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US midterms: Polls show Democrats ahead in battle for Congress

Democrats lead Republicans in national polling ahead of Tuesday's United States midterm elections, with new surveys showing the party gaining ground in several closely contested Senate races as voters express dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump's handling of the economy. With all 435 House of Representatives seats and 35 Senate seats on the ballot, the elections will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress for the remaining two years of Trump's second term. A RealClearPolling average of surveys conducted through October 30 shows Democrats leading Republicans 52% to 43.1% on the generic congressional ballot, an 8.9-percentage-point advantage. An NBC News survey conducted October 28-30 found Democrats ahead 52% to 45%, while an Emerson College poll conducted October 24-26 put the gap at 10 points. The generic ballot measures nationwide preferences for congressional candidates rather than support in individual districts, meaning a nati...
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Gulf countries pledge over $4b to Trump’s Board of Peace

Gulf countries pledged more than $4 billion in combined financial support to United States President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, as they signalled financial backing for efforts aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and advancing regional stability. The pledges were announced during the first meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, where Qatar and Saudi Arabia each committed $1b. Kuwait also pledged $1b over the coming years, while the United Arab Emirates announced an additional $1.2b in support for Gaza through the board. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Doha “reaffirms its commitment to the Board of Peace as it was committed to the very first day of the mediation efforts”. “Our responsibility remains to achieve a just and lasting resolution,” he said, adding that the board, under the leadership of President Trump, “will advance the full implementation of the 20-point plan without delay, ensuring fairness and justice for both Palestinians and Israelis”. “In this spirit, Qatar pledges $1b in support of the board’s mission aimed at reaching a final resolution that fulfils Palestinian aspirations for statehood and recognition and Israeli aspirations for security and integration,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed added that Qatar would continue humanitarian coordination in Gaza with UN partners and the Board of Peace. Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir also announced a $1b pledge over the coming years in support of the board’s objectives. Read More: Shehbaz meets Rubio, world leaders after ‘Board of Peace’ summit in Washington Al-Jubeir referenced the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative launched by the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and adopted unanimously by Arab and Islamic countries, saying Saudi Arabia remained committed to a vision of peace, prosperity, security and regional integration under King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “We look forward to working with the Board of Peace to establish this noble objective,” Al-Jubeir said, adding that the kingdom “will pledge $1b over the next few years in order to achieve this objective” by alleviating the suffering of the Palestinians and bringing them peace along with the whole region. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah reaffirmed his country’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause, saying Kuwait remained committed to backing international efforts aimed at achieving peace, including Trump’s 20-point plan. He said Kuwait’s $1b pledge underscored its commitment to alleviating Palestinian suffering and supporting stability in Gaza. UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for his part, said Abu Dhabi has provided nearly $3b in assistance to Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the October 2023 events and announced a further $1.2b for supporting Gaza through the Board of Peace. Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said his country has contributed funds toward the operations and administration of the Board of Peace and announced a readiness “to provide the necessary infrastructure and skills to establish an effective government digital services platform for Gaza”. Bahrain looks forward “with optimism” to working with the board and international partners toward a brighter future for all, he added. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita also announced a series of contributions in support of the board’s efforts. Bourita said Morocco had already made the first financial contribution to the Board of Peace. He added that Rabat was ready to deploy police officers and train policemen from Gaza, assign a high-ranking military officer to the joint International Stabilisation Force (ISF) command, and establish a military field hospital. He also said Morocco was ready “to lead a deradicalisation programme to fight hate speech and promote tolerance and coexistence”. During Thursday’s inaugural meeting, Trump announced billions of dollars in contributions for relief in the Gaza Strip. Trump said the US was contributing $10b to the new body. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait collectively pledged more than $7b, he added. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs was raising an additional $2b, Trump said, adding that Japan was also committed to host a fundraiser, “which will be a very big one”. The Board of Peace was established within the framework of efforts toward a peaceful settlement in the Gaza Strip. It seeks to promote peacemaking around the world. Washington has said additional states have since joined the initiative. A US-backed ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since October 10, halting Israel’s two-year onslaught that has killed more than 72,000 victims, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 since October 2023. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have committed hundreds of violations through shelling and gunfire, killing 611 Palestinians and injuring 1,630, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

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