The Clinton White House was warned that Osama bin Laden intended to crash a bomb-laden aircraft into an American city exactly three years before the September 11 hijackings, newly released CIA records show.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the alert appeared in a September 10, 1998 report prepared for senior Clinton administration officials authorized to receive the president’s most highly classified daily intelligence briefing.

The report, titled ‘Bin Laden’s Location and Intentions,’ did not identify a date or a specific target. But it indicated that the al-Qaeda leader was focused on Washington, DC. Three years later, terrorists working for bin Laden flew a hijacked plane into the Pentagon.

Additional documents show intelligence analysts told the White House in July 1998 that a bin Laden attack inside the United States was “plausible.” In October 2000, they warned that he was still “committed” to striking American targets, although officials said they “cannot pinpoint targets or timing.”

The disclosure emerged as Clinton attended the 25th-anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero, alongside families whose relatives were killed in the attack anticipated by the earlier memo.

In 2001, bin Laden appeared in at least 18 separate editions of President Bush’s daily intelligence briefing, including seven delivered in the weeks before the Twin Towers were destroyed.

A July 24, 2001 memo also reported that an “expected imminent” bin Laden operation had been delayed, while warning that other attacks could still be underway.

The CIA released the 71 documents to mark a quarter-century since nearly 3,000 people were murdered in New York City, at the Pentagon and in a field in Pennsylvania.

The 9/11 Commission had mentioned the 1998 memo, but never disclosed it had been written for the president’s own briefing stream.

Former acting CIA chief Michael Morell told the Wall Street that the documents prove the agency delivered ‘long and loud strategic warnings’ that two administrations failed to act upon.

But agency insiders told the outlet that the intelligence at the time was often thin and drawn from ‘highly questionable sources.’ 

The lack of certainty, insiders told WSJ, made it difficult for policymakers to respond to a potential plot with no time, place or method.

However, one CIA analyst claimed that counterterrorism operations were not a presidential priority before 9/11, and the agency lacked the manpower to dismantle bin Laden’s terror network. 

Bin Laden had played a key role in the 1998 embassy bombings in East Africa and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe hailed the dump as the largest release of the agency’s 9/11 analysis ever, calling it an act of transparency to honor the dead.

Just hours earlier at Ground Zero, 9/11 widow Terry Strada accused ‘administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today’ of protecting Saudi Arabia, and urged Trump to release the unredacted files on the kingdom’s alleged role.

Conservative Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who chairs the House task force pushing for the declassification of federal secrets, told followers on X she had been tipped that 9/11 files would be made public. 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached a critical moment in its battle to contain Ebola, with health experts warning that the response now stands at a decisive crossroads.

Authorities must rapidly build on existing measures to suppress the current outbreak, or face the prospect of it becoming the most severe Ebola epidemic ever documented.

Since the outbreak was declared in May 2026, the DRC had recorded more than 6,186 confirmed infections and 3,007 deaths as of September 1. The toll makes it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history.

The crisis involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus responsible for Ebola disease. No licensed vaccine or targeted treatment is currently available for this strain.

Health officials believe the outbreak began in late April 2026 in Mongbwalu, a highly mobile mining hub in north-eastern DRC’s Ituri region. It then spread through linked communities and health-care networks into the Rwampara and Bunia health zones in Ituri province, before crossing into Uganda.

The Congolese government is leading the national response, supported by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and other partners. Their work has included expanding disease surveillance, laboratory services, treatment facilities, infection prevention, vaccination efforts, logistics, public outreach and safe, dignified burials.

There have been important gains, notably in Uganda, where transmission was halted through firm national leadership and close cooperation with local communities.

In the DRC, however, persistent insecurity, high population movement, late case detection, funding and supply shortfalls, and limited community ownership have continued to fuel the spread of the virus.

The current response remains insufficient to break the chain of transmission in the DRC. Officials say surveillance, testing, treatment, vaccination and community engagement must be brought closer to villages if the outbreak is to be contained.

And public health experts with expertise in Ebola say more action is required.

What’s required is informed by the four factors that have made this epidemic difficult to control:

• The DRC’s difficult geographical and humanitarian environment
• Highly mobile populations
• Low trust and poor community engagement
• The incomplete scientific arsenal against the Bundibugyo virus

The four factors 

First, this is an outbreak occurring in an exceptionally difficult environment. The affected areas are vast, remote and, in many places, insecure. Short journeys can take a day or more on bad roads, particularly during the rainy season (which is now).

