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Has Karoline Leavitt taken a page out of George Orwell’s 1984? Historians think so
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During a press conference on Dec. 11, 2025, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced there was good news on the state of the economy.
“Inflation as measured by the overall CPI has slowed to an average 2.5% pace,” she said, referring to the consumer price index. “Real wages are increasing roughly $1,200 dollars for the average worker.”
When CNN political correspondent Kaitlan Collins attempted to ask a follow-up question, Leavitt pivoted to an attack. Not on Collins, a frequent target of White House ire, but on Leavitt’s predecessor in the Biden White House, Democrat Jen Psaki.
Psaki, claimed Leavitt, stood at the same lectern a year before and told “utter lies.” In contrast, Leavitt insisted, “Everything I’m telling you is the truth backed by real, factual data, and you just don’t want to report on it ’cause you want to push untrue narratives about the president.”
The “real, factual data” that underpinned Leavitt’s statement was specious at best. The actual inflation rate for September was 3%, not the 2.5% figure cherry-picked from economic data. The rise in real wages? CNN business editor David Goldman writes that in the past year, U.S. workers have experienced “the lowest annual paycheck growth that Americans have had since May 2021.”
I’m a historian who has written about the enduring legacy of George Orwell’s ideas about truth and freedom. Listening to Leavitt assert a “truth” so obviously discordant with people’s lives, I was reminded of the repeated pronouncements from the Ministry of Plenty in Orwell’s “1984.”
Leavitt is a master of the art of political language and deflects attention from administration scandals (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
“The fabulous statistics continued to pour out of the telescreen,” Orwell wrote. “As compared with last year there was more food, more clothes, more houses, more furniture, more cooking-pots, more fuel, more ships, more helicopters, more books, more babies — more of everything except disease, crime, and insanity. Year by year and minute by minute, everybody and everything was whizzing rapidly upwards.”
The novel’s doomed hero, Winston Smith, works in the Records Department that produces these fraudulent statistics – figures that are so far divorced from reality that they “had no connection with anything in the real world, not even the kind of connection that is contained in a direct lie.”
In the world of “1984,” not only are statistics invented, they are continually reinvented to serve the needs of Big Brother’s regime at any given moment: “All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary.”
Transparency as doublespeak
The lack of transparency depicted in “1984” has an uncanny echo in our current political moment, despite Leavitt’s repeated assertions that President Donald Trump is the “most transparent president in history.”
Leavitt has made that claim countless times, including in her public defense of Trump’s “Quiet, Piggy!” dismissal of Bloomberg News journalist Catherine Lucey last month.
In Leavitt’s usage, “transparency” has become a form of Orwellian “doublespeak,” a word or phrase which through the process of “doublethink” had come to encompass its exact opposite meaning.
“Doublethink,” in Orwell’s writing, was the mechanism of thought manipulation that allowed someone “to know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them.”
Doublethink was the mechanism that enabled the citizens of Oceania, the Anglo-American superstate governed by Big Brother’s authoritarian regime, to accept that “WAR IS PEACE; FREEDOM IS SLAVERY; IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.”
And it is the mechanism that allowed Leavitt to proclaim, in defending Trump’s unwillingness to release the Epstein files, “This administration has done more with respect to transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein than any administration ever.” That claim was pronounced “fabulously audacious” by The Guardian’s Washington bureau chief, David Smith, in a story headlined “Nothing to see here: Trump press chief in full denial mode over Epstein.”
About the author
Laura Beers is a Professor of History at American University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Making ‘lies sound truthful and murder respectable’
In his famous essay “Politics and the English Language,” Orwell wrote that “political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”
Over the past 10 months, Leavitt has, among other things, claimed that the now dismantled U.S. Agency for International Development – USAID – provided a grant of $32,000 for a “transgender comic book” in Peru. Not true. She has misrepresented the “One Big Beautiful Bill” as fully eliminating taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security. In reality, deductions for these are capped. She claimed that Trump coined the motto “peace through strength.” He didn’t. The phrase has been in circulation for decades, used most prominently by Ronald Reagan during his presidency.
