10 things you need to know today: November 5, 2023

The remains of a refugee camp in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike

(Image credit: Ashraf Amra / Anadolu via Getty Images)

published 5 November 2023

1. Israeli warplanes strike Gaza refugee camp

Israeli warplanes struck a refugee camp in Gaza early on Sunday, Palestinian officials said, leaving at least 40 people dead and wounding dozens. The airstrikes hit the Gaza camp of Maghazi overnight, and Palestinian officials said first responders were digging through the rubble hoping to find more survivors. The Maghazi refugee camp is notably in the area where Israel had told Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate to safety. Israeli officials have not commented on the strike, and the attack comes as Israel has rejected calls for a cease-fire as Western countries continue to try and intermediate in the conflict, which has resulted in mass casualties. The Associated Press, Financial Times

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday, making an unannounced trip to the West Bank to hold the meeting. Blinken and Abbas met in Ramallah, the de facto capital city of the Palestinian territories, and the secretary told Abbas that Palestinians in Gaza "must not be forcibly displaced," per a State Department spokesperson. Blinken has been working to meet with leaders throughout the region in an attempt to de-escalate the Israel-Hamas conflict. His sit-down with Abbas comes one day after he met with various Arab heads of state in Jordan. Blinken has also visited Israel a number of times to meet with their foreign ministers. The Times of Israel, Reuters

The Russian military said Sunday that it had successfully tested the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile from its new nuclear submarine. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Imperator Alexander III, the newest submarine in the Russian fleet, completed a test of a Bulava missile from an underwater position in the country's northern White Sea. The missile reportedly hit a predetermined target, but details were not immediately made clear. The Imperator Alexander III is reportedly designed to carry up to 16 Bulava nuclear missiles, and is set to be one of the lead ships of Russia's next generation of warfare. The Associated Press, Reuters

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The death toll reached 157 on Sunday following a devastating earthquake in the country of Nepal. The 5.6-magnitude earthquake destroyed untold numbers of homes and left hundreds of people trapped under rubble, with shaking being felt as far away as New Delhi, India. Mudslides and Nepal's mountainous terrain have made search-and-rescue efforts difficult, and officials have said that they are now solely focusing on humanitarian aid. Providing food, water and other supplies has become the key focus, Nepalese officials said, as the search for survivors has been all but called off. However, local police said that they were still holding out hope that people may be found in isolated instances. CNN, Al Jazeera

President Biden's son Hunter Biden is asking the U.S. Justice Department to investigate one of his former business associates, according to information obtained by ABC News on Friday. Hunter Biden's attorneys are reportedly pressing the DOJ to open a probe into Tony Bobulinski, accusing Bobulinski of lying to federal investigators and falsifying his relationship with the Bidens "for the sake of maligning the character and reputation of [Hunter] Biden and his family." Biden's attorneys further accused Bobulinski of misleading investigators about the nature of the Biden family's business ventures at a time when President Biden was not holding federal office. Hunter Biden himself is facing a federal indictment on unrelated charges. ABC News

Multiple Republican presidential candidates for president were booed and heckled Saturday at a Florida GOP voter's summit after mentioning Donald Trump. Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor who has been largely outspoken against the former president, was heavily booed at the Florida Freedom Summit when he began criticizing Trump, responding, "you can yell and boo about it as much as you like, but it doesn’t change the truth." Another candidate, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, was also booed after claiming that Trump is likely to be convicted given his numerous legal challenges. "I can say that there is a significant likelihood that Donald Trump will be found guilty by a jury," Hutchinson said, eliciting more boos. Politico, The Hill

Opium production and poppy cultivation have plunged 95% in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over, according to a United Nations report released Sunday. The report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found that opium farming, a key lifeline for farmers in Afghanistan, has fallen from 233,000 hectares at the end of 2022 to just over 10,000 now. The Taliban pledged to eliminate the country's drug cultivation industry by outlawing the sale of opium, and farmers in Afghanistan have been dragged further into financial hardship as a result. The United Nations estimated that the decimation of the opium industry has cost Afghan farmers more than $1 billion in income. The Associated Press, AFP via Barron's

Police were able to end a hostage situation at a German airport on Sunday afternoon more than 18 hours after it began. The incident began Saturday evening when a male suspect drove through the gates and onto the tarmac of Hamburg Airport and parked underneath a plane, German police said. The man, who had his four-year-old daughter in the car with him, reportedly shot a weapon into the air multiple times and threw burning bottles at law enforcement, police said. The airport was eventually shut down while police negotiated with the suspect, and he eventually gave up the siege. The man's daughter was reportedly unharmed during the incident. BBC

A new foundation has been created honoring the late actor Matthew Perry to help people struggling with drug addiction. The Matthew Perry Foundation was launched on Friday, saying it was "the realization of Matthew's enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction." The iconic 1990s actor, best known for his work on the sitcom "Friends," died last week at his home in Los Angeles after reportedly drowning in his hot tub. Perry had been open about his years-long battle with drug addiction, often encouraging others to speak out and seek help. He similarly described his fight with drugs in a 2022 memoir, saying he wanted to help make the lives of addicts better. NPR

A group of giant pandas is heading back to China in a move that could soon leave the United States without any of the bears for the first time since 1972. Washington, D.C.'s National Zoo announced last week that its three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji, will return to China by Nov. 15. Their departure leaves Zoo Atlanta as the only remaining American site with giant pandas. However, the zoo's loan agreement for their four pandas expires in 2024, meaning that they too could be headed back to China if the loan is not renewed. Negotiations for a loan renewal remain in the works. NBC News

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.