Second, populations are highly mobile. Mining communities, motorcycle transport, displacement and cross-border movement connect villages and health zones that are difficult to monitor. 

The outbreak has been concentrated in several interconnected areas, particularly in Ituri, about 1,700 miles (2,886 kilometers) from Kinshasa, the DRC capital. Bunia, the main urban hub in Ituri, is connected to surrounding transmission areas. Movement of people is important in the response.

Third, trust and community engagement remain challenges. When people are afraid, when health facilities have closed after health workers have died, or when families have experienced Ebola without seeing an effective response, they may delay or avoid getting help. 

This directly affects surveillance. Current investigations by our team suggest that a substantial proportion of cases are being identified outside established contact lists. The response therefore cannot depend only on traditional contact tracing.

Fourth, unlike Ebola caused by the Zaire species, the Bundibugyo virus has no licensed vaccine or specific treatment. Clinical research is therefore part of the response itself.

The DRC has launched Ebola vaccination in Kisangani. The first injections were administered to health workers and other frontline responders. 

More than 50,000 doses have been received. 

The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision has approved 70,000 doses of Ervebo for use in the country. Around 20,000 doses will be used in a clinical trial to assess its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain.

The response thus far 

It is important to recognize how much has been achieved in only three months, between May 15 and August 15, 2026.

More than 20 Ebola treatment and isolation facilities have been established or supported. At the height of the crisis in late May 2026, treatment capacity was overwhelmed, with bed occupancy exceeding 200 percent. In late August, occupancy had fallen to around 66 percent.

Laboratory capacity has expanded dramatically, with 22 laboratories operating across the five affected provinces. 

Before, there was only one in Kinshasa with the capacity to detect Bundibugyo. This has helped reduce turnaround time between sample collection and results, from over a week to just hours.

Safe and dignified burials have also improved substantially, with the vast majority now taking place within 24 hours.

These improvements matter. They are signs that the response can change the trajectory of an epidemic when resources, coordination and technical capacity come together.

There are also encouraging epidemiological signals. The effective reproduction number, which measures how fast a disease spreads, has fallen substantially from the very high levels (Rt 4.0, which means each infected person is passing on Ebola to four others) observed in May. The average number of people that each patient infects has fallen from four to just over one.

The scale of resources mobilized for the outbreak is substantial, with approximately $1.72 billion in pledges, including $118.5 million committed by African countries. Around $867 million (about half of the pledges) has reportedly been released.

The continental response plan launched on June 5, 2026 by Africa CDC and WHO was designed around a simple principle: one plan, one budget, one team, one monitoring and evaluation framework, with communities at the center.

What’s required 

The next phase must center on the villages. Local representatives, health workers and leaders should become active partners in surveillance, early detection, referral, risk communication and community protection.

Digital tools can support this, but technology must serve the community rather than replace it.

Commercial motorcycle riders, who connect communities across enormous distances, must be engaged as partners in the response rather than being treated simply as a risk.

Vaccination must be brought closer to communities. Research must be done where the epidemic is occurring. Clinical trials of vaccines and therapeutics must proceed with urgency and scientific rigor.

Essential health services must continue alongside Ebola control.

The same applies to the reopening of schools. This must happen with infection-prevention measures, including training teachers, providing hygiene facilities, developing clear referral mechanisms, and adapting communication about the epidemic for school children and families.

Humanitarian and Ebola responses must also be integrated. A community facing insecurity, displacement and disease cannot be expected to navigate separate systems for each crisis.

Finally, Ebola doesn’t respect borders. The collaboration between the DRC and Uganda shows what regional solidarity can look like. It’s about joint surveillance, moving diagnostic capacity closer to border communities, sharing information and coordinated action. 

The DRC-Uganda lessons must be extended to South Sudan, the Republic of Congo and other neighboring countries as agreed in Bangui, Central African Republic, in mid August.

This article is adapted from The Conversation, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to sharing the knowledge of experts. It was written by Yap Boum, Professor in the faculty of Medicine at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and Marie Roseline Belizaire, a Researcher in the School of Medicine at Universidad de Alcalá. It was edited by Luke Andrews, Daily Mail senior health correspondent.