And she recently sought to delegitimize U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly and colleagues’ plea to servicemen and women not to obey illegal orders by suggesting tautologically that “all lawful orders are presumed to be legal by our servicemembers,” and hence Kelly’s plea could only serve to provoke “disorder and chaos.”
All governments lie. But Leavitt has become a master of the art of political language, wielded to aggrandize her boss, belittle his opponents and deflect attention from administration scandals.
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Live: Trump to highlight achievements amid Venezuela, economic tensions | Donald Trump News
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Trump is also set to preview his 2026 priorities during Oval Office ‘address to the nation’.
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Watch: “Quite an occasion” – BBC reports from Nick Reiner’s first court appearance
Children of slain Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner are speaking out for the first time after their deaths and the arrest of their brother, Nick.
Jake and Romy Reiner said in a statement on Wednesday that they are experiencing “unimaginable pain” after the “horrific and devastating loss”. They did not directly address the allegations against their brother.
Nick Reiner, 32, appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday and waived his right to enter a plea to two charges of first-degree murder.
The couple were found dead on Sunday in their Los Angeles home. The county’s medical examiner on Wednesday said they died in a homicide by multiple sharp force injuries.
Nick Reiner was taken into custody Sunday night and charged with murder on Tuesday.
“The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience,” Romy and Jake Reiner said in a statement provided to CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner. “They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
“We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life,” they added.
The siblings also asked for privacy “and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave”.
Family representatives did not immediately respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
Reuters
At the hearing in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, prosecutors and Mr Reiner’s defence team agreed to delay his arraignment until 7 January, when he will once again have the opportunity to enter a plea.
As he appeared in court, Mr Reiner said only “yes, your honour” when asked by Judge Theresa McGonigle if he understood that he has the right to a speedy trial.
The judge earlier ordered the assembled media – who gathered outside the courthouse hours prior to the hearing – not to film the defendant, who was wearing a jail suicide-prevention smock.
Media inside the courtroom could not see Mr Reiner during the brief hearing because he was sitting in a corner out of sight, but glimpses afterward revealed his face was blank, and his arms bare and shackled.
He was initially slated to make a court appearance on Tuesday but had not been medically cleared to do so, his lawyer and prosecutors said.
His lawyer, Alan Jackson, told reporters outside court that there were “complex and serious issues” in the case that needed to be worked through in the coming weeks.
“We ask that during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward,” Mr Jackson told reporters.
“Not with a rush to judgement, not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity, and with the respect that this system and this process deserves, and that the family deserves,” he said.
The delay in Mr Reiner entering a plea could be designed to allow time for a psychiatric evaluation, one criminal defence lawyer told the BBC after the hearing.
“The psychiatric evaluation is generally done before arraignment to see if he is even fit to stand trial,” Seth Zuckerman said.
Getty Images
Nick Reiner (right) is accused of killing his parents
Until the next hearing on 7 January, Mr Reiner will remain in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.
If he pleads not guilty, he could be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors have said no decision has been made yet about whether the death penalty will be pursued.
Rob Reiner directed a handful of iconic films in a variety of genres, including This is Spinal Tap, Misery and A Few Good Men.
Michele Singer Reiner was an actress, photographer and producer, and the founder of Reiner Light, a photography agency and production company.
“This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones, but for the entire city,” LA Police Department chief Jim McDonnell said.
With additional reporting from Sakshi Venkatraman
NEED TO KNOW
- Lisa Rinna opened up about the relationship between her daughters, Amelia Gray and Delilah Belle Hamlin, on the Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang podcast
- The Bravo alum said that the siblings, who are three years apart in age, experienced an “uncomfortable” period in their relationship
- “Those girls can fight,” Rinna explained of her children, whom she shares with Harry Hamlin
Lisa Rinna is sharing insight on her family’s dynamic.
