich into a distant second on 16%.

The battle for third remained tight, with Iowa winner Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush running neck-and-neck at 11-12%.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio , coming off a strong third-place finish in the Hawkeye State, rounded out the top five at 10%.

The victory follows Mr Trump's disappointing performance in last week's Iowa caucus, where he was beaten by Texas senator Mr Cruz.

Speaking afterwards, billionaire Mr Trump told his campaign rally: "Wow, wow, wow, wow."

Vowing action on the economy, healthcare, trade and drug abuse, he added: "We are going to do something so good and so fast and so strong and the world is going to respect us again. Believe me."

He promised supporters he would be the "greatest jobs President God ever created", and vowed to "knock the hell" out of Islamic State.

Polls show that more than half of voters in the Republican primary made up their minds within the past week and, in a sign of Mr Trump's impact, two-thirds of Republican voters said they supported his controversial promise of a ban on Muslims entering the US.

Meanwhile, Vermont senator Mr Sanders won 60% of the Democratic vote, beating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on 38%.

Mr Sanders' win will be seen as a significant boost for the self-described democratic socialist, who was considered a long shot when he entered the White House race.

Having held a commanding lead in New Hampshire opinion polls for months, he was projected to win his neighbouring state within minutes of the polls closing on Tuesday night.

Mr Sanders, who appeals particularly to liberals who believe Barack Obama has not done enough to address the country's growing gap between rich and poor, told his victory party: "The government of our great country belongs to all of the people and not just a handful of wealthy campaign contributors" and their political committees."

Mrs Clinton conceded defeat but said she would continue to "fight for every vote in every state".

The focus now moves to the Nevada caucuses on 20 February.

Following that is the South Carolina primary on 27 February, where polls show Mr Trump and Mrs Clinton hold significant leads.