A Just Stop Oil activist and GP who compared his conduct to that of the Suffragettes has been suspended from medical practice again after a tribunal concluded he had shown no remorse over damaging a petrol station.

Dr Patrick Hart said Britain’s “draconian” laws meant he was no longer able to take part in protests.

Hart used a hammer and chisel during a 2022 Just Stop Oil action to damage 16 Esso fuel pumps beside the M25.

Although the protest resulted in a prison sentence, he declined to express regret for what he did. He said he would not join further demonstrations because he did not want to “spend the rest of his life in prison”.

The doctor has drawn parallels between himself and the Suffragettes, arguing that they are now celebrated despite using comparable tactics in their fight against laws they regarded as unjust.

The outspoken GP, who has made appearances on Good Morning Britain, received a 12-month jail term over the 2022 Just Stop Oil protest that disrupted a service station on the M25.

At a professional tribunal hearing, Hart said he joined the action because he believed he had exhausted other options in confronting the climate “crisis”. He also said heatwave conditions were placing “increased pressure” on the NHS.

He had previously told a court that he “regrets nothing”, while citing the actions of historic figures including Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela before the Tribunal.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, or MPTS, suspended him from practising for 10 months last year.

Now, he has been suspended from practising for a further ten months after a panel found he showed a ‘contempt both for certain laws and the Tribunal process, having made it clear that he thought both were wrong to be punishing him’.

He qualified as a doctor in 2010 and was a practising GP at Bridge View Medical Practice in Bristol at the time of the protest, the tribunal heard. 

Dr Hart took part in a Just Stop Oil protest in April 2022, where he climbed onto the pipework at the Exolum Pumping Station and disrupted the storage and transportation of fuel.

He was fined £500 for that offence and was on bail.

Then in August 2022, he took part in another protest at Esso Service Station in Thurrock, Essex, where he used a hammer and orange spray paint to damage the petrol pumps.

This led to the closure of the forecourt on the M25 and left three-quarters of the petrol pumps out of action for 24 hours. 

Dr Hart was convicted at Chelmsford Crown Court, Essex, of criminal damage to property valued at £11,000 and the judge deemed this was contempt of court.

He was jailed for a year with the judge deeming the offences were ‘deliberate’ and were committed while he was on bail. 

In May 2023, he invaded the pitch during the Premiership Rugby Final at Twickenham and threw orange-coloured cornflour around, as part of a wave of Just Stop Oil protests at major sporting events at the time.

He was later found not guilty of causing criminal damage to the pitch at Twickenham.  

Dr Hart referred himself to the General Medical Council in September of that year.

An MPTS tribunal was held in 2025, and the panel decided to suspend Dr Hart for ten months.

He was suspended for another ten months in a new tribunal having given no new evidence and showing ‘no remorse’ for his actions. 

The tribunal heard: ‘He told the Tribunal that there was an impasse as he was committed to his position that he acted in good faith and with integrity.

‘He said that the suffragettes, now celebrated in society, acted in a similar way to resist unjust laws and effect change.’

The doctor refused to say that his actions were ‘wrong’ and he said that he had ‘dignity’, knowing he didn’t back down from his conviction.

The panel said: ‘Dr Hart said that he had taken no further part in climate activism that risks arrest because he does not want to spend the rest of his life in prison and the imposition of draconian laws restricting protest has made it ineffectual.

‘He said that he does not have access to resources to properly maintain his skills and knowledge other than reading for his own interest but that, in any case, he had no interest in providing such evidence to the Tribunal while it would find him impaired because of his lack of insight.

‘Dr Hart said that, despite being an otherwise law abiding citizen, to act with integrity included sometimes choosing to break certain laws in the interest of effecting change.

‘He said that the recent heatwaves in the UK and Europe had put an increased pressure on health services and that this would continue to get worse.’

The panel added: ‘The Tribunal considered that Dr Hart’s opinions regarding climate change were sincere and deeply held.

‘However, it considered that he had shown no insight into the negative impact of his misconduct or conviction on public confidence or on the profession.

‘Dr Hart was candid in stating his position that he believed he had done nothing wrong and that he was at an impasse with his regulator.

‘The Tribunal considered that Dr Hart had shown contempt both for certain laws and the Tribunal process, having made it clear that he thought both were wrong to be punishing him.

