Pledge

Rapper, who was dropped from tour after his speech in support of Palestine, challenges Robert Kraft to do the sameMacklemore has announced that he will donate the $1m salary he was paid as an opening act for Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour to organizations working with Palestinian people and relief in Gaza, after being dropped from the tour following backlash to his onstage comments in support of Palestine.The rapper also challenged Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and prominent donor to Israel who refused to let Macklemore play at his Gillette Stadium outside Boston, to match his donation. Continue reading...

Key allies of PM issue warning as details emerge of his plan to give mayors powers to oversee water companiesKey allies of Andy Burnham have warned the prime minister not to back down over his promises to put water companies under public control, after details emerged about the prime minister’s plan to give mayors more oversight of the industry.Mat Lawrence and Mark McVitie, who helped provide an intellectual underpinning to Burnham’s project over the summer, have both warned that merely giving politicians oversight of key utilities rather than financial control will fall short of what the prime minister promised. Continue reading...

Plan to give US adults $5,000 has been greeted with incredulity across the political spectrum as well as outrageDonald Trump on Sunday doubled down on his controversial pledge to give US adults a $5,000 “dividend” if his Republican ⁠party keeps control of Congress after November’s midterm elections.The plan has been greeted with expressions of incredulity across the US political spectrum as well as outraged accusations of seeing to bribe voters. The plan – which would cost more than a trillion dollars – also comes amid huge concern over the US national debt, which topped $40tn for the first time in August.Reuters contributed to this article Continue reading...

• The United Arab Emirates pledged €40 billion to invest in Germany's artificial intelligence, energy, and defense sectors. • This commitment includes €10 billion specifically for Bavaria and adds to the €34 billion the UAE has already invested in Germany. • The funding supports Germany's goal to build Europe's strongest army by 2039 to act as a deterrent against Russia.

• Bond market volatility has begun to stabilize following a drop in oil prices and pledges of "fiscal responsibility" from Burnham. • Analysts warn that bond yields may remain elevated despite economic slowdowns, as central banks could delay rate cuts while bond supply increases. • The current energy shock is creating a divide in the stock market, benefiting energy producers and oil-services firms that maintain disciplined spending and debt.

First minister sets out his government’s agenda and defends policy described by industry groups as a ‘potty gimmick’John Swinney insisted on Tuesday he still planned to introduce a legally binding price cap on bread, milk and other essential food items in Scotland despite fierce opposition from farming and business groups.Unveiling the Scottish National party’s programme for government – the equivalent to the king’s speech – the first minister said he wanted to give “families greater peace of mind at a time of rising prices”. Continue reading...

Campaigners welcome plan to bring IPP sentences to a close but say the move is long overdueCampaigners have hailed Andy Burnham’s pledge to bring an end to indefinite jail terms as “a day that thousands of families have spent years fighting for”.The prime minister has said he will “end the injustice” of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences during this parliament, meaning people will no longer be trapped indefinitely under a sentence abolished more than a decade ago.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...