Appearing on the Dec. 17 podcast episode of Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, the former Bravo star, 62, looked back on the ups and downs in her daughters Amelia Gray and Delilah Belle Hamlin’s relationship.
When asked by co-host Matt Rogers if the siblings — who are both models and are three years apart in age — remain close, Rinna said they are now, but they “weren’t for a minute.”
Delilah Bell, Amelia Gray and Lisa Rinna at a Frame event on Nov. 18, 2025.
Presley Ann/Getty
“Those girls can fight,” said the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum. “Girls can love and then hate each other. We went through a couple of years and woo, very uncomfortable, but now they’re very close.”
Rinna added that now, Amelia, 24, and Delilah, 27, are “super supportive of each other in this business that they’re both in.”
A rep for Amelia and Delilah did not return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Reflecting on how she and husband Harry Hamlin raised their children, Rinna said that “whatever we did, because we really don’t know what we did, we turned out some kind human beings.”
That being said, the Hamlins have been nothing but a united front recently. Over the years, the duo have shown that there’s nothing but love with their joint red carpet appearances. From attending Fashion Week to premieres together, the sisters have shown that they’re a fashionable force to be reckoned with.
Amelia Gray, Lisa Rinna and Delilah Belle at the 2024 Daily Front Row Fashion Awards.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Elsewhere in the interview, Rinna talked about how “challenging” the beginnings of her relationship with Hamlin, 74, was and how they continue to work on their marriage 28 years after tying the knot.
“He’s always been hot and that’s always helpful. When you have two people that are attracted physically, it’s helpful because down the line, you start to devalue people. That’s what happens in a relationship. So we’re very cognizant of that, like if that starts to feel like it’s happening,” she said.
“We’ll go to therapy, we work on it because it’s not easy,” she continued, adding that at the moment she and Hamlin are attending sessions. “We both were like, ‘Let’s do it right now. We’ve grown in separate directions doing a lot of things, we need to come back together, and we’re not afraid to do that.”
WORLD NEWS
Touching final moment youngest Bondi Beach victim Matilda shared with rabbi at Hanukkah celebration before horrific mass shooting
Heartbreaking footage has emerged of the final moments of a 10-year-old girl and a prominent rabbi celebrating Hanukkah before they were killed at Bondi Beach.
British-born Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, and Matilda were among the 15 innocent people killed in the deadly attack in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Sunday.
The attack at Sydney’s most iconic tourist destination unfolded as hundreds gathered for the Chanukah by the Sea event just before 7pm.
Naveed Akram, 24, and his 50-year-old father Sajid stood on a pedestrian footbridge and allegedly opened fire with military-grade weapons into the crowds of families, locals and beachgoers.
Matilda, who was the youngest victim, was enjoying face painting and a petting zoo at the festival with her parents and younger sister.
At the event, rabbi Schlanger was performing the Jewish rite of tefillin for many of the men in attendance.
Laying tefillin is a Jewish ritual typically reserved for adult males, which involves wrapping two small black leather boxes, containing Torah scrolls, around the arm and the head.
In a video shared to social media, rabbi Schlanger can be seen performing the ritual on Matilda’s dad as the little girl watched on in the moments before they were killed.
In a video shared to social media, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, performed the Jewish ritual of tefillin on Matilda’s dad as the little girl watched on in the moments before they were killed
The footage showed rabbi Schlanger wrapping the tefillin around the dad’s arm and then his head, while Matilda watched on and danced in her yellow dress.
‘On that day you told me “Don’t let anyone do tefillin for you, wait for me”, thank you my friend. R.I.P Eli,’ the video caption read.
Social media users flooded the comments sharing touching tributes for Matilda and rabbi Schlanger.
