In cities all over Europe, large-scale pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been held to protest Israel’s occupation of Gaza. In a number of cities, police made hundreds of arrests.
Published On 5 Oct 2025
In its first elections since Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell in December, Syria will elect the People’s Assembly on Sunday.
The election is a historic moment for the new, under the leadership of President Ahmad al-Sharaa, after more than 50 years of dynastic, oppressive al-Assad rule.
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The electoral process has been up for debate, though.
No general elections will be held. Al-Sharaa will choose one-third of the assembly members, while electoral subcommittees will choose the rest.
We have answers for any questions you may have. Everything you need to know about the elections in Syria is listed here:
Correct.
Members will serve 2 seats in the new People’s Assembly, compared to 40 under al-Assad. 5-year terms.
The remaining 140 members will be voted on by subcommittees led by an 11-person Supreme Committee appointed by al-Sharaa.
About 6,000 electors will vote in the regional electoral colleges, making up the subcommittees.
After nearly 14 years of displaced people, the Syrian government announced that no general elections are taking place because they do not have accurate census data.
Voting will be conducted, according to Aron Lund, a fellow analyst and fellow on Syria at Century International, who spoke to Al Jazeera.
It is an indirect election that uses a select group of electors who are essentially the current rulers’ handpicked candidates. Despite Syria being thankfully free of Assad-style censorship and police state tactics, it all occurs in circumstances that make it difficult to have meaningful discussion. ”
No political parties are involved in the elections either.
Polls opened at 9am (06:00 GMT) and will close at 5pm (14:00 GMT).
1,570 candidates were chosen by the Supreme Committee, which was appointed by al-Sharaa. Before al-Sharaa appoints the final 70 assembly members, those candidates are vying for 140 seats.
Although a draft law mandated that the electoral colleges have 20 percent of women’s voting, 3 percent for those with special needs, and a 70-to-30 split for professionals over traditional notables, there are no quotas.
A masked man shot and killed Haidar Shahin, an Alawite candidate from the Tartous governorate, on September 30 at his Tartous residence.
Shahin was killed by “remnants of the former regime,” according to the government-aligned Al-Watan newspaper on Telegram. Authorities stated that Shahin’s murder is being investigated.
When al-Assad’s supporters launched an insurrection that turned into sectarian killings in Tartous in March, there was a source of conflict there. Alawites have since reported facing discrimination and sectarian threats.
Not yet, no. There will be no empty seats for up to 32 of the 210 members.
Syrian authorities delayed voting in three areas because they claimed the fighting between Druze and Bedouin communities’ northeast and southern regions of Suwayda, which took place in July and August, was not open to the public.
There is both optimism and skepticism.
Many Syrians are still enthralled by the al-Assad family’s abdication from power and open to any resumption of its brutal rule.
Some Syrians, however, expressed distrust of al-Sharaa’s leadership and crucial role in these elections due to security concerns, including massacres in coastal governorates like Tartous and clashes in Suwayda.
Despite this, a recent poll by the Arab Center found that 61 percent of Syrians favor a democratic system that includes political pluralism and accountability.
A system without parties or elections, in contrast, according to 6 percent of respondents, and an Islamic law-based political system in which only Islamic parties are in power.
Al-Sharaa is undoubtedly the most significant player in this process by far.
Since leading the offensive that overthrew al-Assad on December 8, he has dominated Syrian politics.
Analysts still think the elections are credible and don’t repeat the false elections that took place under the al-Assad regime.
You’ll probably see some genuinely well-known people and a lot of local celebrities appointing the top, according to Lund.
Syria needs to allow local people to communicate with Damascus’s power structure.
This shouldn’t be dismissed as theater, in my opinion. However, it is not a legitimate election because it will allow for political parties to compete for seats in an independent legislature. ”
After the elections, it’s unlikely that Al-Sharaa’s significance will change. Still, according to analysts, they could serve as the first step toward promoting a more pluralist political system.
In all fairness, I believe that Syria, one of the nations that have experienced revolutionary change, is pretty typical. What other options do you have? Lund said, “You have to start somewhere.”
You end up with something like this, which is better than nothing. ”
![Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives to address the 80th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 24, 2025 [Jeenah Moon/Reuters]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-09-24T180857Z_935996289_RC2HYGAGSQUQ_RTRMADP_3_UN-ASSEMBLY-1758843223.jpg?w=696&ssl=1)
By Tuesday, the election results should be made public, and the question will be how the People’s Assembly will function.
How much more power will be given to this parliament to influence politics and voice objectionable opinions than just rubber-stamping laws? Lund questioned.
Watch as the players’ play is halted in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan in Columbo as a result of a large swarm of files distracting them.
ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup: India vs. Pakistan
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistani skipper Fatima Sana choose not to shake hands, a move that was consistent with the actions of their men’s teams at the recent Asia Cup.
ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup: India vs. Pakistan
When Tyson Fury’s 16-year-old daughter Venezuela announced her engagement to boxing hopeful Noah Price, many were shocked by her nuptial news. But it’s little wonder why Tyson, also known as the Gypsy King, rushed to the defence of Venezuela and her soon to be husband, as he first met Paris when he was only 17 and she was a mere 15 years old.
