Nov. 8 (UPI) — U.S. President Donald Trump has exempted Hungary from sanctions over the nation’s purchase of Russian gas and oil for one year after meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Trump is a close ally of the far-right populist and authoritarian, who came into power in 1998 but was out of office from 2002 to 2010.
On Friday at the White House, Trump said he was considering the exemption because “it’s very difficult for him to get the oil and gas from other areas.”
After the meeting, Orban posted on X with a video: “Decision reached: President Donald Trump has guaranteed full sanction exemptions for the TurkStream and Friendship pipelines, allowing Hungary to continue providing families with the lowest energy prices in Europe. Thank you, Mr. President!”
✅ Decision reached: President @realDonaldTrump has guaranteed full sanction exemptions for the TurkStream and Friendship pipelines, allowing Hungary to continue providing families with the lowest energy prices in Europe. Thank you, Mr. President! pic.twitter.com/ueqsyHyoi0— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) November 7, 2025
The BBC confirmed the exemption was for one year.
Hungary’s dependence on Russian crude oil was 61% before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, then rose to 86% in 2024 and 92% this year.
On Oct. 22, the U.S. added sanctions against Russia, including blacklisting two of Russia’s largest oil companies: Open Joint Stock Company Rosneft Oil Company and Lukoil OAO.
Russia has been the world’s third-largest oil exporter, generating $120 billion in 2024 behind No. 1 Saudi Arabia at $225 billion and No. 2 Canada. $121billion. The United States is No. 4 at $117 billion.
Extensive sanctions were imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. Initially, they were imposed in March 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea.
The Trump administration is attempting to use tariffs to halt third-country access, including by India.
But Trump said he understands Hungary’s situation of being a landlocked nation with limited access to gas and oil.
The U.S. State Department said Hungary has agreed to purchase U.S. liquefied gas worth about $600 million, NBC News reported.
Also, Hungary agreed to purchase American nuclear fuel, which it currently buys from Russia.
Despite similar policies as Trump, Orban said the pipelines are not “ideological” or “political” and instead a “physical reality.”
“Now we are quite a good position to open up a new chapter – let’s say a golden age – between the United States and Hungary,” Orban said.
Trump has used the term “golden age of America,” declaring it began with his second inauguration on Jan. 20.
The exemption was criticized by an analyst.
“The U.S. decision is a terrible and unnecessary mistake that will allow over 1 billion euros [$1.2 billion] to flow into the Kremlin’s war chest,” Isaac Levi, with the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, told CNN. “By carving out special treatment for Hungary, Washington is telling other buyers that they can keep handling Russian oil and still expect to be let off the hook.”
Levi noted the Czech Republic is another country with a port that manages without Russian crude oil and has lower fuel prices at the pump than Hungary.
“This clearly shows that the oil flows that continue to finance Putin’s war in Ukraine are entirely unnecessary,” he said.
Trump said he is “very disturbed” by other European countries that still buy Russian commodities despite not being landlocked.
Hungary and neighboring Slovakia are the only EU countries still getting Russian oil from the Druzhba pipeline.
EU countries’ gas comes via Turkey through the TurkStream pipeline. Russia’s share of EU gas imports fell from 40% pre-invasion to 11% in 2024.
But Slovakia is “almost 100% dependent” on Russian crude oil, according to a report from the Center for Research and Energy and Clean Air and the Center for the Study of Democracy.
The European Commission granted an exemption to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic – three countries heavily reliant on Russian imports – for time to reduce reliance.
Other nations don’t have close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
For other products, Trump has imposed a baseline 15% tariff as part of a trade agreement with the European Union.
That includes Hungary’s car industry.
On Oct. 21, Trump canceled his planned summit with Putin in Budapest, Hungary, after Putin’s demands on ending the war in Ukraine remained.
The status of these weapons programs and how many are real or merely meant to confuse and overwhelm foreign intelligence isn’t clear, but based on historic precedent, the notion that many are decoys isn’t supported. With so much development emerging publicly, and so much more going on clandestinely, along with other developments around an increasingly troubled globe, including from an active war in Ukraine, a critical question must be raised: Is the American intelligence apparatus able to deal with so much foreign technological change at one time?
Not since the height of the Cold War have so many military advancements and individual adversary weapons programs flooded the space. Does the U.S. intelligence community have the raw capacity to adequately deal with this now and sustain it for the foreseeable future?
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation’s (SAC) J-XDS, also referred to unofficially as the J-50. (Via X)
With the Defense Intelligence Agency declining to comment and the CIA not responding to our queries, we reached out to a number of experts in the field to get their sense of how the U.S. intelligence community (USIC) is able to process and track this growing wave of weapons programs and provide adequate analysis for the White House, Pentagon and Congress. The responses we received vary quite dramatically. This is step one in trying to get a clear answer to this glaring question. We will be following up with more on the topic in the future.
The answers to our question from our experts have been lightly edited for clarity.
“China’s largest and growing inventory of modern weapons does pose a challenge to U.S. intelligence collection efforts. U.S. intelligence capabilities are quite sophisticated and can collect considerable data on systems once they are deployed. However, it is more useful to anticipate future weapons or programs in development and this is probably much more difficult for U.S. intelligence to accurately determine due to the secretive nature of Chinese weapons programs. Thus, U.S. intelligence is at some risk of being surprised by the emergence of new weapons systems.
Some types or programs are easier to monitor and predict than others. Warships, for example, are hard to hide and only built in a few locations. This makes it easier for U.S. intelligence to monitor. Missiles, directed energy, and hi-tech systems are smaller and easier to hide, which makes it harder for U.S. intelligence to collect.
Perhaps even more challenging than intelligence collection is the problem of how to counter the weapons. Chinese technology has improved considerably and many of their weapons and equipment systems lag only that of the United States. These are sophisticated and deadly systems and could pose a serious challenge to U.S. military forces on the battlefield. Developing counters to weapons such as hypersonic anti-ship missiles, advanced surface-to-air missiles, and stealth aircraft all require enormous sums of money and new technology. Even still, it is unclear if the U.S. can effectively counter some of these new systems, which raise questions about the ability of U.S. military forces to survive and fight in a conflict near China’s coast.”
