Evening Update: Israel says it has discovered Hamas weapons, combat gear inside Gaza hospital

Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:

Israeli military says it uncovered Hamas command centre, weapons at Gaza hospital

Israel’s military said today that its troops found a command centre and assets belonging to Hamas militants in Gaza City’s al-Shifa hospital. The biggest hospital in Gaza has become a central target of the Israeli military’s incursion into the territory. The Israel Defense Forces has said a main component of the militants’ operations are headquartered in tunnels beneath the hospital – a stance that Hamas denies. An Israeli military spokesperson said troops had found weapons, combat gear and technological equipment in the hospital and were continuing a search there.

Elsewhere, the first truck carrying fuel into Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war crossed from Egypt today to deliver diesel to the United Nations, though it will do little to alleviate dire shortages. As well, the UN Security Council is due to vote today on a draft resolution that calls for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on X, formerly Twitter, after Trudeau called for Israel to exercise “maximum restraint” in its war against Hamas. He tagged Canada’s PM on the social media site in a post saying, “The forces of civilization must back Israel in defeating Hamas barbarism.” The post seemed to be in response to comments Trudeau made in B.C. yesterday, where he said, “I urge the government of Israel to exercise maximum restraint. The world is watching on TV, on social media.”

Also, two more people with ties to Canada left the Gaza Strip for Egypt today, according to Global Affairs Canada. The department says it has helped 358 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their relatives exit the territory while another 386 people are still trying to escape.

Read more:

• Vancouver police sent 100 officers after protest surrounded Trudeau at restaurant
• Opinion: The new axis of evil is attacking democracies worldwide

This is the daily Evening Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was sent to you as a forward, you can sign up for Evening Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters here. If you like what you see, please share it with your friends.

Biden, Xi meet amid disputes over military and economic issues

U.S. President Joe Biden met Chinese leader Xi Jinping today for talks that could ease friction between the two countries over military conflicts, drug trafficking and artificial intelligence.

Biden welcomed Xi at a country house about 50 kilometres south of San Francisco, where they will later meet for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum. The leaders were set to discuss Taiwan, the South China Sea, the Israel-Hamas war, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea and human rights – areas where the leaders have been unable to resolve long-standing disagreements.

In opening remarks, Biden said the U.S. and China had to ensure that competition between them “does not veer into conflict” and manage their relationship “responsibly.” He said issues such as climate change, counternarcotics and artificial intelligence demanded their joint attention. Xi called the U.S.-China relationship “the most important bilateral relationship in the world,” and said he and Biden “shoulder heavy responsibilities for the two peoples, for the world, and for history.”

Meanwhile, protesters took to the streets of San Francisco early this morning ahead of the two leaders’ meeting, obstructing some entrances to the APEC conference.

Rescuers search for survivors after lethal Russian missile strike in east Ukraine

A Russian missile smashed into an apartment block in the sleepy eastern Ukrainian town of Selydove today, killing two people and wounding at least three others, Ukrainian officials said.

Rescuers at the site raced to clear rubble to find anyone trapped after four S-300 missiles struck the town shortly after midnight, damaging six apartment buildings and 20 homes, according to police.

The State Emergency Service said in the afternoon that a body had been recovered from the rubble, pushing up the death toll to two. “There are probably two people under the rubble,” it said on Telegram messenger.

As world heads to climate talks, emissions continue to rise, new report shows

Earth’s atmosphere continues to be filled with a growing amount of heat-trapping gases, according to a new report issued today by the World Meteorological Organization. It’s a sign that efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions are not making much of a dent in the cause of climate change.

While moves toward climate-friendly energy sources and low-carbon technology like electric vehicles offer hope of future emissions reductions, “in the real atmosphere we haven’t seen any positive change so far,” says Petteri Taalas, the organization’s secretary-general, at a news conference in Geneva.

The report underscores the challenges faced by countries ahead of international climate initiatives gathering COP28 two weeks from now.