‘My heart feels so heavy watching this. A little girl, just 10 years old, and another life they had no idea that in a single moment, everything could change. Life is so unpredictable and fragile. Truly heartbreaking,’ one person wrote.
‘Oh my dear god. This is so sad and heartbreaking to watch knowing what was about to unfold,’ a second person commented.
‘Shattered by the loss of these beautiful souls,’ a third person chimed.
A fourth added: ‘Eli and Matilda will be dancing in the sky. Sorry our country failed you. Sorry for the loss of your daughter and friend.
‘Our hearts break with you. Our country should have been a safe haven for you all’.
Matilda, who was the youngest victim, was enjoying the Hanukkah celebration with her parents and her little sister
The little girl enjoyed face painting and a petting zoo at the event in the moments before she was killed
Matilda will be farewelled at Chevra Kadisha in Wollahra at midday on Thursday, followed by a burial at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park.
‘Family, friends, and community members are welcome to join us as we come together to honour and remember Matilda Bee, and to support one another during this difficult time,’ Chabad of Bondi posted.
‘Please allow extra time to arrive and follow all directions from police, security, and event staff.’
A second memorial will be held at Matilda’s school in La Perouse on Friday.
Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, 87, and Tibor Weitzen, 78, will also be farewelled on Thursday.
Matilda’s parents broke down while addressing a large crowd at a memorial in Bondi on Tuesday night.
‘Her name was Matilda because she was our first Australian,’ her father Michael said.
‘We came here from Ukraine … and I thought that Matilda is the most Australian name that can ever exist. So just remember the name, remember her.’
Matilda’s parents broke down while addressing a large crowd at the memorial outside the Bondi Pavilion
Pictured, Matilda’s grandparents grieved at the floral memorial
Flowers, toys, touching tributes and a portrait of Matilda were laid at the memorial in her honour
Her grief-stricken grandparents and family members attended the memorial site, laying flowers and a portrait of Matilda on the ever-growing pile of tributes.
Rabbi Schlanger was farewelled at a packed funeral service at Chabad synagogue in Bondi on Wednesday.
The father-of-five died shielding his family when the two men opened fire into the crowd.
His wife, Chaya, was grazed by a bullet and released from hospital on Monday, while their two-month-old baby was struck in the leg by shrapnel during the terror attack.
As of Thursday, their baby remains at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick in a stable condition.
Before the service on Wednesday morning, police cordoned off Wellington Street, lining the route as mourners filled the packed Chabad synagogue in Bondi, with many forced to wait outside.
Chief Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, Rabbi Schlanger’s father-in-law, was overcome with grief and sobbed uncontrollably as his casket was lifted from the hearse.
Mourners were seen embracing outside – one had an Australian flag around her shoulders, while another broke down in tears and blamed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong for the massacre.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, died shielding his wife and their five children during the terror attack
Rabbi Schlanger’s wife was grazed by a bullet and released from hospital on Monday, while their two-month-old baby was struck in the leg by shrapnel during the terror attack (pictured, rabbi Schlanger with his family)
Mourners can be seen crying over Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s casket before the funeral
Chief Rabbi Yehoram Ulman broke down in tears as the coffin of his son-in-law arrived at the Chabad of Bondi synagogue
Rabbi Ulman gave a heartbreaking eulogy to the packed synagogue, becoming overwhelmed with emotion at several times throughout.
The service began with the rabbi saying: ‘We are crying in unbearable pain… in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack perpetrated in our city… we mourn the loss of every precious life.’
He added: ‘When those animals who look like humans try to destroy us, they try to make us dormant.
‘They want us to never go to Bondi Beach again because this is what’s happened, but that’s not the answer.
‘Eli lived and breathed this idea – we can never allow them to not only not succeed, but every time they try something, we become greater and stronger.’
He pledged to continue celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach, which has been a regular event for 31 years, with Rabbi Schlanger involved for the last 18 years.