A possible first sighting of China’s next-generation aircraft carrier, generally referred to as the Type 004. Construction work at a shipyard in Dalian, in China’s Liaoning province, reveals a module that is consistent with an aircraft carrier — which would be China’s fourth — although there remain many questions about the precise nature of the object. (Google Earth) Google Earth
Brad Bowman, senior director at Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Center on Military & Political Power:
“Beijing revealed a remarkable quantity of weapons in the parade back in September. It is vital that the United States Intelligence Community and the Pentagon understand the capabilities of the systems displayed, distinguishing between systems that are hyped versus those that represent real advancements in capability. That is easier said than done and takes time and serious expertise to accomplish accurately. The importance and difficulty of this task is another reason why we need a large, effective, and well-funded intelligence community to understand our adversaries, their intentions, and their military capabilities – so decision makers can make informed decisions on how to respond.
A CS-5000T drone is reviewed during the V-Day military at Tiananmen Square on September 3, 2025, in Beijing, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) VCG
I am all for efficiency in government, but the effectiveness of our intelligence community is a higher priority than efficiency, particularly in this dangerous geo-strategic moment for Americans.
It is possible that Beijing is happy to inundate the U.S. intelligence community with an enormous quantity of systems and munitions to scrutinize. But a more prudent approach in Washington is to assume that Beijing actually means what it says and is sprinting to develop and field military capabilities that it hopes could conquer Taiwan and defeat the U.S. military in the Pacific.
If Beijing is trying to portray more advanced military capabilities than it actually possesses, it would not be the first country to do so. Then again, we have also seen examples in which Americans were unwisely dismissive of adversary capabilities. We should neither exaggerate nor dismiss what we are seeing from China. We should try to understand the actual capabilities of each system, and then realize that those capabilities can change quickly.
When it comes to adversary parades and static displays, there is always more than one intended audience. Washington is no doubt on the short list of intended audiences, but Beijing is also sending messages to America’s partners, to the Chinese people, and to the PRC’s partners, including the other members of the axis of aggressors – Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Regardless, the split screen between a historic expansion in military capabilities in China and a government shutdown in America could not be more jarring and troubling.”
Zack Cooper, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies U.S. strategy in Asia, including alliance dynamics and U.S.-China competition:
“I think the United States is certainly concerned about some of the new systems shown by Beijing, but many experts have expected China to continue developing more advanced uncrewed systems and long-range missiles, so I wouldn’t say that those are huge surprises.
The United States has a number of intelligence agencies with deep expertise on weapons systems, so although I’m sure they are busy watching these new developments, I doubt that they are overwhelmed. At the end of the day, we’re really only talking about a handful of truly new systems, so the magnitude of the challenge is probably workable, even if it does require a substantial amount of time and attention at DIA and elsewhere.
Chinese DF-5C intercontinental ballistic missile systems pass through Tiananmen Square during a military parade in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2025. (Photo by Yan Linyun/Xinhua via Getty Images) Xinhua News Agency
Christopher Miller, former acting defense secretary from November 2020 to January 2021 during the first Trump administration:
“I don’t think there was concern about the ability to track and analyze Chinese weapons programs. It was a pretty standard collection requirement. Now, how effective they were ……I don’t know how effective they were. I am out of the business now.
The large number of programs was not a concern. It was a pretty standard collection requirement. The challenge was prioritization because of so many different constituencies pushing their ‘pet rocks.’ But that is simply part of the churn. It was never a crisis issue — just typical process.
Questions about being adequately resourced was the standard pathology of the IC — ‘they NEVER have enough resources’; the political masters don’t understand the National Intelligence Priorities Framework (NIPF)!! ‘Woe is us; etc.’ It was/is their SOP.”
Robert Peters, senior research fellow for strategic deterrence in the Allison Center for National Security:
“How overwhelming, or not, for the USIC are Chinese new weaponry like those seen so far in parade preps and programs, like the long-range bombers, UAVs etc? They are a problem, both the quantity and diversity of systems displayed, but we should not make the Chinese out to be 10 feet tall. It is unclear how many of these systems are real vs. how many are mockups. And even if they are all real, it is unclear how effective these systems are.
As an example, the U.S. Air Force recently said that the Chinese ‘stealth bomber’ — which looks for all the world like a B-2 Stealth bomber— has no stealth characteristics at all, it simply looks like a stealth bomber.
The future Chinese H-20 stealth bomber. (PLAAF/YouTube Screencap)
Further, even if these systems are highly capable, it is unclear how or how well the PLA would employ them. The PLA has not fought in a kinetic conflict since 1979, so they have no real-world experience in combat operations. While they certainly exercise jointly, exercises are far different than battlefield effectiveness. So we should look at what the Chinese are producing with seriousness, but we should not be fatalistic about them.
Is this affecting the USIC and the military’s ability to get a handle on this? The Chinese military buildup — particularly is numbers of fifth-generation fighters, naval surface combatants, missiles, and nuclear warheads — presents a real challenge for the United States, yes.
The quantity they are able to produce, coupled with their ability to focus their combat power on a specific theater close to home, is the challenge for us. Even if you believe that U.S. military capabilities are qualitatively superior to Chinese capabilities (which, I do believe), the U.S. is a global power. It has aircraft carrier strike groups operating in the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Arabian Sea, and the Pacific. It has ground and air forces deployed on six continents. This is because the United States has global commitments. China is able to field an enormous quantity of combat power on the Western Pacific, focus it, and achieve results, even with a qualitatively inferior force, while the U.S. would be pulling forces from around the world during a contingency.
It will require a significant amount of analysts to track and analyze these forces, but I think we have the manpower to make it happen.”
Once again, this is our first look into this unique facet of the growing military technology race between the U.S. and China. Stay tuned for follow-ups.
Final T20 of the five-match series was abandoned after 4.5 overs as thunderstorm and rain forced players off the field in Brisbane.
