- The Guardian
- Issue #2166
CUBA: 73 people who were killed in a terrorist act against a Cuban civilian plane in 1976 were honoured at commemorative events in Havana and other cities. The authorities reaffirmed the demand for justice and the need to keep alive the memory of the 1976 event. The Cuban plane exploded in mid-flight on 6 October of that year. The perpetrators were arrested in Venezuela, while the main organisers, Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada Cariles, later lived in the United States. 6 October is officially recognised in Cuba as the Day of the Victims of State Terrorism.
FRANCE: French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned less than 24 hours after naming the government and after less than a month in office. The move plunged the country further into a deep political crisis and left French President Macron facing calls for his own resignation. It was France’s fourth prime minister in barely a year.
ESWATINI: A group of 10 migrants deported from the United States arrived in the African nation of Eswatini. They are the latest of more than 40 deportees to Africa since July after the Trump administration struck largely secretive agreements with at least five nations there to take migrants under the new third-country deportation program that human rights groups and others have protested against. Eswatini is a small, mountainous, landlocked kingdom in South Africa, adjoining Mozambique.
RUSSIA: Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued a statement claiming the UK secret service is preparing a group of Russian nationals who fight for Ukraine to sabotage a Ukrainian navy ship or a foreign civilian vessel in a European port, after which Britain would accuse Russia of orchestrating the attack. The SVR also claimed that the terrorist group would leave behind them Chinese-made underwater equipment, which would later be presented as ‘proof’ of Beijing’s support for Russia.
GEORGIA: The ruling party of Georgia won the local elections in all 64 municipalities on 4 October 2025. The victory in the capital was of particular importance as the candidate won 71.6% of the vote. Political life in Georgia has become sharply radicalised in recent years. The country’s authorities have chosen to act in the national interest and protect the country’s political system from external interference. In 2024, Parliament passed a law that required NGOs to register as ‘agents of foreign influence’ if their foreign funding accounted for more than 20% of their total income. The opposition was strongly opposed to the move and massive rallies against the move followed. However, in subsequent parliamentary elections in October 2024, the Georgian Dream party was able to hold the majority. The recent protests are seen as an attempt to regain lost ground and change the regime in the country.
INDIA: Direct flights between India and China are set to resume on 26 October 2025, after a 5-year ban due to COVID-19 restrictions and border issues. The reinstated routes aim to strengthen bilateral ties, boost tourism, and ease trade and cultural exchanges.
PAKISTAN: Authorities have reached a peace agreement with a civil rights alliance, ending days of violent protests that left at least 10 people dead and bringing calm to Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Under the deal, the regional government agreed to continue subsidising wheat and electricity, and accepted more than three dozen other demands related to reducing the number of ministers and improving health, education and other public services.