Alleged gunman Naveed Akram, 24, was charged with 59 offences at his hospital bedside on Wednesday.
They include 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder.
Alleged gunman Naveed Akram, 24, was charged with 59 offences at his hospital bedside including 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder
Akram was also charged with one count of committing a terrorist act, one count of discharging a firearm in public, one count of causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist symbol, one count of placing an explosive in or near a building, with intent to cause harm.
He did not appear or apply for bail during a brief bedside court hearing and the case was adjourned until April.
His 50-year-old father, Sajid, died at the scene after being shot by police.
Thirteen of the 15 victims have now been identified.
Other victims included Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, French national Dan Elkayam, 27, Wellington Street synagogue assistant Reuven Morrison, Slovak citizen Marika Pogany, 82, retired NSW Police detective sergeant Peter Meagher, 61, Edith Brutman, Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61, and Soviet immigrant Boris Tetleroyd.
In a letter to be opened in case of his death, Lance Corporal George Hooley, 28, who died in Ukraine, said he was ‘doing what he believed in’ for his ‘country, democracy and freedom in this world’
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas News Reporter
23:20, 17 Dec 2025
Lance Corporal George Hooley, 28, died in a ‘tragic accident’ in Ukraine (Image: MOD / SWNS)
A British paratrooper killed serving in Ukraine said he ‘went out doing what I trained to do’ in a heartbreaking letter he wrote in case of his death.
Lance Corporal George Hooley, 28, was repatriated to RAF Brize Norton in west Oxfordshire in an emotional ceremony on Wednesday after he died in what the Ministry of Defence called a “tragic accident” last week. He had been helping Ukrainian forces test “a new defensive capability” away from the front lines.
An extract from a letter written by L/Cpl Hooley to be opened in the event of his death said “don’t remember me with sadness and loss” because he died “doing what I believed in”. The letter, shared at the request of his family, said: “If you are reading this, it means I didn’t make it home.
Lance Corporal was repatriated at RAF Brize Norton (Image: PA)
“Please don’t let that be the thing that breaks you. You know I was doing what I believed in as well as loved, with people I respected, and for reasons that matter to me, my country and democracy and freedom in this world. “I was proud of what I was doing. Don’t remember me with sadness and loss. Be proud. I went out doing what I trained to do, what I chose to do, and I had all of you in my heart the whole way.”
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A private, family-only ceremony was held at Brize Norton before L/Cpl Hooley’s body was carried past Carterton Repatriation Memorial Garden. People paid their respects along the route, some in tears, and members of the armed forces and police also turned out to honour the soldier.
A picture of crowds lining the streets as the funeral car goes past(Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)
Mourners gathered at the garden, designed by the Oxfordshire community as a space for people to honour fallen military personnel. Lance Corporal Hooley, who was due to be promoted to corporal rank next month, was killed as he observed Ukrainian forces testing a new defensive capability.
He was due to be promoted to corporal rank next month(Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)
The Parachute Regiment soldier, who had previously been deployed to Afghanistan, Africa and eastern Europe, was described by senior officers as “the glue” and “the laughter within his team”, and someone who had “a deep kindness and genuine time for everyone”.
The government has previously acknowledged that a “small number” of military personnel are in the country, mainly providing security for the British diplomatic presence and supporting the Ukrainian armed forces. The presence of paratroopers in Ukraine had not previously been disclosed by the Government until L/Cpl Hooley’s death.
WORLD NEWS
Trump prosecutor Jack Smith defends record before Republican lawmakers | Donald Trump News
Former Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith has defended the two criminal prosecutions he led against President Donald Trump, in an appearance before a committee in the United States House of Representatives.
Testifying in a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, Smith took questions from the House Judiciary Committee about the two criminal indictments he ultimately spearheaded.
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The first, filed in June 2023, alleged that Trump mishandled classified information while out of office. The second, in August of the same year, accused the Republican leader of seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost.
“Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power,” Smith told the committee.
