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11 months ago
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The expected ground invasion of Gaza by Israeli forces continues to lead many of the papers. The Daily Telegraph carries a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and says he used a televised address on Wednesday to "cast the coming war in biblical terms". The paper quotes him saying that Israel's "hellfire" had "already eliminated thousands of terrorists" and saying that every member of Hamas was "doomed". It adds that he "would not be drawn on the timing of any operation".
The i says the UK and others are trying to convince Israel to temporarily halt air strikes on Gaza in order to let aid in, though it notes that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire.
The UN's Relief and Works Agency, the main provider of aid in Gaza, has warned that its operations there will have to stop unless fuel supplies are allowed in, the Guardian reports. The paper says fuel is normally used to pump and desalinate water, meaning that without it people will be forced to drink dirty water, and that it is also needed to run hospital generators. It also quotes Oxfam saying that Gaza is currently receiving just 2% of its usual supply of food.
The Daily Express carries a picture of three young boys in Gaza covered in dust and blood alongside another of a funeral for members of a British-Israeli family. "In a brutal conflict that has claimed thousands of lives, the only thing they have in common is wretched grief," it says.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is "said to have failed to heal the rift" in his party over how it should respond to the crisis, according to the Times. The paper says an interview Sir Keir gave earlier this month in which he appeared to say Israel had the "right" to cut off power and water in Gaza has "prompted thousands of emails from Muslim voters, councillor resignations, and open letters from those still representing the party". Sir Keir later said he meant only to say that had the right to self-defence. The Times says Sir Keir held a meeting with around 12 Muslim MPs on Wednesday to try to quell concerns but that up to four shadow cabinet ministers are on "resignation watch".
The Daily Mail describes Labour as being "in crisis" and says Sir Keir faces a "major revolt by MPs". It quotes one source who was at the meeting with MPs saying that some of them were "livid", while another "party insider" says the mood among Muslim MPs is "awful".
Turmoil in government bond markets and a rise in corporate borrowing costs have "forced US companies to delay borrowing plans" and led to the slowest October for debt issuance since 2011, the Financial Times reports. The paper says many businesses "stretched out" the maturity of their debt - the date at which the debt has to be repaid - during the period of low interest rates after the pandemic and now have the "luxury of waiting before returning to debt markets".
The Metro reports the news that a police officer who blackmailed underage girls into sending him explicit photos of themselves on Snapchat has been jailed for life. The paper reports that Lewis Edwards, 24, messaged 210 girls aged ten to 16 and that pictures of 207 of them were found on his devices. It says he was handed 13 life sentences with a minimum term of 12 years, though adds that he "refused to face his victims and their families in court".
A parole hearing next month for one of the men who killed infant James Bulger in 1993 is to take place behind close doors, the Daily Mirror reports. Jon Venables, who was 10 at the time of the murder, spent eight years in jail before being released on license, but in 2017 was jailed again after child abuse images were found on his computer. Journalists and James's mother, Denise Fergus, had argued the parole hearing should take place in public. The paper reports that Ms Fergus is said to be "disappointed but not surprised" at the decision.
The Sun reports that singer Ed Sheeran was on board a flight on which a "foul-mouthed lout sparked trouble by demanding booze" and then "racially abused crew". The paper says the man was restrained and that armed police boarded the plane when it landed at Heathrow. One passenger is quoted saying: "It was horrendous. Everything descended into chaos."
And the Daily Star reports that a scientist has "shockingly claimed that astrology is not very scientific". The paper says physicist Maggie Aderin-Pocock, presenter of the BBC's Sky At Night, has "dissed the esteemed science" and insisted "the stars have no influence" on people. "Typical of a Pisces!" it says.
The situation in the Middle East continues to lead many of the papers.
"Where is the hope amidst shared grief?" asks the Daily Express above two pictures. One shows three young Palestinian boys in Gaza - bloodied and dusty; the other is of mourners at the funeral of a British-Israeli family murdered in the Hamas attacks.
The Guardian also carries a picture of young mourners crying at the graves of Lianne Sharabi and her two teenaged daughters, Noiya and Yahel. "Extinguished too soon," says the paper. The Times shows their three coffins side by side, the Israeli flag draped over each one. Beneath the shade of cypress trees, at a cemetery in southern Israel, the three were laid to rest, after an emotional ceremony lit by the setting sun, says the paper.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's televised address last night is the lead in the Daily Telegraph. "We are preparing for a ground invasion... Hamas is doomed," says the headline. The paper says Mr Netanyahu "cast the coming war in biblical terms".
The Daily Mail says "Labour is tearing itself apart" over how to respond to the crisis. It comes after an interview in which leader Sir Keir Starmer seemed to say Israel had the "right" to cut off power and water in Gaza. Sir Keir later said he meant only to say that had the right to self-defence. The Mail reports reports that four shadow ministers are "said to be on resignation watch" over the issue.
The Times says the interview "prompted thousands of emails from Muslim voters, councillor resignations, and open letters from those still representing the party" and that a meeting on Wednesday with around 12 of his Muslim MPs only "made matters worse".
The i leads with calls for Israel to "pause" strikes on Gaza. The paper says UK diplomats are working with the UN to "convince" Israel to halt strikes temporarily to let more aid to reach civilians. It adds that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has "stopped short of backing a ceasefire".
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,A number of papers carry photos of the funeral of British-Israelis Lianne Sharabi and her daughters, 16-year-old Noiya Sharabi and 13-year-old Yahel Sharabi
The Guardian carries a warning from the UN's Relief and Works Agency - the main provider of aid in Gaza - that its operations there will be forced to stop unless fuel supplies are allowed in. The agency says hospitals, bakeries, and water pumps may cease to function, compounding a humanitarian crisis "that is worsening by the hour". Oxfam is quoted as saying that Gaza is "receiving just 2% of its usual supply of food".
A parole hearing next month for one of the men who killed infant James Bulger in 1993 is to take place behind close doors, the Daily Mirror reports. Jon Venables, who was 10 at the time of the murder, spent eight years in jail before being released on license, but in 2017 was jailed again after child abuse images were found on his computer. Journalists and James's mother, Denise Fergus, had argued the parole hearing should take place in public.
Finally, this year's Poppy Appeal is "going green", according to the Sun. The paper says the Royal British Legion is launching the first plastic-free poppy in more than 50 years. It adds that the new, totally biodegradable Remembrance Poppies are made from coffee cup production off-cuts. "Support our heroes as well as the planet," urges the paper.