‘The Tribunal determined that Dr Hart had demonstrated no insight into his misconduct and conviction, despite his belief that his insight was excellent.

‘The Tribunal noted that Dr Hart had indicated his main reason for attending this hearing or a subsequent review was to use the public forum to express his views on the climate crisis.

‘The Tribunal considered that this reflected its earlier finding that Dr Hart had demonstrated contempt in some circumstances for both the law and this Tribunal.

‘Despite this, the Tribunal considered that erasure would be disproportionate to Dr Hart at his first review hearing.’

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The world’s most beautiful hotels for 2026 have been unveiled, highlighting extraordinary places to stay everywhere from historic estates to striking contemporary escapes for your next trip.

Chosen by a panel of expert reviewers, this year’s selection features regal UK retreats, exceptional properties in Japan and Morocco, and characterful boutique hotels across Europe and further afield.

A total of 33 properties have earned recognition among the year’s most beautiful stays in Time Out’s latest ranking.

The diverse line-up offers something for every kind of traveller, spanning an adventure-focused hotel in Iceland, a clifftop Bali resort and Cape Town’s storied ‘Pink Lady’ hotel.

Here is the guide to the world’s most spectacular hotels for 2026…

1. Ashford Castle, Ireland

Ashford Castle, once the home of the Guinness family, has no shortage of reasons to impress: magnificent grounds, 83 opulently appointed rooms and sweeping lakeside scenery among them.

Its story reaches back to the 13th century, when it began life as a medieval stronghold before becoming the grand retreat it is today. Over the centuries, it has welcomed royalty, aristocrats and other notable guests.

Guests can visit Ireland’s Best Hotel Spa 2025, go horseback riding or even handle a Harris hawk, making this a stay designed for anyone wanting a glimpse of aristocratic life.

2. The Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota, Japan

Located at the foot of Mount Asama, in Kitasaku-gun, the Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota is a stay like no other in Japan.

Food is very much the crown jewel here in this ‘gourmet’s paradise’ situated within a forest.

Indeed, the hotel’s motto is ‘One Stay, One Full Course,’ and you can enjoy modern French and Italian cuisine alongside incredible mountain views and a hot spring.

3. Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Italy

The 11‑acre Giardino della Gherardesca on the grounds of Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is one of the largest private gardens in Florence – making it a unique oasis in the heart of one of Italy’s best cities for an art- and culture-fuelled weekend away.

The hotel blends Renaissance grandeur with authentic Italian hospitality, and last year reopened its Palazzo del Nero, an intimate historic palace pairing with Palazzo della Gherardesca inside the hotel. 

Within its walls, Onde, a glamorous seafood osteria, and Bar Berni, a vermouth-inspired cocktail bar, are top choices for a classy night out.

4. Jackalope Hotel, Australia 

A luxury winery in Victoria, Jackalope Hotel is incredibly swish: expect rooms with vineyard views, an infinity pool, spa and modern furnishings.

The concept – unique and somewhat bizarre – stems from a mythological creature born from jackrabbits and antelope. 

‘This concept became intrinsically tied to Jackalope, the creature’s own duality forming the foundation for the architecture of the hotel – bold, monolithic, avant-garde, and completely out of place on what is considered a traditional vineyard location,’ the hotel website explains. 

5. Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York

Stepping into Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue Hotel truly feels like stepping back in time into the Gilded Age.

The Mansion itself was built in 1907 by McKim, Mead & White, one of the last private homes of its kind in this part of Manhattan, and it still carries the curiosities of that era. 

It is filled with whimsical interiors, jewel tones, patterned marble beneath fingertips, velvet, expensive-looking surfaces and a simultaneously homely and highly elevated feel.

6. Ritz-Carlton Abama, Tenerife

Located on the volcanic shores of Tenerife, The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Mount Teide and lush gardens – so it’s already won the jackpot here.

It boasts 459 rooms, suites and penthouses and is organised into distinct environments: the Citadel, the lively heart of dining and social life, the Retreat, offering privacy for adults and families, and the Penthouses Collection, blending residential comfort with sophistication.

The hotel features Michelin-starred dining as well as a spa, beach and entertainment for children.

7. ION Adventure Hotel, Iceland

Few Iceland hotels are as indisputably cool as this.

ION Adventure Hotel juts out of a mountain, and has just 45 rooms for guests seeking an immersive, luxurious and very much ‘in the middle of nature’ hotel stay.