Published On 8 Nov 20258 Nov 2025
Share
India have claimed a 2-1 win in the five-match T20 series against Australia after the final match was abandoned due to rain after just 4.5 overs in Brisbane.
After losing the toss and being sent in to bat on Saturday, India’s openers Abhishek Sharma (23) and Shubman Gill (29) took the score to 52 for no loss before a thunderstorm swept across the Gabba cricket ground, forcing the players from the field.
Gill took the early initiative and pummelled six fours in his 29 not out. Abhishek was dropped by Glenn Maxwell and Ben Dwarshuis on his way to an unbeaten 23.
The sellout crowd at the Gabba hung around optimistically, waiting for play to resume, but the stormy weather persisted, and the match was abandoned some two and a half hours after it started.
The pitch at the Gabba cricket ground remains covered amid heavy rainfall during the fifth T20 match between Australia and India in Brisbane [Darren England/AAP Image via AP]
The opening match in the series in Canberra was also washed out before Australia won the second in Melbourne by four wickets on the back of the bowling of paceman Josh Hazlewood.
Australia withdrew Hazlewood and some other players named in the Ashes squad so they could prepare to face England with the red ball, and India won the third T20 by five wickets in Hobart and the fourth on the Gold Coast by 48 runs.
Abhishek was named Player of the Series for his 163 runs at an average of 40.75.
“The way everybody chipped in in every game and we came back from being one match down, I think credit goes to all the boys; a complete team effort,” India captain Suryakumar Yadav said.
India, who top the ICC rankings in the shortest format, will head home with confidence and plenty of player options, hoping to defend their T20 World Cup title on home soil early next year.
“I thought all in all it was a good series, two teams really going at it,” said Australia captain Mitch Marsh.
“India won the games when it mattered, so congratulations to them.”
Nov. 5 (UPI) — The crash of a UPS plane in Louisville, Ky., has disrupted the shipper’s air cargo headquarters, delaying some deliveries.
UPS Worldport halted processing of packages on Tuesday night after the crash.
The first flights resumed about 24 hours after the crash. CNN reported 10 flights took off within 30 minutes just before 5 p.m. CST.
The Louisville site serves as UPS’ main processing location in the United States. Planes arrive from throughout the nation. The packages are sorted and then they go on other planes to their destinations.
The air cargo operations are also connected to the ground network.
On a typical day, more than 300 UPS flights depart from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport with about 2 million packages.
They are processed at the 5.2 million-square-foot facility, according to UPS.
Each hour, more than 400,000 packages are sorted with 20,000 workers at the site.
A spokesperson told The New York Times that the company’s goal is to be back to normal Thursday morning.
On Wednesday morning, the carrier said its Second Day Air shipping service was canceled for the day.
Later Wednesday, UPS said delivery commitments were pushed back.
The money-back guarantee “is suspended for all packages either shipped from or delivered to the United States until further notice,” UPS said.
UPS said contingency plans are in place “to help ensure that shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as conditions permit.” The plans weren’t explained.
The company has regional hubs in Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia and Rockford, Ill. In past disruptions, including bad weather, flights were rerouted to other facilities, the Lexington Herald Tribune reported.
“UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve,” the carrier said. “This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers. Everyone in our company is deeply saddened by this horrible aircraft accident and our airline’s first duty is to recovery, aid and victim support.”
The U.S. Post Office and Amazon use UPS for some of their shipments.
The disruption occurred ahead of the busy holiday shipping season.
The other main carrier, FedEx, has a hub in Memphis, Tenn., with 484,000 packages handled each day. Last October, the company unveiled a new automated sorting facility that spans 1.3 million square feet, including handling bulky, non-conveyable shipments.
The Football Association of Ireland has called for Israel’s immediate suspension over the Israeli FA’s violation of UEFA’s statutes in occupied Palestinian territory.
Published On 8 Nov 20258 Nov 2025
Share
Members of Irish football’s governing body have approved a resolution instructing its board to submit a formal motion to UEFA requesting the immediate suspension of Israel from European competitions, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said.
The resolution passed by the FAI members on Saturday cites violations by Israel’s Football Association of two provisions of UEFA statutes: its failure to implement and enforce an effective antiracism policy and the playing by Israeli clubs in occupied Palestinian territory without the consent of the Palestinian Football Association.
The resolution was backed by 74 votes, with seven opposed and two abstentions, the FAI said in a statement.
UEFA considered holding a vote early last month on whether to suspend Israel from European competitions over its genocide in Gaza, but the voting did not take place after a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10.
The Irish resolution follows calls in September from the heads of the Turkish and Norwegian football governing bodies for Israel to be suspended from international competition.
Those requests came after United Nations experts appealed to FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel from international football, citing a UN Commission of Inquiry report that said Israel had committed genocide during the war in Gaza.
‘Israel is allowed to operate with total impunity’
In October, more than 30 legal experts called on UEFA to bar Israel and its clubs.
The letter highlighted the damage that Israel is inflicting on the sport in Gaza. At least 421 Palestinian footballers have been killed since Israel began its military offensive in October 2023, and the letter explained that Israel’s bombing campaign is “systematically destroying Gaza’s football infrastructure”.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino brushed aside the calls by indirectly addressing it as a “geopolitical issue” at the FIFA Council on October 2.
“We are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino said.
The apparently preferential treatment given to Israel’s football team was an extension of the “total impunity” the country has enjoyed amid the two-year war, according to Abdullah Al-Arian, associate professor of history at Georgetown University in Qatar.
“Sporting bodies often mirror the broader power politics that are at play [in the world] and so they’re only doing what we’ve seen happen across all walks of political life, in which Israel has not been held to account,” Al-Arian told Al Jazeera.
“It [Israel] has been allowed to operate with total impunity throughout this genocide and has enjoyed this impunity for many decades.”
In 2024, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) presented arguments accusing the Israel Football Association (IFA) of violating FIFA statutes with its war on Gaza and the inclusion of clubs located in illegal settlements on Palestinian territory in its domestic football league.
