November 3, Friday, 2023

1. Israel is stepping up its ground and air offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military says its troops have now completely encircled Gaza City. Following Thursday’s announcement, Israel carried out intense bombings of northern Gaza. Footage showed flares lighting up the night sky, while missiles rained down amid loud explosions. 2. A large float has toppled over at a festival in Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan, killing one person and injuring at least 18. The incident took place on Friday morning during an annual festival held by Hirose Shrine in Izunokuni City. Police say one of the floats being paraded on the streets appears to have become uncontrollable and flipped on its side on a downward slope. 3. The Beatles have released what is billed as their “last” song which was produced with the help of artificial intelligence. The British rock group’s late member John Lennon composed the tune, “Now and Then,” in 1978, two years before he was killed.