News in brief

Tuesday 10 March 2026

Havana Syndrome has a potential culprit

The US reportedly tested a microwave weapon tied to the phenomenon

This article appeared as part of the Daily Sensemaker newsletter – one story a day to make sense of the world. To receive it in your inbox, featuring content exclusive to the newsletter, sign up for free here.

A 60 Minutes report has found that the US government bought a microwave weapon from a Russian criminal network and allegedly tested it on rats and sheep at a military base. This weapon might explain Havana Syndrome, the term that has come to describe mysterious brain injuries suffered by high-level American officials in the field. The US has previously acknowledged these injuries, which can lead to severe head pain, chronic vertigo and cognitive dysfunction, but the cause has not been confirmed. A 2023 intelligence assessment said it was “very unlikely” that victims had been attacked by a foreign adversary. Marc Polymeropoulos, a former CIA officer, told 60 Minutes there had been a “massive CIA cover-up”.

Newsletters

Choose the newsletters you want to receive

View more

For information about how The Observer protects your data, read our Privacy Policy

Follow

The Observer
The Observer Magazine
The ObserverNew Review
The Observer Food Monthly
Copyright © 2025 Tortoise MediaPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions