{
  "id": 13331055,
  "title": "‘Like a drill going into my eye’: why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/like-a-drill-going-into-my-eye-why-the-mystery-over-havana-syndrome",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-10T05:00:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian US",
    "slug": "the-guardian-us",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/oct/10/havana-syndrome-mystery-cia-russia"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For over a decade, a mysterious phenomenon known as Havana syndrome has afflicted numerous CIA officers. The nature of these symptoms and their cause remain a subject of intense debate. Were these individuals victims of mass hysteria, or did they suffer the effects of an energy weapon attack? If the latter is true, the question of who is responsible remains unanswered, and suspicions of a cover-up persist.\n\nOn an April night in 2019, a CIA officer on a work assignment in London awoke at 1am to the most severe headache he had ever experienced. His body was drenched in sweat, and he felt as though his eyes were spinning uncontrollably. Despite his best efforts to make it to the bathroom to expel the contents of his stomach, his equilibrium deserted him. Eventually, he succumbed to a fitful and shallow sleep. The following day, he attended a work meeting he had traveled for, only to find himself unable to recall the names of his colleagues, people he knew intimately. As the meeting commenced, he struggled to follow the discussion.\n\nInitially, the officer attributed his condition to a severe, albeit peculiar, case of food poisoning. However, as time passed and his symptoms persisted, he became increasingly alarmed. He began to experience brain fog, loss of balance, and a growing sense of tinnitus. As the story unfolds, the mystery surrounding Havana syndrome refuses to die, leaving many questions unanswered.",
  "summary": "Dozens of CIA officers have been afflicted by debilitating symptoms over the past decade. Are they the result of ‘mass hysteria’? Or are they from attacks with an energy weapon and, if so, who is responsible? And has there been a cover-up? Shortly after 1am one night in April 2019, a CIA officer on a work trip to London was jolted awake in his hotel room by the most intense head pain he had ever…",
  "key_points": [
    "CIA officers suffer Havana syndrome symptoms for over a decade.",
    "2019 incident in London causes severe headache, disorientation.",
    "Symptoms persist with brain fog, tinnitus, and balance loss."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian",
        "title": "‘Like a drill going into my eye’: why the mystery over Havana syndrome refuses to die",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/like-a-drill-going-into-my-eye-why-the-mystery-over-havana-syndrome-13333320",
        "published": "2026-10-10T05:00:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}