The PFA wanted FIFA to adopt “appropriate sanctions” against Israel’s national side and club teams, including an international ban.
It called on FIFA to ban Israel, but the world body postponed its decision by delegating the matter to its disciplinary committee for review. Al-Arian termed that “a move to keep the bureaucratic machinery moving without making any real progress”.
“Ultimately, it’s a political decision being made at the highest levels of the organisation,” he said.
Matthijs de Ligt equalised in the sixth minute of a dramatic period of stoppage time to earn Manchester United a 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Tottenham looked like claiming all three points on Sunday when Richarlison glanced in a header in the first minute of added-on time, completing a Spurs comeback from a goal down.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
There was still time for de Ligt to find space at the back post at a corner to direct a header goalwards and over the line before Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario clawed the ball away.
Trailing to Bryan Mbeumo’s 32nd-minute header, Tottenham dominated the second half and grabbed an equaliser in the 84th through substitute Mathys Tel’s shot that deflected in off de Ligt.
De Ligt said United deserved more from the game than a point.
“I’m proud of the team for how we fought back and got a point in a really difficult stadium,” he said.
“You can see that we still have the fire in our belly to get a goal, to get a point – even with 10 men,” he added, as United played the last few minutes a man down as Benjamin Sesko was forced off injured after United had made all their five substitutions.
However, Tel said he felt Spurs merited all three points.
“We are feeling 50-50, we conceded a goal, but our reaction in the second half was top,” Tel said.
“We changed the game, but we are mad because we have to win today. The subs brought energy to change the game, and we showed great mentality; we deserved to win.”
United extended their unbeaten run in the league to five games – three wins followed by two draws – while Tottenham have only won one of their six home games so far.
However, the Red Devils have now failed to beat Spurs in their previous eight meetings, but it was the most recent of these that will live long in the memory of the Tottenham support.
Spurs ended their 17-year trophy drought thanks to a scrappy 1-0 win in the Europa League final in May, which also took them into the Champions League while United missed out on European football altogether.
Despite the huge blow to United’s finances and prestige, Ruben Amorim is making the most of having more time on the training field to finally build some momentum after a tough first year at Old Trafford.
Unlike most of United’s big-money signings in recent years, Bryan Mbeumo has proved his worth since a 65-million-pound ($86m) move from Brentford in July.
The Cameroonian was named Premier League player of the month for October and took his tally to four goals in as many games when he headed in from Amad Diallo’s cross on 32 minutes.
Spurs were booed off after a woeful attacking display in losing a London derby 1-0 to Chelsea last weekend.
After another dreary first 45 minutes, the hosts came to life early in the second period.
Senne Lammens produced a brilliant stop to turn Cristian Romero’s flick behind.
The Belgian goalkeeper was quickly called into action again to parry Joao Palhinha’s effort.
Brennan Johnston, who scored the winner when the sides last met in Bilbao, was then denied an equaliser by the offside flag.
Tottenham’s burst of attacking threat quickly fizzled out, though, and discontent among the home fans with manager Thomas Frank showed when his decision to replace Xavi Simons was roundly booed.
However, the Spurs boss can claim his changes turned the game around.
Destiny Udogie crossed for fellow substitute Tel to turn and fire into the top corner via a deflection off de Ligt.
Tel equalises for Spurs [Toby Melville/Reuters]
Wilson Odobert, introduced off the bench at half-time, then curled a shot towards the far corner that Richarlison flicked in to leave Lammens helpless.
The Brazilian tore off his shirt and was reduced to tears in his celebration.
Yet, it still was not enough to earn Tottenham a first home league win since the opening weekend of the season.
De Ligt was offered too much space at the back post from Bruno Fernandes’s corner, and his header was too powerful for Vicario.
Later, Arsenal take a six-point lead into a match at Sunderland, while Chelsea host Wolverhampton in one of three other games.
This week, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani made history by becoming the first Muslim mayor of New York City. His road to victory was anything but smooth. After he secured a historic win in the mayoral primary, he faced a landslide of attacks from across the political spectrum. In the months that followed, the hateful rhetoric from right-wing provocateurs, social media personalities, and even his three opponents mushroomed.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa claimed that Mamdani supports “global jihad”; independent candidate and former New York governor Andrew Cuomo agreed with a comment that Mamdani would celebrate “another 9/11”; and outgoing NYC mayor, Eric Adams, who dropped out and endorsed Cuomo, suggested that a Mamdani mayorship would turn New York into Europe, where “Islamic extremists … are destroying communities.”
Sadly, as researchers of anti-Muslim bias, and Muslim individuals who came of age in a post-9/11 America, we know attacks of this nature – on someone’s character or fitness for a job because of their religious background or national origin – aren’t entirely unexpected. We know that Islamophobia spikes not after a violent act, but rather during election campaigns and political events, when anti-Muslim rhetoric is used as a political tactic to garner support for a specific candidate or policy.
Worryingly, these attacks also reflect a general trend of rising Islamophobia, which our research has recently uncovered. The latest edition of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding’s (ISPU) American Muslim Poll, which contains our Islamophobia Index, released on October 21, reveals that in the last three years, Islamophobia has sharply risen in the US, across almost all demographic groups.
Among the general population in the US, on our 1 to 100 scale, the index increased from a score of 25 in 2022 to a score of 33 in 2025. This jump was most pronounced among white Evangelicals, whose score increased from 30 to 45 between 2022 and 2025, and Catholics, whose score increased from 28 to 40 during the same period. Protestants also saw a rise of 7 points, from 23 in 2022 to 30 in 2025. Jews had an Islamophobia score of 17 in 2022, the lowest of any group that year, which increased only slightly to 19 in 2025, the same score as Muslims in 2025. The only group that did not change since 2022 is the non-affiliated.
Undoubtedly, the weaponisation of Islamophobia by high-profile individuals is a major driver of this worrying trend. And it can lead to devastating outcomes for Muslims: From job loss and inability to freely worship, to religious-based bullying of Muslim children in public schools and discrimination in public settings, to even physical violence. Simply put, dangerous rhetoric can have dangerous consequences.
