12-09-2026
The United States marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with ceremonies at the World Trade Center site in New York, the Pentagon and the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijacked planes crashed into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. Moments of silence were observed at the times of the attacks, while the names of the dead were read aloud during a ceremony lasting almost four hours. The Tribute in Light illuminated the Manhattan skyline, and landmarks across New York were lit in blue.
President Donald Trump led the Pentagon ceremony, where he invoked the “war on terror” that followed 9/11 and linked it to his current confrontation with Iran. Vice-President JD Vance joined former Presidents George W Bush, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as the former first ladies, at the New York memorial. Bush was president during the attacks.
The article also highlights the continuing human cost of 9/11. Survivor Janice Brooks described escaping the South Tower and witnessing the devastation after the second plane struck. A seventh bell was rung this year to remember people who later died from illnesses linked to dust and smoke at Ground Zero. US health officials say those post-9/11 diseases have caused more than three times as many deaths as the attacks themselves.
Terry Strada, whose husband was killed, criticized Saudi Arabia and US officials over what she described as a lack of accountability, although the 9/11 Commission found no evidence that the Saudi government or senior officials funded al-Qaeda. Commemorations also took place in London, Toronto, Gander and Milan. Gander was honored for sheltering thousands of stranded airline passengers after the attacks, while former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien used the occasion to emphasize Canada’s generosity and independence amid strained US-Canadian relations.
Entities: September 11, 2001 attacks (9/11), Donald Trump, JD Vance, George W Bush, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton • Tone: emotional • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
12-09-2026
The article commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks through an overview of the events and a collection of photographs from remembrance ceremonies across the United States. On that day, al-Qaeda-backed terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. Two planes struck New York’s World Trade Center, a third hit the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and a fourth crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to retake control. The attacks killed 2,977 people, excluding the 19 hijackers, and became the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
The article also describes the broader consequences of the attacks, including the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, the subsequent “war on terror,” and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. On Sept. 11, 2026, ceremonies and moments of silence were held at the three attack sites: ground zero in New York, the Pentagon, and the Flight 93 memorial site in Pennsylvania.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Vice President JD Vance, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. President Donald Trump attended and spoke at the Pentagon ceremony. The accompanying images show survivors, victims’ relatives, firefighters, police officers, military personnel, government officials and other visitors paying tribute. Scenes include people visiting reflecting pools, honoring fallen first responders, viewing memorials, and gathering at the Flight 93 crash site. One image depicts sunlight forming two columns in the World Trade Center’s Oculus, symbolizing the twin towers.
Entities: September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, al-Qaeda, World Trade Center, Pentagon, Shanksville, Pennsylvania • Tone: emotional • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
12-09-2026
The article reports that relatives of victims used the 25th-anniversary remembrance ceremony for the September 11, 2001, attacks to publicly accuse Saudi Arabia of aiding or enabling the attacks and to criticize successive US administrations for failing to hold Riyadh accountable. The attacks were carried out primarily by Saudi hijackers and orchestrated by Osama bin Laden, a Saudi national and founder of al-Qaida. Although the United States maintains close military and diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, the families say the kingdom supported a broader culture of anti-American terrorism and sent agents to assist the hijackers.
Terry Strada, widow of victim Tom Strada and national chair of 9/11 Families United, said the families had secured a court hearing for their allegations and demanded justice. Speaking before former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as Vice President JD Vance, she argued that successive administrations had protected Saudi Arabia rather than the victims’ families. She urged President Donald Trump, who did not attend the New York ceremony, to pressure Riyadh and release evidence.
Another participant called on Trump to publish unredacted files allegedly implicating Saudi Arabia and referred to a supposed “deep state” cover-up. The comments were unusual because the annual reading of victims’ names at the National September 11 Memorial is generally solemn and apolitical.
Trump separately attended a ceremony at the Pentagon with First Lady Melania Trump, where the names of 184 people killed there were read. He commemorated nearly 3,000 victims killed at the Pentagon, the World Trade Center and in Pennsylvania, and said the attacks strengthened America’s resolve. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and military officials also marked the anniversary by watching a large American flag being unfurled at the Pentagon.
Entities: September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Saudi Arabia, 9/11 Families United, Terry Strada, Tom Strada • Tone: emotional • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
12-09-2026
On September 11, 2001, security guard Dereck Lovell helped six people escape the South Tower of the World Trade Center as smoke, fire and collapsing ceilings overwhelmed the building. Lovell had been filling in on the 70th floor and had never worked there before. After the second hijacked plane struck, he was thrown from his chair and injured his shoulder, but continued assisting people as they searched for a way out.
Carrying a flashlight and bullhorn, Lovell directed Morgan Stanley employee Doug Brown and five colleagues toward a functioning staircase that was only about 15 feet away but hidden by the smoke and confusion. Lovell then continued searching the floor and helped three additional employees before descending himself. The South Tower collapsed just minutes after the group escaped.
Brown and the other survivors later tracked Lovell down and thanked him at Morgan Stanley’s temporary offices in Jersey City. Brown and Lovell have remained in contact for nearly 25 years. During the escape, Brown and a colleague also helped Silvion Ramsundar, an investment executive who had suffered serious injuries, including a wound near his heart. They used a handkerchief as a makeshift compress and helped him descend approximately 60 floors to an ambulance.
Now, as the 25th anniversary of the attacks approaches, Lovell is facing a serious health crisis. Diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2025, he had both kidneys removed in 2026 and requires dialysis three times a week while awaiting a transplant. He believes an earlier battle with prostate cancer may have been linked to exposure to 9/11 toxins. Brown is raising awareness in hopes of finding Lovell a donor. Lovell says he was simply doing his job, but Brown calls him a “guardian angel.” The survivors he once helped are now trying to save his life.
Entities: Dereck Lovell, Doug Brown, Silvion Ramsundar, World Trade Center, South Tower • Tone: emotional • Sentiment: positive • Intent: inform
