US judge blocks Trump’s White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico

WASHINGTON, United States 

A United States judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s ban on three news outlets from the White House, ordering his administration to immediately restore their access pending a later court hearing.

Issuing a temporary restraining order early on Thursday, US District Judge Timothy J Kelly said CNN, MS NOW and Politico were likely to prevail in their legal challenge to Trump’s ban on several grounds, including that it violated their due process rights.

Kelly said the outlets had made a convincing case that they were stripped of their credentials without due process and were likely to suffer “irreparable harm” in the absence of the temporary order.

Kelly, who was nominated by Trump during his first term in 2017, also found there was a public interest in blocking the ban “given the importance of the free press”.

Rejecting the Trump administration’s claim that the outlets had been barred to protect national security, Kelly said the government’s argument lacked “factual support”.

“Defendants offer no declarations or other support – classified or unclassified – explaining how any of the reporting they identified in their letters to Plaintiffs damaged the national security,” Kelly said in the ruling.

Kelly ruled that the Trump administration should “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” the outlets’ access to the White House.

Kelly imposed the injunction for 14 days, pending further proceedings.

Theodore Boutrous, the lawyer representing the outlets, welcomed the ruling as a vindication of the “freedom of the press, due process and the rule of law”.

“We greatly appreciate the court’s swift action,” Boutrous said in a statement.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump, who has launched a slew of attacks on the media as president, on Friday announced that he had barred CNN, Politico and MS NOW from covering the White House, citing their reporting of unspecified “fake news”.

Trump later claimed in a news conference that the outlets produced “negative news” and sought to “diminish” his administration and the Republican Party.

CNN, Politico and MS NOW on Monday announced they had jointly filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the ban, arguing it violated their free speech and due process rights.

Iran's president tells Trump it will never 'bend the knee'

NEW YORK, United States 

President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Iran will never "bend the knee" after almost seven months of war with the US and Israel, but is ready for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Responding to US President Donald Trump's threat to "annihilate" the Islamic Republic if a deal is not reached soon, he told the UN General Assembly: "The resistance of the Iranian people will only increase in the face of sanctions, increased pressure, increased bullying."

Pezeshkian also insisted any deal would have to include an end to the US blockade stopping Iranian ships from using a key Gulf waterway.

"It cannot be the case that everyone benefits from the Strait of Hormuz while we are denied access," he said.

There was no immediate comment from the US, whose delegation walked out of the chamber at the start of Pezeshkian's address.

"The US president described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of terrorism," Iran's president told the UN in New York.

He then held up a photo of the country's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a strike on his residence when the US and Israel launched a joint attack in late February.

He also presented pictures of some of the more than 175 civilians, two thirds of them children, who Iranian authorities say were killed in missile strikes on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd that day. The US has denied striking Lamerd and said it is still investigating what happened in Minab.

"Our innocent people have been the targets of cowardly attacks and aggressions imposed on our country. And we defended ourselves with utmost strength," Pezeshkian said.

Also on Wednesday, an attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz killed an Indian sailor, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported, citing Omani and Indian authorities.

The attack was condemned by India's foreign ministry, which called for unimpeded passage through the Strait to be restored.

In February, Iran retaliated for the massive US-Israeli air campaign by launching deadly missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighbouring Gulf Arab states which host US military bases.

It also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas shipments usually pass, by attacking commercial vessels in the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The US responded by imposing a blockade of Iranian ports and ships in April.

ICC convicts former CAR militia commander of crimes against humanity

THE HAGUE , Netherlands 

Judges at the International Criminal Court convicted rebel commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani on Wednesday of crimes against humanity for abusing and torturing prisoners at a detention facility in the Central African Republic.

Said, wearing blue jeans and a sweater, remained expressionless for most of the hourlong hearing in The Hague as presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba described the inhumane conditions detainees endured at the prison in the capital, Bangui.

During the trial, witnesses described cramped cells with walls marked by “bullet holes and blood” and said they were whipped “until they soiled themselves”, Samba said. Other victims testified that they were confined in a windowless room under the floorboards of Said’s office.

The charges stemmed from fighting more than a decade ago between the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels, who seized power from then-President François Bozizé, and a mainly Christian militia called the anti-Balaka.

In Bangui, Marius Olivier Trésor Poussinga, who was tortured at the detention centre, told The Associated Press the verdict is an “international recognition” of Said’s crimes.

“Today, I can sleep easier because the court has acknowledged my suffering”, Poussinga said.

The country's justice minister, Arnaud Djoubaye Abazène, welcomed the verdict. “Justice cannot be reversed in the Central African Republic”, Abazène said. “No victim will be left behind, and justice will be delivered at every level”, he added.

Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, called the conviction a “significant milestone in the fight against impunity”, but warned that the country still faces serious challenges.

