--- title: "October 2025" description: "CBRNe World provides those tasked with defending against CBRN and IED threats with the essential practical, scientific and political information. Access the current and previous issues of the magazine by registering as a member." url: "https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news/october-2025" date: "2026-07-30T21:13:45+00:00" language: "en-GB" --- # Threats & News # October 2025 - [Asia Pacific](https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news#asia) - [Africa](https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news#africa) - [Americas](https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news#americas) - [Europe](https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news#europe) - [Middle-East](https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news#middle-east) # Asia Pacific # Africa ### Chemical Weapons Workshops 21 October 2025 | Zoe Rutherford | [Africa](https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news/africa) According to a story in the Islam Times, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force formerly operated by the government of Sudan, have reportedly established three workshops in Nyala, South Darfur, to manufacture explosive and chemical materials, according to Sudanese outlet Almohagig. The report also alleges that drones carrying toxic payloads have been deployed against civilians in El-Fasher. Citing local sources, Almohagig identified the sites as a facility inside the Gum Arabic Company industrial complex, another at the Al-Junaid Oil and Grease Factory in Nyala’s Domaya neighborhood, and a third assembly site west of the Ministry of Finance. The sources claim that the RSF has been receiving chemical supplies and toxic gases by air through Nyala Airport. The report further alleges that foreign mercenaries — including individuals from Nigeria and Uganda — are assisting the RSF, while foreign officers and engineers are supervising operations. However, the nationalities of those supervisors have not been independently confirmed. Local reporters in El-Fasher said that an RSF drone shot down on October 8 contained a small canister believed to hold toxic gas. Residents and resistance groups have linked similar drones to a previous attack on El Obeid, where explosive devices were reportedly fitted with chemical payloads. Medical sources cited by local emergency committees described victims suffering from vomiting, convulsions, and respiratory distress — symptoms consistent with exposure to chemical agents. Independent verification of the reported use or production of chemical weapons has not yet been published. ### Ageing fertiliser factory stifles town 16 October 2025 | Zoe Rutherford | [Africa](https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news/africa) Like thousands who have turned out to protest in her southern Tunisian city of Gabes, Aioua is demanding the closure of a nearby chemical factory, blaming it for a range of serious health issues. "I was in the classroom when I felt my throat burning and my head getting heavy, then I fainted," said Ahmed, Aioua's son. The factory "is deadly poison", his 40-year-old mother cried. "It must be dismantled." Since early September Gabes has recorded an increasing number of respiratory distress and other health problems, sparking fresh protests. Other students in Ahmed's school at Chott Essalem, a coastal neighbourhood not far from the phosphate processing plant, have also complained of ailments linked to the factory's pollution. Several residents have recently been hospitalised for gas poisoning and other issues, with 122 on Tuesday alone, according to the authorities. Locals in Gabes have said the factory, which processes phosphate to make fertilisers, has been emitting more toxic gases into the air lately. That comes on top of the solid radioactive waste the plant, opened in 1972, discharges into the Mediterranean. Ahmed Guefrech, a local assembly member, blamed the toxic gas leaks on "dilapidated units installed 53 years ago, with run-down equipment and no maintenance". ### Food poisoning linked to water contamination 02 October 2025 | Zoe Rutherford | [Africa](https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news/africa) Food poisoning that affected 33 learners at Maria Mwengere Secondary School in Rundu was linked to contaminated water in the school hostel., the minister of education, Sanet Steenkamp, told parliament. Learners at the school fell ill after eating leftover macaroni and sausages served for dinner. Soon after, they reported stomach pains, vomiting, headaches, and weakness. Two learners were admitted to intensive care, while others were hospitalised for treatment and observation. Steenkamp said an investigation by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health confirmed that the hostel’s water supply was unsafe. She said inspectors found chlorine levels of 2.2 milligrams per litre in the water tank, above safe standards for human consumption. Steenkamp added that the investigation revealed that food handlers at the hostel had not undergone medical testing since 2014. Inspectors also found staff without protective clothing such as aprons, boots and caps. “Waste bins were placed inside the kitchen, and animals were able to roam near food preparation areas due to poor access control. These issues were seen as risks but not the direct cause of the outbreak.” This raised the possibility that both food and water conditions contributed to the outbreak. ### Contaminated fish 01 October 2025 | Zoe Rutherford | [Africa](https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news/africa) An alarming food poisoning outbreak in the Canary Islands has affected eight tourists, prompting a swift response from local health authorities. The outbreak, believed to be caused by histamine contamination in fish purchased outside regular food distribution channels, has raised concerns among both visitors and local residents. This comes amid growing concerns over food safety in the region and similar outbreaks in Spain in recent years. One of the affected individuals, who had consumed the contaminated fish, was hospitalized at the University Hospital of La Palma for treatment. As of now, health authorities are monitoring the situation closely, and an epidemiological study has been launched to track any further cases. The government has advised tourists to ensure they source seafood from trusted vendors to avoid further exposure to contaminated products. # Americas # Europe # Middle-East ### Enriched nuclear material 'under rubble' 01 October 2025 | Zoe Rutherford | [Middle-East](https://cbrneworld.com/threats-news/middle-east) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that enriched nuclear material remained "under the rubble" of facilities damaged during the recent war with Israel. "All of our material is... under the rubble of the bombed facilities," said Araghchi in a televised interview, adding that Iran's Atomic Energy Organization was assessing the condition and accessibility of the stockpile. The remarks came after Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed a new cooperation framework. Tehran had suspended ties with the agency following the 12-day war with Israel in June, which saw Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has accused the IAEA of failing to adequately condemn those strikes. During the interview, Araghchi insisted that new the framework grants access to UN nuclear inspectors only after the approval of the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security body. Access to undamaged facilities will be "considered on a case by case basis by the Supreme National Security Council", said Araghchi, adding that the situation for the targeted facilities was more "complicated". "For now no action is taken until Iran carries out the necessary measures related to environmental and safety concerns," he said, referring to the hit sites. 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