EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 12/9/2026

 

Twenty-five years after September 11, Americans reflect on attack that changed a nation

By Maria Tsvetkova, NEW YORK United States 

Americans marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on Friday with sorrow and ​somber reflection, honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed when hijacked planes slammed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field in a shocking attack that reverberates to this day.

In New ‌York, family members of the victims, many carrying pictures of their loved ones, joined Vice President JD Vance and four former U.S. presidents at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. The ceremony began, as always, at 8:46 a.m. ET (1246 GMT) with a moment of silence to mark the instant when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the World Trade Center's North Tower in what would become the deadliest attack ever on U.S. soil.

Shortly after, victims' family members began reading aloud the names of all 2,977 people who died on September 11, as well as the six people killed ​in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, a somber recitation that lasted about four hours.

In a reminder of the time that has passed, some readers were children who had never met the relatives they lost ​in 2001.

Other moments of silence followed to mark when the other three airplanes crashed and the two towers collapsed. For the first time, a seventh moment of silence honored the ⁠thousands who have died since 2001 from illnesses tied to the toxic dust that poisoned the air for months afterward.

Gregory Carafello attended the ceremony to honor the memory of his lifelong friend James Martello, who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald, the ​financial firm that lost more than 650 employees in the attacks. 

Carafello was on the 18th floor of the South Tower but managed to evacuate.

"Everyone should realize that it was a very bad, catastrophic day for many families," he said. "These were ​not warriors. These were people like you and me going to work."

At the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, where American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building's west flank, killing 184, President Donald Trump chronicled some of the stories of those aboard who perished in the crash: a woman pregnant with her first child, a family of four headed to Australia, three sixth-graders on a field trip.

The president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who also delivered remarks, both used their speeches to make the case for the Iran war, which they have defended as necessary to ​prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"We salute our first responders and law enforcement, and we love them," Trump said. "And we salute the service members working right now to ensure the world's number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of ​Iran, will never ever have a nuclear weapon."

Mourners also gathered in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at the crash site where passengers brought down one of the four hijacked jetliners, United Airlines Flight 93, that had been headed for Washington.

South Africa protesters set September 30 deadline for undocumented migrants

DURBAN, South Africa 

Protesters in South African have given immigrants living in the country illegally until Sept. 30 to leave, threatening larger demonstrations if their demands are not met.

Weekly protests have continued in Durban, where the movement gained momentum earlier this year.

March and March leader Sphelele Shinga said activists expected up to 1.5 million people to join the next major demonstration.

"You should know that all the communities are gathering up again,” Shinga said. “They are waking up, they’re standing up for their home, standing up for their country.”

Shinga said protesters would “write another history” on Sept. 30 by demanding that undocumented migrants leave South Africa.

The group agreed to the move amid safety concerns after months on the street.

Princess Adjei, a Ghanaian refugee, said: “We can’t keep sleeping on the streets forever as well. People have died because of sleeping on the street.”

She said the group was awaiting buses while their documentation was being verified.

Peace activists, including Ela Gandhi, in support of the refugees, stood beside them during the demonstration.

Gandhi, a former member of Parliament and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, condemned the protesters’ rhetoric.

“The rhetoric that these people are using is completely untrue,” Gandhi said. “It’s not the migrants that are causing the problems that they talk about.”

The Sept. 30 deadline has raised the prospect of renewed large-scale demonstrations in Durban.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 11/9/2026

 

Trump pledges $5,000 payout if Republicans win US midterms

DALLAS, United States 

United States President,  Donald Trump has promised a $5,000 payment to every adult American if Republicans win control of both chambers of Congress in November’s midterm elections.

The announcment during a Republican convention in Dallas, Texas, could cost the federal government about $1.3 trillion, based on the nearly 270 million adults in the United States.

Trump did not explain how the payments would be funded or distributed. He said only that recipients would have to spend the money in the US.

The proposal has already raised questions over its cost, legality and whether it could be implemented.

Democrats have dismissed the pledge as an “empty promise”.

Vice-President JD Vance suggested the payments could be funded by revenue generated through Trump’s tariff policies. He described the proposal as a dividend for American workers, arguing that the administration was collecting significant sums from tariffs imposed on foreign goods and companies.

Trump has previously floated a similar idea. He proposed $2,000 payments funded by tariff revenue.

Trump has defended his administration’s approach to Iran, saying that the economic costs of the conflict are necessary to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. 

The war has disrupted energy markets, with the Strait of Hormuz largely closed. The key waterway normally carries around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

The disruption has pushed oil prices higher and increased pressure on Trump to bring the conflict to an end.

Speaking before the Republican convention, Trump warned supporters that the war would continue until after the midterm elections and that oil prices would not fall before then.

At the convention, he returned to the issue of household spending power.

“If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them,” Trump said, “I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000.”

He also said the money should be spent domestically, telling supporters he did not want Americans using the payments to buy goods in countries such as Canada, China or Germany.

It remains unclear how such spending would be monitored.

The White House has yet to provide details on the proposed scheme, including whether Congress would need to approve it and how the government would raise enough money to finance the payments.

Kenya records 19 Mpox deaths as cases rise to 1,298

NAIROBI, Kenya 

At least 19 people have died from Mpox since the outbreak was confirmed in Kenya three months ago, according to a statement released early this week by the Kenyan Ministry of Health.

The Kenyan Ministry of Health indicated that seven counties have so far been identified as high-risk areas for medullary tuberculosis (mpox) due to their location along major transport corridors and their proximity to border crossings.

The East African country has recorded 1,298 confirmed cases of mpox to date, with 452 in Mombasa, which has the highest number of cases, followed by Nairobi with 320.