• Heat-related deaths could more than quadruple by mid-century, report says

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

France issues arrest warrant for Syria’s al-Assad: French judges have issued arrest warrants for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and two other senior officials over the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians in Syria, according to a judicial source.

Freeland, Singh talk competition law changes: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh both stressed the importance of competition law changes to address grocery prices ahead of Tuesday’s fall economic statement.

Report urges banking regulator to leave capital buffer unchanged for banks: A group of former bank and regulatory executives is calling on Canada’s banking regulator to refrain from raising the capital cushion that the biggest banks must hold for the third time in the past year as a deteriorating economy weighs on profits.

Canadian home sales slow in October: The number of homes sold in Canada last month ticked up on an annual basis but fell 5.6 per cent compared with September. The Canadian Real Estate Association says both buyers and sellers appear to be holding off for the time being.

From Markham to Marvel: Markham, Ont.’s Iman Vellani, a star of new film The Marvels, brings infectious enthusiasm to her role as Kamala Khan, Marvel’s first Muslim superhero. The film’s disappointing box office haul isn’t bringing her down: “If this one thing has been done the same way since 2008′s Iron Man, of course there’s going to be a plateau before progress is made to keep up with all the things. People just need to chill and give them some time, let them cook, keep the fandom positive.”

MARKET WATCH

Stocks gain on easing U.S. producer prices, but bond yields bounce back

North American equity markets closed slightly higher on Wednesday, as fresh U.S. inflation data reinforced investor hopes that the Federal Reserve is done raising interest rates. The Canadian benchmark stock index saw its fifth straight day of gains, although food retailers lost ground after reporting quarterly results.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 34.16 points or 0.17 per cent at 20,057.89 after gaining more than 300 points on Tuesday.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 163.51 points or 0.47 per cent at 34,991.21. The S&P 500 index was up 7.18 points or 0.16 per cent at 4,502.88, while the Nasdaq composite was up 9.45 points or 0.07 per cent at 14,103.84.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.13 cents US compared with 72.86 cents US on Tuesday.

Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.

TALKING POINTS

What should be – but won’t be – in Canada’s federal mini-budget

“An anchor, a guardrail, a signpost, anything. Is it too much to ask the government to frame its spending within some sort of explicit budget constraint? That is the point of a budget, after all: to make choices with limited resources.” – Andrew Coyne

Secret Canada: Don’t hide our history behind restrictive freedom of information laws

“It’s hard to believe but someone in Ottawa felt it necessary to redact Hansard. That record of our democracy is – news alert? – online and searchable, back to 1867, including the words Ottawa tried to hide from the eyes of a prying historian.” – The Editorial Board

LIVING BETTER

So, you splurged. Now what?

Splurging on discretionary expenses has become the norm after the pandemic. Whether it’s a small indulgence like that daily latte or big-ticket expenses like hundreds of dollars on Taylor Swift tickets, “revenge” and FOMO spending reared their head after years of lockdowns and never went away, despite sky-high inflation and a rise in cost of living. Splashing out on joyful spending too often ends up hitting credit card balances, experts say; a few hundred dollars every month add up, increasing debts and decreasing financial confidence. Splurging may be a part of life but it’s important to get a handle on the frequency of those “can’t quite afford it” expenses so they don’t snowball into unmanageable debt. Listen to the latest episode of the Stress Test podcast for more advice.

TODAY’S LONG READ

Wiggly, jiggly goodness: Why gelatin is making its way back on to our plates

Open this photo in gallery:

Gelatin – or jelly – is making a major comeback. The jiggly, wondrous substance is entrancing audiences on Instagram and appearing on the menus of acclaimed restaurants. “There was a heyday in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, then another in the Victorian era, and of course mid-century USA. I think we’re about ready for another round,” says Ken Albala, a food historian at the University of the Pacific in California, in his book The Great Gelatin Revival. What could be behind the resurgence of the shiny, bouncy and often colourful delicacy? The reason may be simple: It sparks joy. Read the full story.

Evening Update is written by Prajakta Dhopade. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.