Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Emotions as Lionel Messi plays his last game for his country
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
There was plenty of emotion and even some tears as superstar Lionel Messi played his last game for Argentina on Tuesday night, bringing an end to his international football career.
The 39-year-old concluded his 21-year run with the national team scoring a goal in the 71st minute of a friendly against Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
Widely considered the greatest player of all time, the Inter Miami star is the country's most capped players and its record goal scorer, having found the net 126 times in 208 appearances.
Fernando Rodriguez, a Mexican businessman who attended the match said Messi has left a legacy of “determination and unity, especially for the people of Argentina”.
“He leaves behind a sense of community and shows that great things are always possible,” he said.
“Everyone loves him, they love him everywhere, they recognise him because the guy is unique,” said fan, Ariel Cinquemani.
Messi debuted for the team in 2005 at the age of 18, assumed captaincy in 2011, and went on to lead Argentina to a World Cup win in 2022, as well as two Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
Both he and Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni appeared visibly emotional during the national anthems ahead of the game.
It was paused for a standing ovation in the 10th minute, in honour of Messi's shirt number, complete with fireworks and chanting from the crowd.
Addressing them following the final whistle, he said playing for Argentina had been “the most beautiful thing”.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
WHO warns against Ebola lockdown in Kenya
By Joseph Ogungo, NAIROBI Kenya
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised Kenya against imposing travel or trade restrictions following the country’s first reported Ebola case.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 6, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also urged other countries not to restrict travel to or trade with Kenya and other affected countries based on the currently available information.
Ghebreyesus said WHO was closely monitoring the situation and would, where necessary, verify any travel and trade measures introduced in response to the outbreak.
“WHO advises against any restriction of travel to, or trade with, the affected countries based on the currently available information. We continue to closely monitor and, where necessary, verify travel and trade measures in relation to this epidemic,” he stated.
At the same time, the WHO boss said the organisation is continuing to support Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in contact tracing to ensure all those suspected of having had contact with the identified case are identified.
"WHO is supporting the governments of Kenya, the DRC, and Uganda in contact tracing, surveillance, screening, and other response measures to rapidly identify potential cases and prevent further spread of the virus," he added.
The warning comes a day after Kenya reported its first-ever case of the Ebola virus.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 6, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the patient had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi.
According to the CS, the patient, who has since died of the virus, had been living and working in the DRC for the past seven years, fell ill about a month ago and was treated at several hospitals in the DRC before travelling to Uganda by road as he made his way back to Kenya.
Following the reported case, President William Ruto convened the National Security Council Committee (NSCC) to assess the Ebola situation in the country after a patient died in the first confirmed case.
In a statement from the State House on Tuesday, October 6, Ruto directed a multi-agency team to trace everyone who may have been exposed, including the deceased's family, healthcare workers and fellow passengers.
According to the Head of State, the NSCC will also recommend measures to safeguard the country and help prevent the virus from spreading.
Ebola symptoms can appear 2 to 21 days after exposure and may include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea; severe cases can cause bleeding.
Anyone with symptoms after possible exposure should avoid contact with others and seek medical attention immediately.
Malian army and Russian fighters retake key city of Kidal, abandoned by rebels
BAMAKO, Mali
The Malian army said it has entered the strategic northern city of Kidal, which was captured in April by Tuareg separatists who announced their withdrawal earlier Tuesday as the military advanced.
"We have just arrived in Kidal ahead of schedule," a staff officer told AFP, with a second officer confirming the arrival.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the general staff claimed for the first time to have "engaged in large-scale air-land operations in the Kidal region" with its " Russian partners" in order to " neutralize armed terrorist groups," "destroyed their sanctuaries" and "sustainably restored the security of the population" and their "freedom of movement."
Retaking the city would be a powerful symbol in favor of the transitional authorities, who had been humiliated by last April's defeat.
Meanwhile, the Tuareg separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said in a statement it had "decided to carry out a strategic and controlled withdrawal of its forces from the city of Kidal", after capturing it during April attacks alongside allied jihadists who aimed to weaken Mali's junta rulers.
Starting in late April, the JNIM and the FLA launched a series of assaults, capturing the northern city of Kidal and killing Mali's defence minister. They also briefly captured the town of Anefis in fierce fighting in early July, among other assaults.
