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News Articles: Havana Syndrome

Workers at the U.S. Embassy in Havana leave the building in September 2017. New research out of the National Institutes of Health finds no unusual pattern of damage in the brains of Havana syndrome patients.

In Havana syndrome patients, NIH scientists find no physical trace of harm

The mysterious ailments that became known as Havana syndrome left no physical evidence of injury or disease, according to two government studies.

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By:
  • Jon Hamilton
A car drives past the U.S. Embassy in Havana in 2019. Americans working at the embassy began reporting unexplained illnesses in 2016.

CIA report: No evidence linking Havana Syndrome to a foreign country

The interim report says many cases have now been attributed to previously undiagnosed illnesses. But 'a couple dozen' cases remain unresolved and are still under investigation.

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By:
  • Greg Myre
Russian demonstrators hold anti-American posters outside the U.S. Embassy in 2015. From the 1960s through the 1980s, the U.S. said the Soviet Union beamed microwave signals at the U.S. Embassy in an attempt to collect intelligence.

Long before Havana Syndrome, U.S. reported microwaves beamed at an embassy

In the 1970s and 80s, U.S. officials routinely referred to the Soviet use of microwave radiation against the American Embassy in Moscow. The Soviets were believed to be seeking intelligence.

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By:
  • Greg Myre
Russian demonstrators hold anti-American posters outside the U.S. Embassy in 2015. From the 1960s through the 1980s, the U.S. said the Soviet Union beamed microwave signals at the U.S. Embassy in an attempt to collect intelligence.

Long before Havana Syndrome, U.S. reported microwaves beamed at an embassy

In the 1970s and 80s, U.S. officials routinely referred to the Soviet use of microwave radiation against the American Embassy in Moscow. The Soviets were believed to be seeking intelligence.

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By:
  • Greg Myre
Vice President Harris (center) speaks with U.S. personnel as she departs Tuesday from Singapore on her way to Vietnam.

VP Harris' Flight Delayed After Possible 'Havana Syndrome' Incident In Hanoi

Harris' trip from Singapore to the Vietnamese capital was delayed by roughly three hours. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi reported "a recent possible anomalous health incident" that affected embassy staff.

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By:
  • Michele Kelemen and
  • Deepa Shivaram
CIA Director William Burns says he has appointed a senior officer who led the hunt for Osama bin Laden to head the investigation into ailments that have afflicted U.S. officials around the world.

CIA Director Says He Is Escalating Efforts To Solve 'Havana Syndrome' Mystery

In an NPR interview, William Burns says he has appointed a senior officer who led the hunt for Osama bin Laden to head the investigation into ailments that has afflicted U.S. officials worldwide.

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By:
  • Becky Sullivan,
  • Mary Louise Kelly,
  • and 1 more