BIZARRE: 31 - You Need To See This

Syria’s new leader promised democracy. Then he excluded women from parliamentary elections

Women’s political participation is often treated as a measure of a country’s commitment to equality and democracy.

The Conversation · Oct 22, 2025

UK removes HTS from list of banned terror groups

The UK Government said the move would allow for closer engagement with Damascus.

Evening Standard · Oct 21, 2025

Estimated €185bn needed to rebuild Syria after 14 years of civil war, World Bank says

Syria's civil war began in 2011 when mass protests against the government of then-President Bashar al-Assad were met with a brutal crackdown and spiralled into armed conflict.

Euronews · Oct 21, 2025

Should Boko Haram fighters be given a second chance in society? We asked 2,000 young Nigerians

Across the world, the question of how to deal with former fighters remains urgent. From Nigeria and Iraq to Syria and the Sahel, governments are wrestling with how to bring people who once fought for violent groups back into society. Reintegrating ex-fighters – after appropriate punishment – is unavoidable. This…

The Conversation · Oct 19, 2025

Syrian Kurdish forces reach agreement with Damascus to merge with national army, commander says

The Syrian government and the main Kurdish-led force in the country's northeast have agreed in principle to merge the U.S.-backed force into the national army

The Independent UK · Oct 16, 2025

Syria Won't Wait For Global Community To Reform Economy: Finance Minister

Syria is in a hurry to rebuild its war-torn economy and will not wait for the international community to begin making those changes, the country's finance minister said Wednesday.

International Business Times · Oct 15, 2025

Syrian president in first visit to Moscow as former enemies hold talks

Ahmed al-Sharaa in effort to diversify alliances while Putin seeks to safeguard military interests in Syria

The Guardian - UK · Oct 15, 2025

Syria's Al-Sharaa seeks extradition of Kremlin ally al-Assad in first Moscow trip

The interim president of Syria arrived on an unprecedented visit to the Russian capital on Wednesday, where he is expected to demand that the Kremlin extradites toppled dictator Bashar al-Assad — who received asylum in Russia following his ouster — to face trial back in his country.

Euronews · Oct 15, 2025

Syrian Leader Seeks Reset In Russia Relations In Putin Meeting

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Wednesday he wanted to "redefine" relations with Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted him in Moscow, their first meeting since key Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted last year.

International Business Times · Oct 15, 2025

Australia’s ‘ISIS brides’ have returned. Governments can do better at handling this situation

In 2014, the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group declared a caliphate, a form of Islamic government headed by a caliph, considered to be a successor to the prophet Muhammad. This correlated with a global campaign of terror and 53,000 foreigners from 80 countries travelling to support IS (sometimes also referred…

The Conversation · Oct 13, 2025