Much of this Islamophobic rhetoric relies on five common stereotypes about Muslims, which we used in putting together our index: That they condone violence, discriminate against women, are hostile to the US, are less civilised, and are complicit in acts of violence committed by Muslims elsewhere. We then surveyed a nationally representative sample, including 2,486 Americans, to identify the extent to which they believed in these tropes.
More Americans are embracing these stereotypes about Muslims, even though they are easily disproved.
For example, despite popular media portrayals of Muslims as more prone to violence or as being complicit in violence perpetrated by Muslims elsewhere in the world, ISPU research shows American Muslims overwhelmingly reject violence. They are more likely than the general public to reject violence carried out by the military against civilians and are as likely to reject individual actors targeting civilians.
The popular stereotype that Muslim communities discriminate against their women also does not hold water. The fact is that Muslim women face more racial and religious discrimination than they do gender discrimination, which all women, Muslim or not, report at equal levels in the United States. The vast majority (99 percent) of Muslim women who wear hijab say they do so out of personal devotion and choice – not coercion. And Muslim women report that their faith is a source of pride and happiness.
Our research also disproves the belief that most Muslims living in the US are hostile to the country. We have found that Muslims with strong religious identities are more likely than those with weaker ones to hold a strong American identity. It also shows that Muslims participate in public life from the local to the national level through civic engagement, working with neighbours to solve community problems, and contributing during times of national crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Flint water crisis.
The trope that most Muslims living in the US are less “civilised” than other people has no factual basis, as well. The use of the “civilised/uncivilised” dichotomy strips individuals of their human dignity and separates people into a false, ethnocentric hierarchy on the basis of race or religion. Accusing a group of being less civilised than another is a frequently used dehumanising tactic. Dehumanisation, defined by Genocide Watch as when one group denies the humanity of the other group, is a step on the path to genocide.
We have seen all of these tropes activated in the past few weeks to launch Islamophobic attacks on Mamdani. We have also seen too many of our politicians and public figures use them comfortably in their public speech, placing an entire faith community in harm’s way. As Mamdani said in a speech addressing the Islamophobic attacks by his fellow candidates, “In an era of ever-diminishing bipartisanship, it seems that Islamophobia has emerged as one of the few areas of agreement.”
But Islamophobia isn’t just bad for Muslims – it undermines our democracy and constitutional freedoms. Research has linked belief in these anti-Muslim tropes to greater tolerance for anti-democratic policies. People who embrace Islamophobic beliefs are more likely to agree to limiting democratic freedoms when the country is under threat (suspending checks and balances, limiting freedom of the press), condone military and individual attacks on civilians (a war crime under the Geneva Convention), and approve of discriminatory policies targeting Muslims (banning Muslims, surveilling mosques, and even restricting the ability to vote).
Weaponising Islamophobia in political speech may be perceived as a winning strategy to rally support, but communities where it is deployed end up losing. That is why such practices must be challenged. Confronting and denouncing hate means preserving democracy and human dignity. Perhaps the election of Mamdani will signal a real shift away from this political strategy. As the mayor-elect said in his acceptance speech, “No more will New York be a city where you can traffic in Islamophobia and win an election.”
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.
Record rains in Buenos Aires have left acres of farmland underwater. File Photo by Demian Alady Estevez/EPA
BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 7 (UPI) — The agricultural sector in Buenos Aires province is facing a severe crisis after the worst flooding in decades inundated farmland in the central and eastern regions.
The Confederation of Rural Associations of Buenos Aires and La Pampa estimates that nearly 12 million acres of farmland have been affected after heavy rains exceeded about 67 inches in several rural areas, far above the historical annual average of about 35 inches.
This situation has halted the planting and harvesting of key crops such as soybeans and corn, with rural roads rendered impassable and flooded fields preventing machinery from operating and blocking the transport of supplies and production.
María José Gentile, mayor of Nueve de Julio, one of the hardest-hit localities, told UPI that nearly half of the county has been affected by flooding.
“This area is known for producing crops such as soybeans and wheat, as well as livestock. Many farmers have lost part of their production and have had to move their cattle to higher ground or rent land in other areas,” Gentile said.
She added that some areas are under more than 3 feet of water and could take months to dry.
Graciela Vadillo, a livestock and grain producer and former president of the Nueve de Julio Rural Society, told UPI that most fields are underwater or inaccessible because of damaged roads.
“This will not only affect farmers’ finances but the entire production chain,” she said.
Much of the grain produced in the region is sold to national distributors that later export to Asian markets and the United States. In the livestock sector, many of the highest-quality cuts are also exported.
Hugo Enríquez, president of the Nueve de Julio Rural Society, told UPI that the city has about 506,000 acres of land flooded out of a total of about 1.06 million acres. Of those 506,000 acres, about 65% is used for livestock and 35% for crops.
“Buenos Aires province has around 6.7 million acres underwater. Much of it is in the core productive region,” Enríquez said.
He said cities such as Nueve de Julio, Carlos Casares, Pehuajó, Olavarría, 25 de Mayo and Los Toldos, all agricultural areas, have more than 8.6 million acres affected by impassable roads and partial flooding.
Regarding losses, Enríquez said that flooding has destroyed about 8% of the most recent harvest, mostly soybeans, since about 49,000 acres cannot be reached because the roads are impassable.
Buenos Aires province plays a key role in Argentina’s agricultural and livestock production, standing as the country’s largest producer of beef and pork, with more than 50% of national slaughter.
Its production includes both livestock and crops, and although the region historically maintained a more balanced agricultural-livestock mix, the acreage planted with crops such as soybeans has expanded significantly in recent decades, displacing livestock in some areas.
In response to the situation, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich and Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni announced Wednesday that the federal government will take charge of the emergency.
“The national government, through the Federal Emergency Agency, has decided to make all necessary resources available to confront this dramatic situation,” Adorni said at a news conference.
The Israeli military says it has identified a body handed over from Gaza as that of Israeli-Argentinian Lior Rudaeff.