He also fended off accusations from the Republican-led committee that his investigations had been politically motivated.
“I made my decisions in the investigation without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs or candidacy in the 2024 election,” Smith said.
“We took actions based on what the facts and the law required — the very lesson I learned early in my career as a prosecutor.”
Smith added that the basis of his prosecutions “rests entirely with President Trump and his actions” and that he would make the same decision again today to bring charges, whether the defendant in question were a Republican or Democrat.
Smith’s appearance came as a result of a Republican-led subpoena, issued on December 3, for his testimony.
The subpoena set December 12 as the deadline for Smith to turn over documents related to the case, and Wednesday as the date for his congressional appearance.
Smith’s remarks, however, took place behind closed doors, despite his request to hold the hearing in public.
Still, portions of his opening statement were provided to news agencies, including The Associated Press.
Republicans have maintained that the cases against Trump were partisan in nature and were designed to derail his 2024 re-election bid.
“This was political. This was about going after the Republican Party, and most importantly, it was about going after our candidate for president, President Trump,” Representative Jim Jordan, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, told the TV programme Fox and Friends on Wednesday.
Formerly a prosecutor for the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Smith was appointed as a special counsel to the Justice Department in 2022, under former President Joe Biden.
Special counsels are selected from outside the Justice Department to prevent conflicts of interest in cases that are politically sensitive, and they operate without daily oversight from the department.
Smith ultimately dropped the two federal cases against Trump after the Republican leader’s successful re-election in 2024, as it is against Justice Department policy to prosecute a sitting president. He later resigned in January, shortly before Trump took office.
But Trump has repeatedly called for Smith to be prosecuted for his role in the criminal cases against him.
In October, for instance, Trump posted a link to an article about Smith on his Truth Social platform, accompanied by the message: “These thugs should all be investigated and put in prison. A disgrace to humanity. Deranged Jack Smith is a criminal!!!”
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has aggressively pushed for the prosecution of critics and political rivals and has continued to push the false claim that he was the true winner of the 2020 election instead of Biden.
Democrats, meanwhile, have pushed the Trump administration to make Smith’s full report into the two federal cases public.
After Wednesday’s hearing, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Representative Jamie Raskin, told reporters that there was a reason Republicans wanted Smith to testify in private.
Had he testified in public, Raskin said, “It would have been absolutely devastating to the president and all the president’s men involved in the insurrectionary activities” on January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol.
Heavy rains over the past week have compounded the already dire living conditions of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, UN agencies say.
Unicef spokesman Jonathan Crickx told the BBC that the weather overnight had been “horrendous”, with the rain so intense that he had seen up to 15cm (6in) of water on the ground near his office.
He said he was extremely concerned that children living in tents and makeshift shelters in wet clothing would succumb to hypothermia and other illnesses.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry has said one baby has died from hypothermia and at least 11 other people have died in building collapses caused by the severe weather.
UN agencies have stepped up deliveries of tents, blankets and clothes since the Gaza ceasefire began nine weeks ago, but they have said there is still not enough aid getting in.
The UN and its partners estimate that almost 55,000 families have so far been affected by the rains, with their belongings and shelters damaged or destroyed.
More than 40 designated emergency shelters were severely flooded following downpours on Monday and Tuesday, forcing many people to relocate again.
“Last night was really horrendous for the families. The heavy rains were so intense that we could see from our office and guest house 10cm, 15cm (4-6in) of water at some point. And the winds were so strong,” Jonathan Crickx, chief of communications for Unicef State of Palestine, told the BBC’s Today programme on Wednesday.
“When I drove this morning, I could see that many, many people were trying with buckets to remove some of the water.”
He noted that most of the estimated one million people living in tents and makeshift shelters had been displaced many times during the two years of war between Israel and Hamas, and that they had no or very few changes of clothes.
