Dispute related to claims London mayor blocked US tech firm from £50m police deal because of concerns over its values

Palantir and the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, have called off their legal fight over claims the Labour mayor was blocking the US tech company from signing a contract with the Metropolitan police because of its values and ethics.

Palantir and the mayor’s office for policing and crime (Mopac) announced on Wednesday they had withdrawn allegations against each other, heading off a high court trial scheduled for January.

Exclusive: Investigation finds racial inequality in live music industry rife and many genres labelled ‘high risk’ despite lack of evidence

Black and south Asian music events in London face disproportionate cancellations, restrictions and licensing barriers compared with white events, according to a two-year investigation into racial inequality in the capital’s live music industry.

The Race Equality in Music Event Licensing (REMEL) report, led by Black Lives in Music, estimates that cancellations, displacement and events prevented from taking place cost London £127m to £141m annually, with projected losses exceeding £650m over five years.

Mark Rowley says inclusivity is crucial for the force and he refuses to be ‘blown off course’ by critics

• Sir Mark Rowley: I will have more police officers of colour in the UK capital – and the culture wars won’t stop me doing it

Mark Rowley has said the Metropolitan police must recruit more black and Asian officers in order to gain the trust of minority ethnic communities in London, and vowed not to be “blown off course by the culture wars”.

The right has criticised drives for diversity, claiming they lead to lower standards. Rowley, who is commissioner of the Met and Britain’s top police officer, said that as a leader of a major organisation he was prepared to take a stand against the “toxicity” surrounding the diversity debate and criticised other leaders for “running away from the subject”.

In our major recruitment drive, the focus must be on underrepresented communities. It is not favouritism, it is fairness – and it’s essential

• Mark Rowley is commissioner of the Metropolitan police

• Met chief says ‘toxicity’ around DEI will not stop him recruiting more Black and Asian officers

Effective policing depends upon inclusivity. If you are committed to policing by consent that stands or falls on the trust of all communities, you cannot do without it.

Last Monday, we launched a major recruitment campaign. We have no interest in the politics and ideologies of the culture wars. Inclusion is an operational necessity.

Mark Rowley is commissioner of the Metropolitan police

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Former Labour deputy leader says tech firm would work with a Reform UK government on immigration crackdowns

Tom Watson, the former Labour deputy leader who recently joined Palantir, has warned against “mob rule” when it comes to awarding public contracts.

Lord Watson, now a senior vice-president at the US tech corporation, said UK ministers could get themselves “in a lot of trouble” as he was questioned about concerns raised about the government working with his new employer.