The 61-year-old was killed while attempting to defend Nir Yitzhak kibbutz during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 and his body was taken to Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group, the military said.
PIJ said the body was found on Friday in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Hamas has now returned all 20 living hostages and 23 out of 28 deceased hostages under the first phase of a ceasefire deal that started on 10 October. Four of the five dead hostages still in Gaza are Israelis and one is Thai.
Israel has criticised Hamas for not yet returning all the bodies. Hamas says it is hard to find them under rubble.
PIJ is an armed group allied with Hamas. It took part in the 7 October attack and previously held some Israeli hostages.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a campaign group, welcomed the return.
“Lior’s return provides some measure of comfort to a family that has lived with agonising uncertainty and doubt for over two years,” it said in a statement. “We will not rest until the last hostage is brought home.”
During the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire deal, Israel freed 250 Palestinian prisoners in its jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.
Israel has also handed over the bodies of 300 Palestinians in exchange for the bodies of the 20 Israeli hostages returned by Hamas, along with those of three foreign hostages – one of them Thai, one Nepalese and one Tanzanian.
MOHAMMED SABER/EPA/Shutterstock
Hamas’s military wing stood guard as they searched for hostage bodies on 5 November
The parties also agreed to an increase of aid to the Gaza Strip, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a halt to fighting, although violence has flared up as both sides accused one another of breaching the deal.
Israeli military actions have killed at least 241 people since the start of the ceasefire, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are seen by the UN as reliable.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 others hostage. All but one of the dead hostages still in Gaza were abducted in the attack.
At least 69,169 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, the health ministry reported.
150 students from Gaza’s al-Aqsa University have been celebrating after becoming the first class to graduate there since the start of Israel’s genocide, during which the territory’s entire education system has come under assault.
In July, one of Brazil’s last coal plants in Candiota resumed operations after significant investment from Ambar, owned by billionaires Wesley and Joesley Batista. They believe that Brazil will continue to use coal despite having over 80% of its electricity from renewable sources. As Brazil prepares to host the UN climate summit COP30, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed concern that the war in Ukraine has revived coal mining.
Coal plants, including Candiota, still supply 3% of Brazil’s electricity, highlighting the influence of special interest groups and the absence of a proper transition plan away from coal. Experts like Christine Shearer from Global Energy Monitor argue that Brazil has the resources to phase out coal, but the strong coal lobby in mining regions keeps these plants running.
The Candiota plant lost its government contract last year, leading to local economic downturns and outmigration. It now sells energy on the spot market during peak hours when solar and wind energy are less available. Nevertheless, Brazil’s Congress recently passed a bill allowing coal plants to operate until 2040, which Lula could potentially veto. The government also made coal eligible for a capacity auction aimed at improving energy security by using thermal plants during low renewable output.
Critics note that including coal in these plans contradicts the goal of energy flexibility, as coal plants cannot start quickly. They argue that poor long-term planning allows coal to persist, despite a surplus of clean energy that goes underutilized due to inadequate demand and transmission infrastructure. This situation makes the government susceptible to coal and natural gas lobbying, leading to higher financial and environmental costs.
Ambar asserts that coal from the Candiota plant is reliable and necessary for power supply, denying claims of relying on political influence. They also argue that critics prioritize the interests of large energy consumers over those of smaller entities and the broader public. Keeping coal operational aligns Brazil with countries like India and South Africa, where strong lobby groups impede efforts to transition away from coal, which is crucial to local economies.
Shutting down Candiota could result in around 10,000 job losses in the region. Local coal miner Jose Adolfo de Carvalho asserts that eliminating the plant won’t significantly impact global carbon issues. The future of the plant causes anxiety among residents, with former employee Graca dos Santos emphasizing the need for a just energy transition to avoid leaving the community jobless.
Lula’s administration lacks a transition plan for Candiota, and little progress has been made in strategizing for other coal facilities. Some suggest diversifying into sectors like beef, wine, and olive oil, which could provide new jobs for former coal workers. Local union leader Hermelindo Ferreira highlights the potential job losses from shutting down Candiota while recognizing that faith in the coal industry is wavering. Ferreira encourages workers to gain new skills, such as maintenance for wind energy, as a way to adapt to future opportunities.
Nov. 7 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned former baseball star Darryl Strawberry, and former Republican Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his chief of staff, Cade Cothren.
The two politicians were sentenced in September after federal corruption convictions.
Strawberry, 63, pleaded guilty in 1995 to tax fraud and served 11 months in a Florida state prison. Strawberry was ordered to pay $350,000 in restitution.
“President Trump has approved a pardon for Darryl Strawberry,” a White House official told The New York Post. “Mr. Strawberry served time and paid back taxes after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion.”
He also had three years’ probation.
“Following his career, Mr. Strawberry found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade — he has become active in ministry and started a recovery center which still operates today,” the official also told CNBC.
Strawberry was suspended from Major League Baseball in 2000 after failing a drug test.
Casada, 66, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison after being convicted on 17 charges that include wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Cothren, 38, was sentenced to 30 months after being found guilty on all 19 charges.
The sentences were lower than what was possible.
“Yes, the president called me today and granted me a full pardon,” Casada told NBC News. “I am grateful of his trust and his full confidence in my innocence through this whole ordeal.”
The investigation into the Tennessee lawmakers began when Trump was first president. Raids of both men’s homes took place in January 2021. They were arrested in August 2022 and convicted in May 2024, shortly after Trump began his second term.
“The Biden Department of Justice significantly over-prosecuted these individuals for a minor issue involving constituent mailers — which were billed at competitive prices, never received a complaint from legislators, and resulted in a net profit loss of less than $5,000,” a White House official told NBC News. “The Biden DOJ responded with an armed raid, perp walk, and suggested sentences exceeding 10 years — penalties normally reserved for multimillion-dollar fraudsters.
District Judge Eli Richardson, who oversaw the case and issued the sentence was appointed by Trump.
Casada and Cothren used Phoenix Solutions to illegally funnel money to themselves for campaign and government-funded work, the Justice Department said. That included a $52,000 mail program for state legislators.
