BBC chief grilled by Conservative MPs over Israel-Gaza coverage // Conservative MPs have been questioning the BBC's director general over its coverage of the conflict in the Middle East. Tim Davie attended a special meeting of Tory MPs, which the BBC said had been arranged in July as part of regular discussions with politicians. The private meeting is understood to have focused on the BBC's coverage of the Israel-Gaza war and migration. A BBC spokesman said Mr Davie stressed "why the institution matters" to MPs.
Slavery apology should be Labour policy, MPs say // Labour should issue a formal apology for the UK's role in transatlantic slavery if it wins power, left-wing MPs have said. The party said Sir Tony Blair had already said "sorry for the wrongs of slavery" when he was prime minister. A Labour spokesperson said the party was clear the slave trade was "wrong". But Bell Ribeiro-Addy and other backbench Labour MPs would like to see their party go further should it win next year's general election. They say the British government has never officially apologised for its participation in the slave trade.
Keir Starmer facing pressure over Gaza stance // Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has met Muslim MPs amid tensions over the party's stance on the Israel-Gaza war. It comes as more than 150 Labour Muslim councillors have written to him urging the party leadership to call for an immediate ceasefire in the region. Sir Keir has faced criticism since appearing to say Israel had the "right" to cut off water and energy to Gaza. He later clarified that he meant only that the country had a right to self-defence. The meeting - attended by one peer and around ten MPs, including at least one frontbencher - was described as "constructive" by a Labour source.
Rishi Sunak says AI has threats and risks - but outlines its potential // Artificial intelligence could help make it easier to build chemical and biological weapons, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned. In a worst-case scenario, society could lose all control over AI, preventing it from being switched off, Mr Sunak said. While the potential for harm is disputed, we must not "put our heads in the sand" over AI risks, he argued. In a speech aiming to present the UK as a world leader on AI, the PM said the technology was already creating jobs.
The Rock waxwork museum makes skin tone fix after criticism // A French museum says it has fixed a waxwork of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson after he complained about it. The Grevin Museum in Paris proudly revealed the life-sized figure of the wrestler-turned-actor earlier this month and got a wave of criticism back. One of the biggest was over the model's skin tone, with fans accusing the creator of "whitewashing" the star, who has dual heritage. After The Rock joined the pile-on, museum bosses vowed to "rework" it.
The Beatles to release emotional 'final song', Now and Then, next week // More than 50 years after The Beatles broke up, the band have announced the release of their "last song". Called Now And Then, it is based on a 1970s demo recording by John Lennon, and was completed last year by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr. Sir Paul teased the song in a BBC interview this summer, saying AI technology had been used to "extricate" Lennon's vocals from an old cassette. The track will premiere at 14:00 GMT on Thursday, 2 November.
Emily Blunt sorry for 'hurtful' comments in resurfaced video // British actress Emily Blunt has apologised after an interview in which she mentions a server's appearance resurfaced on social media. In the clip from the The Jonathan Ross Show, first aired in 2012, Blunt describes a waitress as "enormous". The video was widely shared online this week, with some criticising Blunt for being "fatphobic". The Oppenheimer star has since said she was "appalled" to have said "something so insensitive" and "hurtful".
Cricket World Cup 2023: England facing early exit as Sri Lanka inflict latest sorry defeat // England's World Cup is all but over after a shambolic eight-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. The defending champions are not mathematically out but now must win all of their remaining games, including against unbeaten hosts India on Sunday, and hope an unlikely set of results go their way. Attempting to respond to a record defeat by South Africa, England's campaign slumped into complete disarray as they were bowled out for 156.
United States Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton disqualified as Max Verstappen wins // Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from second place in the US Grand Prix after running Max Verstappen's Red Bull close for victory. Hamilton was just two seconds behind Verstappen at the flag but his car was later declared illegal for excessive wear on the underfloor skid blocks. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc suffered the same fate after finishing sixth. Hamilton's disqualification promoted McLaren's Lando Norris to second and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz to third.
Rugby World Cup final 2023: Siya Kolisi says South Africa v New Zealand is biggest game of 'our lifetime' // New Zealand and South Africa have consistently reigned supreme at the very top of rugby for decades. Since 2007, either the All Blacks or South Africa have won the Rugby World Cup. And with three titles each, and the last four between them, no side has won more than these two powerhouses of world rugby. On Saturday, one of them will become the first nation to reach a coveted fourth title, with South Africa aiming to join their rivals in being the only sides to win it back-to-back. Added to the fact it is the top two sides in the world rankings going head-to-head, is it the Test match to settle the undisputed number one rugby nation?
FTX: 'Crypto King' tells judge he acted on legal advice // Former crypto boss Sam Bankman-Fried has been testifying to a judge at his trial after the jury was sent home. The former entrepreneur was asked to testify to Judge Lewis Kaplan to determine which parts of his testimony can be put to the jury. The 31-year-old is accused of lying to investors and lenders and stealing money from customers of his now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, FTX. He put forward arguments that he was acting on legal advice in good faith.
Iceland's PM strikes over gender pay gap // Tens of thousands of women in Iceland, including Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, are refusing to work on Tuesday. The "kvennafrí", or women's day off, has been called in protest at the gender pay gap and gender-based violence. Fields in which women form the majority of workers, such as healthcare and education, are especially affected. The planned walkout marks the first full-day women's strike since 1975.
Police to treat shoplifting like organised crime // Shoplifting will be targeted like organised crime as part of a plan to help police to crack down on theft. A team of specialist analysts and officers is being put together to gather intelligence on crime gangs behind much of the shoplifting across England and Wales. Retailers have complained police are failing to tackle rising shoplifting. Under the plan, police have committed to attend more crime scenes and use facial recognition to target offenders.