“When I was seeing [children] this morning, their clothes were damp. I could see parents trying to dry some of the blankets they had. But it has been raining almost all of the time in the past four or five days, so it is extremely difficult to keep the children dry,” he said.
“With temperatures about 7C, 8C (45-46F) at night, we are extremely concerned about children getting sick or even worse, dying from hypothermia.”
Many tents were also at risk of being blown away or destroyed by the strong winds accompanying the rain because they were only made from a piece of tarpaulin or plastic sheeting nailed to a fragile wooden structure, he added.
Mr Crickx said Unicef had been able to bring in more aid during the ceasefire to help children cope with the harsh winter conditions, including 250,000 winter clothing kits, 600,000 blankets and 7,000 tents, but that it was not enough.
“We are working relentlessly to bring in that aid and to distribute it, but the scale of the needs is so immense that we still have thousands of people and children who are really suffering every night,” he warned.
Gaza’s health ministry said a two-week old boy named Mohammed Abu al-Khair had died of hypothermia on Monday, two days after he had been admitted to hospital and placed in intensive care. Another 11 people had so far died after the war-damaged buildings where they were sheltering collapsed, it added.
A spokesman for the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, Mahmoud Bassal, put the death toll higher. He said in a video that a total of 17 people, including four children, had died because of building collapses and the cold.
He added that 17 residential buildings had collapsed completely because of the wind and rain and that another 90 buildings had collapsed partially.
On Tuesday, video footage showed first responders from the Civil Defence recovering the body of a man from the rubble of a building in Shati refugee camp, north-west of Gaza City. Its roof had collapsed suddenly, according to eyewitnesses.
“We call on the world to solve our problems and rebuild the territory so that people can have homes instead of being displaced and living in the streets,” said Ahmed al-Hosari, a relative of the man, told AFP news agency.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the collapse of damaged buildings due to the severe weather conditions was “deeply concerning”.
It stressed the need for “increased and sustained humanitarian assistance to respond to urgent and long-term needs, including food, shelter and equipment for the repair of critical infrastructure”.
Cogat, the Israeli military body which controls Gaza’s border crossings, has dismissed claims of deliberate aid restrictions as “inconsistent with facts on the ground, and the ongoing co-ordination taking place daily”.
It says that between 600 and 800 lorries carrying humanitarian supplies enter Gaza daily, and that almost 310,000 tents and tarpaulins have been delivered since the start of the ceasefire, along with more than 1,800 lorry loads of warm blankets and clothing.
The UN says a total of 67,800 tents, 372,500 tarpaulins and 318,100 bedding items have been collected from crossings over the same period.
The second phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas includes plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, along with post-war governance, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the disarmament of Hamas.
Last week, Israel’s prime minister said the second phase was close, with only the body of one dead Israeli hostage in Gaza still to be returned by Hamas as part of the first phase.
The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
More than 70,600 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.
The Bundestag budget committee has approved a €52 billion ($61 billion) military expenditure package as Germany seeks to rapidly rearm in the face of the security threat posed by Russian aggression.
The budget committee is in charge of all large-scale arms purchases, which thus do not need fuller parliamentary approval.
The military outlay has been exempted from rules restricting public debt for the next few years as Germany tries to bring its fighting forces back to complete combat readiness following years of underfunding.
What will the Bundeswehr purchase with the money?
The military equipment to be purchased includes clothing and protective equipment for soldiers to the tune of €21 billion and 200 Puma infantry fighting vehicles worth €4 billion.
Rockets for the missile shield system Arrow 3, developed by Israel and the US, are also on the 29-point list of desired purchases put forward by the German armed forces or Bundeswehr.
The German armaments giant Rheinmetall is also to receive a €1.76 billion order for a satellite-based reconaissance system to support Bundeswehr forces stationed in Lithuania, on NATO’s eastern flank.
The Arrow-3 missile defense system is one of the items on the Bundeswehr’s wish list [FILE: December 3, 2025]Image: Ralf Hirschberger/AFP/Getty Images
What have German officials said?