A false name, Matthew Phoenix, was used to run the company.
Casada resigned as speaker in 2019 after a no-confidence vote amid another scandal involving the two men. They were accused of exchanging sexually explicit messages about a woman.
Casada said in an apology that the texts were “not the person I am.”
Prominent Republican and country music star John Rich called for Trump to pardon them.
Cothren’s biography on X reads: “by Biden’s DOJ for standing with Trump. Convicted for refusing to break. Redeemed by grace – and not done yet.”
Trump has issued more than 1,700 pardons and commutations in both terms. That includes around 1,500 people involved in the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
Among Trump’s pardons during his second term are politicians: Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and Republicans: former Tennessee state Sen. Brian Kelsey, former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm of New York, and former Las Vegas City Council member Michele Fiore. Also, he commuted the sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos, also a Republican, for time served of three months.
Like Blagojevich, Strawberry appeared on Trump’s TV show, The Celebrity Apprentice. In 2010, he competed to win money for his foundation.
At least five people have been killed after Typhoon Kalmaegi hit central and highland provinces in Vietnam, destroying thousands of homes and cutting power to more than a million households.
Israel’s war on Gaza has not only razed entire neighbourhoods to the ground, displaced families multiple times and decimated medical facilities, but also poisoned the very ground and water on which Palestinians depend.
Four weeks into a fragile ceasefire, which Israel has violated daily, the scale of the environmental devastation is becoming painfully clear.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
In Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, what was once a lively community has become a wasteland. Homes lie in ruins, and an essential water source, once a rainwater pond, now festers with sewage and debris. For many displaced families, it is both home and hazard.
Umm Hisham, pregnant and displaced, trudges through the foul water with her children. They have nowhere else to go.
“We took refuge here, around the Sheikh Radwan pond, with all the sufferings you could imagine, from mosquitoes to sewage with rising levels, let alone the destruction all around. All this poses a danger to our lives and the lives of our children,” she said, speaking to Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Alkhalili.
Heavily damaged buildings are reflected in a water basin in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City on October 22, 2025 [File: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP]
The pond, designed to collect rainwater and channel it to the sea, now holds raw sewage after Israeli air attacks destroyed the pumps. With electricity and sanitation systems crippled, contaminated water continues to rise, threatening to engulf nearby homes and tents.
“There is no doubt there are grave impacts on all citizens: Foul odours, insects, mosquitoes. Also, foul water levels have exceeded 6 metres [20ft] high without any protection; the fence is completely destroyed, with high possibility for any child, woman, old man, or even a car to fall into this pond,” said Maher Salem, a Gaza City municipal officer speaking to Al Jazeera.
Local officials warn that stagnant water could cause disease outbreaks, especially among children. Yet for many in Gaza, there are no alternatives.
“Families know that the water they get from the wells and from the containers or from the water trucks is polluted and contaminated … but they don’t have any other choice,” said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City.
A boy fills a plastic bottle with water in a camp for displaced Palestinians, at a school-turned-shelter in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City on November 5, 2025 [Omar Al Qattaa]
Destroyed water infrastructure
At the COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil, Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim al-Zeben described the crisis as an environmental catastrophe intertwined with Israel’s genocide.
“There’s no secret that Gaza is suffering because of the genocide that Israel continues to wage, a war that has created nearly a quarter of a million victims and produced more than 61 million tonnes of rubble, some of which is contaminated with hazardous materials,” he said.
“In addition, the deliberate destruction of sewage and water networks has led to the contamination of groundwater and coastal waters. Gaza now faces severe risks to public health, and environmental risks are increasing,” al-Zeben added.
Israel’s attacks have also “destroyed” much of the enclave’s agricultural land, leaving it “in a state of severe food insecurity and famine with food being used as a weapon”, he said.
In September, a UN report warned freshwater supplies in Gaza are “severely limited and much of what remains is polluted”.
“The collapse of sewage treatment infrastructure, the destruction of piped systems and the use of cesspits for sanitation have likely increased contamination of the aquifer that supplies much of Gaza with water,” the report by the United Nations Environment Programme noted.
Back in Sheikh Radwan, the air hangs thick with rot and despair. “When every day is a fight to find water, food, and bread,” Mahmoud said, “safety becomes secondary.”
Ukraine is calling for more sanctions and asset freezes on Russia as it fends off intensified attacks, with another harsh winter of war looming.
At least 10 people have been killed, and more parts of Ukraine have been plunged into darkness, after another night of intense Russian attacks across the country, local authorities said, as diplomatic momentum to end the nearly four-year war falters.
Ukraine’s military announced on Saturday morning that hundreds of Russian drones, as well as missiles launched from the air, ground and sea, targeted critical infrastructure, a frequent Kremlin target as another harsh winter of war looms.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
Ukraine said its air force detected 503 air attacks, including 45 missiles and 458 drones, launched by Russian forces overnight. Most of the missiles went through defences, with only nine successfully shot down, but 406 of the drones were intercepted.
The Russian attacks concentrated mostly on gas and power infrastructure, leading to power cuts in several regions.
Residential buildings during a power blackout after critical civil infrastructure was hit by Russian missile and drone attacks, in Kyiv, Ukraine, November 8, 2025 [Gleb Garanich/Reuters]
In the front-line Zaporizhzhia region, Governor Ivan Fedorov said three people were killed and six wounded in overnight Russian attacks on several districts, which hit a residential building, among other targets.
Two more people were reported killed in two districts of Donetsk, according to local authorities. Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of Kherson, reported another two people killed and 10 wounded after several multistorey buildings, private homes and vehicles were hit.
Kyiv Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said an attack in the Vyshhorod district injured a woman and hit civilian areas and energy infrastructure.
At least two people were killed and 11 others, including children, wounded after a Russian strike hit a building in the eastern region of Dnipro, local authorities said.
A “massive” strike was reported by Governor Volodymyr Kohut in the Poltava region, where another person was injured and rolling blackouts are in place to compensate for damaged power infrastructure.