“The verdict is also a stark reminder of the ongoing abuses in the country, and the need for increased support for both international and domestic justice efforts to end the accountability gap that helps fuel recurring cycles of violence”, he said in a statement.

The verdict is likely the end of the road for justice at the ICC for victims in the Central African Republic.

In 2022, then-chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced he was closing the court's 15-year investigation into crimes in the country, citing limited resources. Khan was removed from his post in July over allegations of sexual misconduct.

In other cases, two senior anti-Balaka leaders were convicted in July 2025 on multiple counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba was acquitted on appeal in 2018, while charges against a former Central African Republic government minister were dropped in 2023.

A specially created court in the Central African Republic has prosecuted other defendants. The Special Criminal Court was established to try war crimes and other human rights abuses committed during the coups and violence that the country has experienced since 2003.

Earlier this year, the court began proceedings against former President François Bozizé on charges of crimes against humanity. The trial is being held in absentia because Bozizé is living in exile in Guinea-Bissau.

Backed by the United Nations and staffed with international judges, the court issued its first verdict in 2022. It has since indicted more than 30 people, nearly all of whom are in custody.

Among them is Edmond Beina, who was also wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. His trial at the Special Criminal Court is ongoing, after it fended off an attempt by the ICC to extradite him to The Hague.

Despite its successes, the Special Criminal Court faces possible closure after the Trump administration withdrew US funding last year.

Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa, warned that closing the court would be catastrophic for justice in the Central African Republic.

“Despite the authorities’ efforts, national courts still lack the resources and capacity to assume the mandate the ICC has been carrying out”, he said.

Supporters are urging the United Nations and the European Union to help extend the court’s mandate and provide funding.

Said pleaded not guilty when the proceedings began in 2021. His sentence, which could be as long as life in prison, will be decided at a later date.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 24/9/2026

 

South Sudan President dissolves govt as controversy engulfs December poll

By Our Correspondent, JUBA South Sudan 

South Sudan President Salva Kiir dissolved the transitional government on Tuesday, hours after signing amendments to election laws that removed requirements to complete a permanent constitution and national census before a vote.

South Sudan's opposition leader and former vice-president Riek Machar (R) sits in the dock with his former deputy chief of staff during the third session of his trial at Freedom Hall in Juba, on September 24, 2025

Heavy security was deployed in South Sudan on Tuesday as the president prepared to dissolve the government for the first-ever election, with analysts warning that last-minute legal changes give him total control over the transition.

South Sudan achieved independence in 2011 but soon after plunged into a five-year civil war and remains one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world.

Elections are due on December 22, having twice been postponed, but the government has failed to implement almost any of the preconditions set out in a 2018 peace agreement.

No voters have been registered, rival armies have not been unified and the long-awaited constitution has never materialised.

President Salva Kiir will dissolve the government at midnight (2200 GMT), his office said on Tuesday, in line with the agreed elections timetable, and appoint a new transitional government to oversee the vote.

But it comes a day after changes to the National Elections Act that allowed Kiir to stay in power while removing all vice-presidents, appointed under the 2018 peace deal, during the election period.

The amendments also allow for the vote to go ahead despite the lack of constitution or census.

Analysts warned that the changes offered Kiir unfettered control.

"Kiir will be the only person in power, without vice-presidents, without the executive, without the parliament," said Michael Wani, a lawyer and former member of the constitution drafting committee.

Independent analyst Machot Amuom said there was a lot of "ambiguity" in the legal changes.

"The new law gives the president full powers... He can decide even not to go for elections for another year or another two years," Amuom said.

Our Correspondent said there was an increased military presence in the capital, Juba, on Tuesday.

"I have seen many soldiers present along the roads. This is not the normal thing in Juba, and I don't know what is happening. So I decided to close my shop," one vendor, who asked for anonymity, told our correspondent.

The Internal Security Bureau issued a directive, ordering "all forces to be in uniforms and be on high alert for (3) days" from September 22.

Tensions remain high between rival political groups, with opposition leader Riek Machar currently jailed on treason charges.

In that context, international observers fear the election could tip the country back into full-blown conflict.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 23/9/2026

 

"Kenya opposition leader won the 2022 presidential election" - Former President says

By Mosses Kinyanjui, NAIROBI Kenya 

The former Kenya President,  Uhuru Kenyatta has, for the first time, cast doubt on the legitimacy of President William Ruto's 2022 General Election victory, claiming he knows the late Raila Odinga won.

According to the former Head of State, he is certain that the former opposition chief, Odinga won the 2022 polls, hinting at a scheme to bungle the outcome that secured President Ruto's win.

"Tulifanya kila kitu kumsaidia Baba awe Rais wa Jamhuri yetu ya Kenya. Na kura akapata, na mimi mpaka wa leo najua ya kwamba yeye ndiye alishinda hiyo kura. Tunajua vile mambo ilienda, na hatutaki iende hivyo tena," he said during a Jubilee Party National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Nairobi. (We did everything to help him become President of Kenya, and to date I know he won that election. Those who want to know the truth know the truth.)

Mr Kenyatta argued that the late Odinga, under the Azimio la Umoja–One Kenya Coalition Party, won a majority of elective seats in the National Assembly and the Senate, questioning how they still lost the presidency.

"How can you say you won yet we have most Members of Parliament, Senators, and Governors? How could you say we lost? We know how things went down," he said.

He censured his critics, warning them against dragging him into their political blame game, calling for decorum and restraint as political parties contest for the 2027 General Election.

"I am shocked to hear people saying that we did not help Baba, saying that Uhuru Kenyatta did not win. I was not the one at the ballot; I was just Raila's handyman," he noted.

"Using dirty politics will not take us anywhere; let nobody try to divide us. What does it help you? Share your manifesto."

Mr Kenyatta maintained that his belief in good governance has informed his support for Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang'i for the presidency in the 2027 polls.

"He is respectful, he is not corrupt, he loves Kenyans, he is a hard worker," he noted.

In the 2022 Kenyan presidential election, William Ruto received 7,176,141 votes (50.49%), while Raila Odinga received 6,942,930 votes (48.85%), according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Trump threatens to 'annihilate' Iran, attacks ICC in UN speech

UNITED NATIONS, New York United States 

United States President, Donald Trump, said Tuesday he has to decide whether to make a deal with Iran or "annihilate" the country, in a bombastic speech to the United Nations that appeared tailored to war-weary American voters.

The 80-year-old president's threat came amid repeated boasts that under him the United States is successfully confronting its adversaries and reshaping the world order to its own advantage.

"While others have spoken of peace, I have made peace. While others have ignored threats, I have confronted them," Trump told the room full of world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Despite claiming credit as a peacemaker, Trump delivered a jarring warning as he sought to justify the nearly seven-month war against Iran, which he said was launched to stop Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons.

"I have a big decision to make -- will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country?" Trump said.

"Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival?"

Trump reiterated that he believed Iran would "make a deal right after" the US midterm elections in November -- in which his Republican party faces losing control of Congress, at least partly due to high fuel prices caused by the unpopular war.

First UK charges brought over 1994 Rwanda genocide

WESTMINSTER, England 

A Rwandan man, who has been living in north London, has become the first person charged in the UK with offences relating to the 1994 Rwanda genocide, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.

Dr Vincent Brown, formerly Dr Vincent Bajinya, 65, has been charged with one offence of conduct ancillary to genocide and six offences of conduct ancillary to murder as a crime against humanity.

Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS's Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said Brown "is alleged to have directed and incited acts of murder and genocide carried out by others".

Brown is expected appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Ferguson said the decision to charge Brown was made "after reviewing a file of evidence submitted by the War Crimes Team at the Metropolitan Police".

"We concluded that our legal test for bringing criminal charges had been met," he added.

The War Crimes Team began their investigation in September 2019 after a formal request from the Rwandan government to investigate people allegedly involved in a genocide in the Rugenge district of Kigali in April 1994.

Over the course of 100 days in 1994, an estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus people were killed in Rwanda by Hutu extremists.

They were targeting members of the minority Tutsi community, as well as their political opponents, irrespective of their ethnic origin.

The mainly Tutsi forces who took power following the genocide were alleged to have killed thousands of Hutu people in Rwanda in retaliation.

The Metropolitan Police said the charges against Brown follow "a complex and extensive seven-year investigation".

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: "This case demonstrates the UK is not a safe haven for individuals suspected of committing international crimes.

"The War Crimes Teams remains committed to ensuring those suspected of involvement in genocide and other atrocity crimes are held accountable through due legal process.

"A number of other investigations remain ongoing into other individuals in the UK for similar offences related to the genocide in Rwanda."

Iran must stop arming Houthis in Yemen, G7 says ahead of UN General Assembly

NEW YORK, United States 

Iran must "end its arming of and support" for the Houthis in Yemen, the foreign ministers of G7 nations have said in a joint statement.

The G7 also condemned "in the strongest terms" Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, adding that the recent escalation in fighting against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen represented a threat to regional and global energy security.

Thousands of refugees have fled Yemen in recent days after the Iran-backed group seized territory along the country's Red Sea coastline, including near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical shipping route for global trade.

The statement comes ahead of the annual UN General Assembly in New York, where senior Iranian officials are due to speak.

"We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith," said the foreign ministers of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

It went on: "Their reprehensible actions constitute a dangerous pattern of escalation that risks further exacerbating the conflict, undermining international trade and creating global economic instability."

"Looking forward, we will continue to support the legitimate Government of Yemen and reaffirm our strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Yemen," the ministers said.

Their statement was issued following a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 22/9/2026