Here, you can explore the nearby surroundings: enjoy a horseback riding tour in the beautiful surroundings of the Ölfus area in South Iceland, hike inside a dormant volcano and snorkel in the icy waters of Silfra.

It is situated on Mount Hengill, 18km from UNESCO-listed Thingvellir National Park. 

8. Le Jardin des Douars, Morocco

A Morocco break as it should be done: located in the heart of the hills of beach town Essaouira, the Jardin des Douars is a boutique hotel that truly blends into the landscape.

With orange stone buildings, lush greenery and a real ‘hidden gem’ feel, you’ll avoid the tourist traps of Marrakech here and enjoy a stay that draws upon authentic Moroccan style, design and hospitality.

Hammam, massages, body treatments and rituals inspired by Moroccan traditions are also available to enhance your time away.

9. The Phoenicia, Valletta

Opened in 1947, The Phoenicia Malta is Malta’s first five-star hotel, located at the entrance to Valletta – last year named the Best City in the World by Condé Nast Traveller’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Steps away from Valletta, the hotel offers seven acres of private gardens and blends centuries-old limestone with modern amenities.

You can also enjoy the Phoenicia Spa & Wellness, taste Mediterranean flavours at Contessa restaurant and stroll from the Art Deco lobby straight into the heart of Valletta.

10. Mount Nelson, Cape Town

Cape Town has long been an ‘it’ destination – and Mount Nelson the most chic of all.

Right next to the iconic Table Mountain, the ‘Pink Lady’ hotel has stood since 1899, with gorgeous gardens and an all-star guest list: the hotel has welcomed everyone from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to John Lennon, Marlene Dietrich and the Dalai Lama.

The rose-tinted hotel also has standout South African food, with seafood-inspired cuisine at Amura by Chef Angel Leon to a classic afternoon tea. 

11. The Ungasan Clifftop Resort, Bali

Bali, home to jungle-inspired hotels with infinity pools and views that extend for miles, is full of beautiful places to stay – but this hotel is next level.

The Ungasan Clifftop Resort, perched above the Indian Ocean, has luxurious villas and suites with everything you could want from a Bali holiday.

Some of the villas sleep more than 10 guests, such as the glamorous Villa Santai Sorga, with 2500 sqm of colonial charm, manicured tropical gardens and clifftop ocean setting.

12. 1 Hotel Mayfair, London

Sustainability is the order of the day at 1 Hotel Mayfair.

Greenery is everywhere you look – the hotel boasts 1,300 individual plants, shrubs and trees, and offers a full electric vehicle to take you around in (eco-friendly) style.

READ MORE: Voice Changes May Signal Early Cognitive Decline, Study Finds

Plus, the building’s roof rainwater is used to keep the plants hydrated. Pretty and good for the planet. 

13. Le Pavillon de La Reine, Paris

Located directly on the historic Place des Vosges in the heart of the Marais district of Paris, few addresses in the French capital are quite as coveted as this one.

Le Pavillon de La Reine features 17th-century fireplaces and antiques, a hidden garden retreat and picturesque ivy-covered walls.

‘This was one of the best hotels I’ve stayed at in the world and by far the best I’ve stayed at in Paris,’ one guest wrote. 

‘I can’t say enough good things about this place and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Paris. I look forward to staying here again in the future.’

14. Gleneagles, Scotland

In Scotland, The Gleneagles Hotel is perhaps one of the best-known and most coveted hotel stays you can find.

For more than a century, the hotel has hosted visitors seeking to explore lochs, glens and golf courses, as well as the spa and Michelin-starred dining.

Rooms are tastefully decorated, with a classy and elevated feel – perfect for an elevated family holiday. 

15. Madonna Inn, California 

Rounding out the top 15 most beautiful hotels is the Madonna Inn in California, a pink and whimsical hotel perfect for anyone seeking something slightly out of the ordinary.

The hotel has 110 uniquely themed rooms, from a ‘caveman’ room to garish and bright suites, Victorian-style bedrooms and a San Francisco room.

‘The Madonna Inn never disappoints. We recently stayed in the Old English room and loved how spacious and uniquely themed it was,’ one visitor wrote.

‘The whole hotel is a visual treat, and we had the best time exploring the grounds and gift shops. A huge bonus for families: the pool area is incredible!’