Four years later, when the boxing champ turned 21, he walked down the aisle and married 19-year-old Paris. And although their throwback pictures show them looking loved up, they’ve revealed that it was a very different story just a few months before their big day.
Paris’ previous disclosure revealed that she had called it quits on their engagement because the couple had not agreed on the wedding day. Although Paris objected, Tyson was determined to schedule the wedding for the summer of 2008.
In her 2021 memoir, Love and Fury, she criticized their disagreement saying, “My fiance clearly didn’t understand the amount of planning and organization that went into a wedding.” He had become incredibly impulsive, the type of person who preferred to make decisions while living in the moment.
She added: “In Tyson’s world, our big day could be rescheduled on a whim, just like one of his boxing matches. I was having none of it, though, and refused point blank to change the date. As tensions simmered between us, I soon found myself reaching breaking point. It was one conflict after another and after an ugly slanging match with him outside Mam’s house, I decided to call time on the wedding and our relationship.”
He initially believed I was joking, but when I dropped the big bombshell, he realized I was seriously.
Paris responded, “I simply couldn’t take any more, I told him. We were done, in my opinion. Our relationship was ended.
Tyson wanted a summer wedding because he had missed the Beijing Olympics, which gave him a lot more flexibility. Tyson soon realized how wrong he was and expressed his feelings to Paris via text message while they were on a lads’ getaway to Ibiza.
She acknowledged in her autobiography that “He sent me an emotionally charged text. He said he couldn’t bear the idea of meeting someone else and that he couldn’t believe we had ended our relationship so easily.
He cautioned me that if I ever married, he would attend the church to halt the ceremony as he finished the message. I was angry. I kept saying, “You creep,” as I deleted the message. Talk about eating your cake at the same time. “How dare you. “
Tyson was fortunate that Paris’ anger subsided and the two got married in a Catholic church in Doncaster. Paris also revealed in her book that Tyson had not reserved a hotel room for their wedding night.
She continued, “Tyson entered a hotel in the town center after their wedding and requested a nightly room reservation.” She said, “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.”
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Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, its vice Chancellor, Professor Adamu Ahmed, described the cost as “crippling and unsustainable” by the management of the institution’s management.
Professor Ahmed stated at a press conference held in his office to discuss the university’s 63rd anniversary that the high energy bill was preventing research and academic endeavors.
He revealed that ABU had taken bold steps toward self-reliance in order to shoulder the strain, encouraging innovation from its staff and students, and pursuing partnerships for sustainable energy solutions.
According to him, the Federal Government acknowledged the crisis by funding a TETFund project that would provide the institution with 10 megawatts of renewable energy last year and recognizing the institution’s need.
We’ve also reached out to our alumni, particularly those from the 1975 SBS class, who are already running solar-powered projects for one of our CBT centers, Ahmed said. We’re looking forward to continued support from outside while taking our destiny into our own hands.
The Vice Chancellor reaffirmed that ABU was established to bridge Nigeria’s continent, pointing out that Sir Ahmadu Bello, the late premier, intended for the university to educate both the North and South without breaking any racial or religious boundaries.
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He lamented, however, that insecurity and poverty had hampered the development of the North and hampered educational growth, and ABU would now concentrate on addressing these issues through research, agriculture, and policy advocacy.
No other West African university, he claimed, had the capacity to spur the agricultural and economic recovery, despite the country’s vast agricultural assets, including the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), NAPRI, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
The Vice Chancellor also emphasized that using force alone to solve insecurity was not possible, and that dialogue, understanding, and community-based peacebuilding were key factors. He claimed that “we have the capacity, the research, and the networks.” “And we’re prepared to take the lead in finding long-lasting solutions.”
Professor Ahmed said the occasion gave him a chance to reflect on Sir Ahmadu Bello’s founding principles, which led to the establishment of the university and, consequently, the entire country. The VC said, “He envisioned an institution that was united by service, excellence, and unity.”
He noted that ABU, the largest university system in sub-Saharan Africa, has grown from its humble beginnings in 1962, when it had only four faculties, 15 departments, and 426 students. It now has 18 faculties, 110 departments, seven institutes, four colleges, and 17 research centers.
Ahmed claimed that ABU had won awards for internationalization and diversity, and that the Times Higher Education had named it Nigeria’s top public university in 2025. He continued, one of only three Nigerian universities to place in the QS 2025 World University Rankings.
He disclosed that the university has also received three more than $ 15 million grants from the World Bank’s Centers of Excellence and a $ 5 million Horizon grant for a project developing artificial intelligence to make microscopes more effective for diagnosing neglected parasitic diseases.
He claims that ABU’s staff and students have also registered more than 30 patents, including those relating to crude oil refining technologies and renewable energy sources, both domestically and internationally. These accomplishments demonstrate the university’s relevance for international research.
The VC expressed concern that sustainability is still threatened by funding constraints, brain drain, and infrastructure decay. He promised to support self-reliance by increasing ABU’s investment in digital learning, research commercialization, and start-up incubation.
He urged the university’s extensive alumni community, which he called “ABU’s greatest strength,” to support the institution through endowments, annual giving, and donations, in order to uphold the institution’s founding spirit of service.