Speaking to media in Berlin, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the decision to approve the expenditure put the government and parliament on track to meet ambitious defense commitments.
In a statement, his ministry said: “We are sending a signal to the (NATO) alliance and our partners: Germany is leading the way.”
“We are fulfilling our obligations to the alliance and accepting our responsibility for security and peace in Europe,” it stressed.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
WORLD NEWS
Ghislaine Maxwell asks court to set aside her conviction which may complicate the pending release of the Epstein files
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Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend and longtime associate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has asked a federal court in New York to set aside her conviction.
Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in prison for her role in a decade-long scheme to sexually exploit and abuse minor girls with Epstein.
The new habeas petition claims “substantial new evidence has emerged” that shows Maxwell did not receive a fair trial.
The Independent has reached out to Maxwell’s lawyer for comment.
Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend and longtime associate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has asked a federal court in New York to set aside her conviction (AP)
This latest attempt by Maxwell to get relief from the court comes as a deadline for the Department of Justice to release files related to Epstein looms.
The DOJ was compelled to release the information after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in November, despite initially strongly opposing the measure.
Federal prosecutors have until Friday to release documents, including records related to the Florida investigation into Epstein —which resulted in a 2008 deal, in which the disgraced financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor — as well the Manhattan investigations into Epstein and Maxwell.
Federal prosecutors in New York charged Epstein with sex trafficking of minors in 2019, and weeks later he died by suicide in his jail cell.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of sex charges including sex trafficking of a minor.
This is a developing story…
NEED TO KNOW
- Rihanna was spotted in Los Angeles on Dec. 16 wearing a bold off-duty Celine look
- The singer, who welcomed her third child, a daughter, with A$AP Rocky in September paired her vibrant outerwear with a glossy ombré lip look
- Rihanna made her first red carpet appearance after giving birth in November at the 2025 CDFA Awards
Rihanna is and always will be that girl.
The singer has had quite a momentous autumn, from welcoming her first baby girl with partner A$AP Rocky to taking the red carpet by storm. But now it looks like she’s open to the casual life before the holidays, and her recent off-duty look proves it.
On Dec. 16, the Fenty Beauty founder and mom, 37, was photographed in Los Angeles wearing a laid-back but cool look that reminded us why she’s the queen of designer street style.
Rihanna in Celine while out in Los Angeles.
DUTCH/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Rihanna’s outfit was California-cool with its red Celine bomber jacket and trousers adorned with a gold chain accent. She paired her top and bottoms with snakeskin stilettos, while her accessories included a New York Yankees-branded baseball cap, gold statement necklace and square sunglasses
The moment turned her outing into a streak since Rihanna and the “Fashion Killa” rapper, 37, already turned out in style at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 16. The couple bundled up in leather trench coats, but went with different outfits underneath. She also debuted a daring banged bob look.
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The “Lift Me Up” singer also proved she’s a big fan of monochromatics by coordinating her vibrant outerwear with an ombré red lip.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky at the CFDA Awards in New York city on November 3, 2025.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Rihanna, along with Rocky, has been leaning into life as a parent of three after welcoming their daughter Rocki Irish on Sept. 13. A source told PEOPLE that the couple, who’ve been together since 2020, are “over the moon” about the newest addition to their family, who they also say has “already brought a whole new energy to the family.” The performers already share sons RZA, 3, and Riot, 2.
On Nov. 3, she made her first red carpet appearance post-childbirth at the 2025 CFDA Awards, where Rocky was honored with the Fashion Icon accolade. Speaking to press, Rihanna described her Alaïa Spring/Summer 2026 ensemble as very “postpartum-forward” but with a “timeless” and “effortless” aesthetic.
She made another surprise appearance at the 2025 Gotham Awards, turning heads in a baby pink Balenciaga by Pierpaolo Piccioli gown with a lengthy train and a matching feathered cap.