Tuesday, October 21, 2025
11 stories, grouped by subject, the most important first
Conflict
Syrian conflict
Three Druze civilians are shot dead by unidentified gunmen on motorcycles in a suspected sectarian attack in Kafr Maris, Idlib Governorate, Syria.
Politics
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.
Crime & Justice
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.
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.
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.
Disasters
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.
Disasters
At least 42 people are killed and 52 others are injured when a tanker truck transporting gasoline crashes and explodes in Bida, Nigeria.
Culture
XIX International Chopin Piano Competition
American Eric Lu wins the 2025 International Chopin Piano Competition at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, Poland.
Stories adapted from Wikipedia’s Current events portal for October 21, 2025, by Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.