Tuesday 21 October 2025

Disasters

At least 42 people are killed and 52 others are injured when a tanker truck transporting gasoline crashes and explodes in Bida, Nigeria.

2025 Shinile train collision

At least 14 people are killed and dozens of others are injured when an overcrowded train full of merchants crashes into a stationary train near Dire Dawa in Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

Crime & Justice

A Colombian court overturns a bribery conviction against former president Álvaro Uribe, who had been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest in August 2025. The court is still considering further appeals on a fraud charge.

Peruvian political crisis (2016–present)

Peruvian president José Jerí declares a 30-day state of emergency in Lima in an attempt to curb rising crime.

Politics

Sanae Takaichi is elected as Japan's first female prime minister by the House of Representatives after her party, the Liberal Democratic Party, agreed to form a coalition government with the Japan Innovation Party.

Attempted assassination of Robert Fico

A Slovak court sentences 72-year-old Juraj Cintula, the perpetrator in the attempted assassination of prime minister Robert Fico in 2024, to 21 years in prison. Cintula continues to deny the accusations, saying he aimed away from vital organs.

XIX International Chopin Piano Competition

American Eric Lu wins the 2025 International Chopin Piano Competition at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, Poland.

Irish anti-immigration protests

Rioting takes place in Dublin, Ireland, with several thousand anti-immigration protesters attempting to storm a hotel housing asylum seekers in the city after the alleged rape of a 10-year-old Irish girl by an asylum seeker. A police vehicle is set on fire during the unrest.

Poland–Ukraine relations

A Ukrainian citizen is detained in Poland and two others are arrested in Romania for allegedly working for Russian intelligence agencies and preparing acts of sabotage on Ukrainian shipping routes.

Syrian conflict

Three Druze civilians are shot dead by unidentified gunmen on motorcycles in a suspected sectarian attack in Kafr Maris, Idlib Governorate, Syria.

Gaza peace plan

Two deceased Israeli hostages, Arie "Zalman" Zalmanowicz and Tamir Adar, are handed over to Israel by Hamas.