The counties of Busia, Makueni, Kiambu, Kilifi, and Nakuru have also been classified as high-risk areas, as the outbreak has spread to more than 40 counties.

The ministry warned that mox remains a threat to the country despite efforts to contain its spread. It called for continued public awareness campaigns, strengthened surveillance, and intensified screening at county border crossings to detect and contain new infections.

The ministry indicated that it was also maintaining surveillance for other infectious diseases. Although no confirmed cases of Ebola have been recorded in Kenya, measures have been put in place to respond to any suspected cases and prevent the virus from entering the country.

The ministry added that it would continue to strengthen surveillance, vaccination, public awareness and coordination among health authorities, while continuing its efforts to contain mox and prepare to deal with other emerging health risks.

Misfiring Arsenal beat Napoli in Champions League

NAPLES, Italy 

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard’s sensational late strike broke stern Napoli resistance as the English champions began their bid for Champions League glory with a hard-fought 1-0 win in Naples on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta’s side, who lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in last season’s final, spurned several glorious chances against the well-drilled hosts before Odegaard lashed a shot off the post and in from the edge of the area with 15 minutes to go.

It continued a perfect start to the campaign for Arsenal, who began their Premier League title defence with three wins in a row before condemning Massimiliano Allegri’s team to a third consecutive defeat.

Arsenal’s next European test comes at home against Lille on Tuesday, October 13. Napoli travel to Villarreal on the same day as they look to bounce back.

Injuries to Scott McTominay and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa forced Allegri into a midfield reshuffle, with Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour coming in. Left-back Mathias Olivera was also selected after the hosts had let a two-goal lead slip to lose 3-2 away to Inter Milan on Saturday.

Arteta made four changes from Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday, with Piero Hincapie, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres earning their first starts of the season.

The hosts set out to soak up pressure and frustrate last season’s runners-up, who struggled to break the low block early on and were almost caught out at the other end when De Bruyne and Matteo Politano both called goalkeeper David Raya into action.

Arsenal carved out a big chance midway through the first half when Merino’s header from 8 yards out was pushed over the bar by Alex Meret.

The Gunners, who won all eight of their league phase games to kick-start their run to the final last season, continued to probe as Ben White produced a tame finish from a promising position before Meret scooped a Hincapie cross-shot off his line.

Rasmus Hojlund’s hold-up play was proving a useful weapon for Napoli on the counter, as Politano forced another save from Raya.

But it was Arsenal who ended the first half feeling they should have been in front, after Saka was played through on goal and had only the keeper to beat, only to lift a poor finish over the bar.

Napoli were forced into a goalkeeper change during the interval, with Vanja Milinkovic-Savic replacing the injured Meret, but Arsenal picked up where they left off as Hincapie wasted another good chance by scooping his shot over from 5 yards.

Arsenal continued to knock at the door to no avail until the 75th minute, when in-form Odegaard smashed an unstoppable shot in off the post from the edge of the area, just three days after scoring a winning strike against Chelsea.

The visitors had a huge chance to settle it with five minutes to go when Noni Madueke had a shot charged down by Milinkovic-Savic before fellow substitute Christos Tzolis’s follow-up effort was blocked on the line.

They were almost made to pay when a neat passing move from Napoli left De Bruyne with space in the box, but the Belgian opted to play a ball across an empty 6-yard box instead of shooting.

Kai Havertz thought he had doubled the Gunners’ lead in stoppage time with a tap-in from Milinkovic-Savic’s parry, but the offside flag was up.

Iran war won't end until after crucial November elections, says Trump

By Max Matza, WASHINGTON United States 

United States President, Donald Trump, has said he does not think the Iran war will end until after November's midterm elections, adding that oil prices will not come down until then.

"I think the war's going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer," Trump said of Tehran on Wednesday.

He made the comments as he headed to Texas for the party's first-ever midterm election convention, when the balance of power could change in the US government.

Trump is facing falling polling numbers and pressure from within his Republican Party to end the war with Iran. 

On Wednesday, oil prices rose to $100 (£74) for the first time since July due to increased fighting in the Middle East.

"Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward," Trump told reporters. "I think it's going to take a little bit longer than the midterm."

He added that Iran was "desperate to try and affect the election, so that we can get a nice weak group of people in there" - an apparent reference to the Democrats - "and leave them alone and let them have their nuclear weapon".

He provided no proof of the election claim. Tehran has repeatedly denied it is seeking nuclear weapons.

At the convention in Texas, Trump echoed some of these lines, saying the price of oil would tumble "as soon as we win the war with Iran".

In his speech, he also referenced dissatisfaction among some Americans on the issue: "Guys come up to me and say, 'I wish you didn't do the war in Iran. Now gasoline is up'".

Trump also said further negotiations with Iran could possibly happen, "but it's not something we're looking at".

The US president initially predicted the war, which is now in its seventh month, would last only a matter of weeks. 

The conflict, and its knock-on effects on everything from fuel to groceries, has led to a steep decline in his approval ratings - and pressure from those within his party, including devout supporters, to quickly end the war.

Midterm elections will be held on 3 November, and Republicans are in danger of losing their control on Congress.

At the convention, Trump sought to energise the party ahead of November. Historically, a sitting president's party tends to lose seats in Congress in the midterm elections.

Fighting in the Middle East has intensified in recent days, as oil facilities throughout the region come under attack, driving up the global price of fuel and any item that requires shipping.

The price of oil hit $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since July. Similarly, earlier this week the price of US diesel hit an all-time-high, which is likely to cause a ripple effect on prices across the US.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 10/9/2026