‘More pressure is needed’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy renewed a call for further sanctions on Russia and freezing its assets in the European Union before winter, saying “Russian strikes show that the pressure must be stronger.
“Russian nuclear energy is still not under sanctions, Russian military-industrial complex still receives Western microelectronics, more pressure is needed on oil and gas trade as well,” he said in a statement.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed in its latest combat report overnight that it launched a “massive strike with high-precision long-range weapons from air, land and sea platforms”, including hypersonic ballistic missiles.
It said Russian air defences brought down two guided aerial bombs and 178 unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Ukrainian forces. Another eight drones were reportedly shot down before noon on Saturday.
Fierce house-to-house fighting also continues to rage in Pokrovsk, the city in Donetsk where tens of thousands of Russian troops have converged to push for control of more territory and to “liberate” buildings held for more than a year by Ukrainian soldiers, in intense close-range clashes.
Ukraine’s top general Oleksandr Syrskii said Kyiv’s troops were stepping up assaults on Russian forces around the eastern Ukrainian town of Dobropillia to ease pressure on Pokrovsk.
Nov. 7 (UPI) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited the White House Friday for a summit with President Donald Trump and lavished praise on the president while disparaging former President Joe Biden.
“The reason why we are here, to open a new chapter between the bilateral relation between the United States and Hungary basically because during the Democrat administration everything was rigged,” Orbán said, according to The Hill.
“Everything was basically broke, ruined, cancelled. A lot of harm done by the previous administration,” he said. “You’ve improved the bilateral relationship. You repaired what was done badly by the previous administration, so now we are in quite a good position to open up a new chapter. Let’s say a golden age between the United States and Hungary.”
Orbán wants Trump to come to Budapest and to meet with Russia President Vladimir Putin about the Ukraine war. Trump has already canceled one meeting, saying he didn’t want to “have a waste of time.”
Orbán also came to the White House to ask Trump to give Hungary an exception to the sanctions on buying Russian oil. The president said he might exempt Hungary from those sanctions.
He also called on European leaders to be more respectful of Orbán, who has faced battles with them over migration, democracy and rule of law.
“I think they should respect Hungary and respect this leader very, very strongly because he’s been right on immigration,” Trump said.
Hungary claims it must buy Russian oil because it has no other viable source.
“We’re looking at it because it’s very difficult for him to get the oil and gas from other areas,” Trump said. “It’s a big country, but they don’t have sea. They don’t have the ports. And so they have a difficult problem.”
He also accused other European countries of buying Russian oil and gas. They “don’t have those problems, and they buy a lot of oil and gas from Russia. And, as they know, I’m very disturbed by that.”
Trump and Orbán are both conservative leaders who share similar values, including a dislike of immigration.
“Look what’s happened to Europe with the immigration. They have people flooding Europe,” Trump said. “You go to some of the countries, they’re unrecognizable now because of what they’ve done. And Hungary is very recognizable.”
Orbán defended his migration policies, blaming Europe.
“This is the absurd world we are living in now in Europe,” Orbán said. “We are the only government in Europe which considers itself as a Christian government. All the other governments in Europe are basically liberal leftist governments.”
In September, Trump lifted travel restrictions against Hungarians, readmitting them to the Visa Waiver program. Biden had added restrictions against Hungarians when he learned that Budapest was granting Hungarian citizenship without adequate security measures.
The Guardian reported that at Friday’s meeting, Orbán was expected to try to set up another meeting between the two leaders not only to broker peace in Ukraine, but to also boost his own standing as a statesman.
Citing insiders, the news outlet said the far-right leader is facing stiff opposition ahead of April’s parliamentary elections, and a visit from Trump would potentially boost support among conservatives.
“Orbán wants Trump to come to Budapest before the elections,” an unnamed source working in the Hungarian government told The Guardian. “This is a top priority. They will discuss the Russian gas issue, but the thing Orbán cares about the most is the elections.”
In a post on X on Thursday, Orbán said Trump’s first 10 months back in office have repaired the relationship between the United States and Hungary. He said the Biden administration damaged that relationship through “politically motivated sanctions.”
“Our goal is to establish a strategic partnership that includes energy cooperation, investments, defense collaboration, and discussions on the post-war landscape following the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” Orbán wrote.
“We are working on an agreement based on mutual benefits — one that serves the interests of every Hungarian citizen.”
Trump told reporters last week that Orbán wants an exemption from the oil and gas sanctions.
“We haven’t granted one, but he has asked,” Trump said aboard Air Force One. “He’s a friend of mine. He’s asked for an exemption.”
Police were called just before 21:00 GMT on Friday
A woman is in a critical condition after being stabbed in the neck in an “unprovoked attack” in Birmingham city centre.
A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack on Friday night.
West Midlands Police said officers were called to Smallbrook Queensway shortly before 21:00 GMT.
A woman in her 30s suffered a serious neck injury and is in hospital in a critical condition, the force said.
It said a man was arrested close to the scene and remained in custody.
Officers remain in the area, where a cordon is in place
Officers are currently carrying out inquiries near the scene, which is in an extremely busy part of the city centre near to the Bullring shopping centre.
A police tent remains on the pavement, just outside the Bullring and opposite the main entrance to New Street railway station.
“We believe this was an unprovoked attack and are working to understand why it happened,” said Det Insp James Nix.
“We will have officers in the area today to continue our investigation and provide reassurance.
“We are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.”
Police said they believed the attack was unprovoked
The force has appealed for witnesses, and urged anyone who knows more to contact 101.
St Martin’s Queensway westbound has been closed from Moor Street Queensway to Smallbrook Queensway.
Buses are being diverted onto Moor Street.
The cordon is expected to be in place all day, the BBC has been told.
![Heavily damaged buildings are reflected in a water basin in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on October 22, 2025. [File: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP]](https://i0.wp.com/occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/000_79L4482-1762593853.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
![A boy fills a plastic bottle with water inside a camp for displaced Palestinians at a school-turned-shelter in Al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City on November 5, 2025. [File: Omar Al Qattaa]](https://i0.wp.com/occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/000_834T3FC-1762594052.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