Mali has been gripped by a security crisis since 2012, fuelled notably by violence from groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadist group, as well as local criminal gangs and separatists.
Since two successive coups in 2020 and 2021, the country has been ruled by the military, which came to power on the promise of restoring security, so far without success.
Monday, October 5, 2026
"Pursue dialogue ahead of elections" - Ruto tells South Sudan President
By Our Correspondent, NAIROBI Kenya
Kenyan President William Ruto urged South Sudan’s political leaders to pursue dialogue and consensus on Monday as Nairobi pledged to support preparations for elections scheduled for December.
Ruto made the remarks after meeting South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit at State House in Nairobi, as Juba seeks regional support for general elections.
“Kenya stands ready to support South Sudan in this endeavour while encouraging dialogue and consensus among all parties,” Ruto said in a post on X.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold general elections on Dec. 22, 2026, in a vote intended to end the country’s prolonged transitional period. The elections have been repeatedly delayed since independence in 2011.
Kiir dissolved the transitional unity government and the national legislature on Sept. 22 and appointed a caretaker administration, following amendments to the electoral law that removed some legal conditions previously linked to holding the elections.
The move has raised the stakes for political dialogue as South Sudan prepares for the polls under a power-sharing arrangement established by a 2018 peace deal that ended five years of civil war.
The African Union and other regional and international actors have called for a peaceful transition and credible, inclusive and transparent elections.
Ruto said Kenya would support South Sudan’s electoral preparations and also expressed satisfaction with relations between the two countries.
“We expressed satisfaction with the strong relations between our two nations and resolved to continue opening more opportunities for trade and investment for our citizens,” he said.
The two leaders also discussed regional economic cooperation. Ruto thanked Kiir for South Sudan’s participation in last week’s launch of the Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu.
For its part, Kiir’s office said he told Ruto that South Sudan had completed the legal steps required for the elections, while logistical and financial preparations are under way. An inter-party dialogue is also continuing, with Kiir urging political parties to build consensus on election-related issues.
Ruto welcomed the dialogue and encouraged South Sudanese parties to maintain negotiations, according to Kiir’s office. The two leaders also said credible elections are important for peace and security in the region.
The leaders also discussed economic cooperation, including reducing charges on containers bound for South Sudan and operationalising a dry port allocated to the country in Naivasha, according to Kiir’s office.
Kiir arrived in Nairobi on Sunday for his first known foreign trip since dissolving the transitional government.
His visit followed reports circulating on social media about his health. Kiir’s office has not publicly commented on the reports.
Trump says 'threat' led US to pull bombers from RAF Fairford
WASHINGTON, United States
United States President, Donald Trump has said the US moved its bombers out of RAF Fairford because of "some threats" to the base.
The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday it had removed its bombers - thought to be about a dozen B-1s - from the base back to their home stations in America.
Speaking to reporters as he departed for Nebraska on Monday, Trump said the US had known of a "threat", which led them to move the bombers.
Earlier on Monday, a No 10 spokesperson had insisted RAF Fairford was safe and pointed to Trump's comments last week, where he praised the UK's "police, defence and security services" in relation to the base.
Trump's comments appear to confirm reports by US media that a new threat led to the bombers being removed after a major incident on 27 September when police were alerted to three "suspicious vehicles" near the airbase.
While speaking to a gaggle of reporters outside the White House, Trump was asked if a "specific threat" had led the US to pull its bombers from the airbase.
Trump replied: "Yeah I think we can say that. They didn't fly out by accident.
"There were some threats. And rather than tempting the enemy, we'll capture the enemy and beat the enemy. But why should we leave them there? So we moved them around a little bit. Not very far."
He added Washington "actually knows the people that made the threat", but he did not confirm who.
The exact nature of the threat that prompted the aircraft's removal from RAF Fairford remains unclear, but sources in Washington speculated it might have revolved around sabotage attempts or attempts to strike the sensitive, expensive aircraft in the event of resumed hostilities with Iran.
One source close to the White House pointed to Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb - a covert drone attack on five Russian bases in June last year - as an example of what an enemy force could do, even at a distance.
"Whatever they thought it was, it was taken extremely seriously," the source said.
US media outlets the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Axios reported that the potential attack may have been designed to target the aircraft and kill personnel, citing unnamed officials.
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