6:44 am, November 6, 2023
Israeli troops ‘have surrounded Gaza City’
The Gaza Strip has come under its third total communications outage since the start of the war, while Israel’s military announced it had encircled Gaza City and divided the besieged coastal territory into two.
‘Today there is north Gaza and south Gaza,’ rear admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters, calling it a ‘significant stage’ in Israel’s war against the Hamas militant group.
Israeli media reported that troops are expected to enter Gaza City within 48 hours.
Britons in Gaza forced to wait for escape as Rafah crossing remains shut
The Rafah crossing did not reopen on Sunday despite UK hopes that the situation could be resolved to allow more Britons to escape from Gaza.
The impasse in delicate diplomatic relations between Egypt, Israel and Hamas means UK nationals waiting by the border checkpoint have been stranded for a second day.
Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said during a Sunday media round that the UK government was ‘hopeful that the crossing will reopen again today’ and that additional British citizens would be able to leave Gaza.
Sunak urged to investigate claims surrounding alleged rapist Tory MP
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has been urged to commission an investigation into claims the Conservative Party failed to properly deal with allegations of rape against one of its MPs.
It comes after it was reported that Sir Jake Berry, a former Conservative Party chairman, told police that an internal ‘failure’ to act on allegations of rape allowed an unnamed MP to ‘continue to offend’.
According to a copy of a letter obtained by the Mail On Sunday (MoS), Sir Jake told police he found out about the alleged assaults when he discovered the Tories had covered the cost of treatment for one of the supposed victims at a private hospital.
Met Police could ban pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day
Police are considering whether to ban a controversial pro-Palestinian march in London planned for Armistice Day.
Scotland Yard said it would use ‘all powers and tactics’ at its disposal to prevent disruption, including Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986, which allows the banning of a procession when there is a risk of serious disorder.
Met Commander Karen Findlay said: ‘We fully appreciate the national significance of Armistice Day. Thousands of officers will be deployed in an extensive security operation and we will use all powers and tactics at our disposal to ensure that anyone intent on disrupting it will not succeed.’
Russia ‘test-fires intercontinental ballistic missile from new nuclear sub’
The Russian military has reported a successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to carry nuclear warheads from a new nuclear submarine.
The report comes with tensions soaring between Russia and the West over the fighting in Ukraine. Adding to those tensions, president Vladimir Putin last week signed a bill revoking Russia’s ratification of a global nuclear test ban in a move that Moscow said was needed to establish parity with the US.
The Defence Ministry said in a statement that the Imperator Alexander III strategic missile cruiser fired the Bulava missile from an underwater position in Russia’s northern White Sea, and hit a target in the far-eastern region of Kamchatka.
Weekend Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
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NatWest creates new AI-powered chatbot capable of ‘human-like’ conversations
British bank NatWest is launching a new version of its chatbot that can have human-like conversations with customers, as it accelerates its adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
The high-street bank said its upgraded virtual assistant, dubbed Cora+, will be powered by generative AI. It means customers will be able to ask questions and get answers in a more natural and conversational style, replicating what staff at the bank can do.
Cora+, which the bank created with technology giant IBM, can access information from multiple sources that were previously inaccessible to the chatbot alone.
The Beatles’ Now And Then on track to become band’s 18th number one single
The Beatles’ ‘last recorded’ song is on track to top the singles chart after outselling the rest of the top five combined in its opening weekend.
Now And Then, originally written and sung by John Lennon and later developed by his fellow band members – including the late George Harrison – was finished by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr decades after the initial recording was made.
Following its release on Thursday, it is on course to become their 18th number one single, according to the Official Chart Company’s first look.
Weather
Variable cloud for most today, although the south-east will see longer spells of sunshine and the west will have frequent showers, sometimes heavy, reports BBC Weather. Highs of 13 degrees.
Showers will continue to fall in the west tonight. Mostly clear and dry elsewhere.
