Syria held its first elections since the ousting of strongman President Bashar al-Assad in December in what the people hope will propel the country towards economic stability, prosperity and peace.
Month: October 2025
In today’s newsletter: Badenoch has tried to bring a rallying spirit back at conservative conference – but their prospects look far from fun
Good morning. Last week, Kemi Badenoch made a bold promise to those attending Tory conference: “We can put the party in Conservative party.” Perhaps some veterans of Downing Street during the pandemic felt a thrilling pang of nostalgia. But as the conference got under way in Manchester yesterday, there weren’t a lot of champagne flutes being clinked.
Badenoch herself made the first of two appearances of the week, saying that she would take Britain out of the European convention on human rights (ECHR), and telling members that increasing deportations might require the party to go even further: “If there are other treaties and laws we need to revise or revisit, then we will do so.” But as that firmly rightwing policy implies, she is much too worried about the existential threat posed by Reform to be having any fun. And from here, the path back to a competitive position in the polls appears so treacherous as to be almost impassable.
Israel-Gaza war | Negotiators arrived in Cairo before talks on Monday expected to focus on the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and a broader end to the war, as Israel continued strikes on the Palestinian territory, killing 63 people in 24 hours.
Protest | Civil liberty groups have expressed concerns at plans outlined by the home secretary to hand police greater powers to restrict protests as organisers of mass demonstrations against the banning of Palestine Action pledged a “major escalation” of their campaign.
China | Chinese officials threatened retaliation should the UK government target parts of its security apparatus under foreign influence rules soon after the Guardian reported it was under consideration.
Syria | The battle-ravaged country is holding its first parliamentary elections since the fall of its longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, in a tentative step towards democratic polls that have been criticised as biased in favour of interim leaders.
Utilities | Millions of households in England face the prospect of even bigger water bill increases than originally expected, as the competition regulator prepares to give a preliminary verdict on industry spending plans as soon as this week.
The most likely outcome – just about – remains that things carry on as now, with the Tories badly wounded but not quite dead, and splitting the vote on the right … But the possibility that the Conservatives will disintegrate has increased substantially since January because the Tories are so far behind Reform, and have seen their institutional structures eroded to the point where they could be toppled very quickly.”
A day after Indonesia suspended TikTok’s operating license in the country, it swiftly revoked the suspension after the social media company gave the government what it wanted: data from livestreaming activity during nationwide anti-government protests in August.
Alexander Sabar, director general of digital space supervision from Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi), said in a statement Saturday that TikTok “has submitted the requested data regarding traffic escalation and TikTok Live monetization activities” and that the country in turn “has terminated the temporary suspension” of the Chinese-owned platform.
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The license suspension raised concerns on social media about a clampdown on free speech, not helped by President Prabowo Subianto’s associations with Indonesia’s pre-democratic past, during which he was a general accused of human rights abuses and war crimes.
Read More: How President Prabowo Subianto Is Steering Indonesia’s Future
Protests throughout the year have rebuked Prabowo’s domestic policies, which have been perceived to favor Indonesia’s political elite. Ten people died in the recent protests, and TikTok, which has more than 100 million accounts in Indonesia, suspended its livestreaming feature in the country for a few days amid the violence to keep the platform “a safe and civil space.”
Here’s what to know.
Why was TikTok’s operating license suspended?
The license suspension stems from allegations that TikTok’s livestreaming feature was being monetized during the protests. In early September, Jakarta police alleged that some TikTok users purposefully broadcast live during the violence to entice viewers into giving them gifts or virtual prizes that can be exchanged for cash.
Alexander, the Komdigi official, said that because of the alleged monetization of livestreams from accounts “suspected of online gambling activities,” the ministry requested from TikTok data on traffic, livestreaming, and monetization—including the number and value of gifts given. Alexander said TikTok was summoned on Sept. 16 to clarify, and that the social media company was given a Sept. 23 deadline to submit the data.
TikTok, however, responded on Sept. 23 that it has internal policies and regulations on handling data that prevented it from granting the Indonesian authorities’ request. Since TikTok failed to comply, Komdigi decided that TikTok “violated its obligations” as a private Electronic Service Provider and suspended the license. Alexander said that the ministry was “committed to upholding national legal sovereignty in digital governance, including providing protection for users, particularly vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents, from the potential misuse of digital features for illegal activities.”
The suspension, however, was an administrative one and did not amount to the app’s shutdown, Alexander told Bloomberg.
With more than 100 million users, TikTok has provided an economic lifeline for many in Indonesia, particularly those using TikTok Shop or TikTok Live for e-commerce. But Indonesia’s House of Representatives said that the license suspension would not cause severe impact on such users.
In a statement to the media on the license suspension, TikTok said that it “respects the laws and regulations” in countries that it operates in and that it was working with the ministry “to resolve this issue constructively.”
Why did a suspension cause concern?
Digital repression has been an ongoing concern in Indonesia and in other countries facing domestic upheaval, such as Nepal, where a social-media shutdown last month fueled protests that eventually toppled the government. Indonesia’s Constitutional Court ruled in 2021 that the government may block and throttle the country’s internet during times of social unrest.
Last month, digital rights group Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) raised concerns that social media companies in Indonesia have imposed “heavy restrictions and excessive content moderation” in light of the country’s protests, and it accused Meta—Facebook’s parent company—of taking down protest-related content on its platforms.
The group also slammed how authorities arrested some social media users and activists for purportedly inciting violence.
Digital rights advocates have also pushed back against a proposal to limit a person to only one social media account, ostensibly as a means to crack down on disinformation. The proposal gained traction in September, but critics said it could curtail democracy, making dissenters easily identifiable and persecuted.
“The government will request personal data, whether it’s a national identification number or other personal data, so our social media activity can be tracked,” Hafizh Nabiyyin, head of SAFEnet’s freedom of expression division, said at the time to the South China Morning Post. “Ultimately, this privacy violation will impact our freedom of expression.”
UNESCO is choosing a new director who will face a big funding shortage after US exit
Innovative Robotic Rover Developed by Mexican Engineering Students
A team of female engineering students from Mexico’s National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) has developed a groundbreaking robotic rover powered by artificial vision and neural networks, aimed at detecting geological hazards, extreme environmental conditions, and toxic gases in underground mines, reports 24brussels.
The initiative, led by Telematics Engineering students Carolina Gallo, Yesenia Cruz, and Lesly Salazar at IPN’s Interdisciplinary Professional Unit in Engineering and Advanced Technologies (Upiita), aims to significantly enhance worker safety through advanced automation and data analysis. The students have also created a web platform that records and visualizes information collected by the rover, utilizing three-dimensional maps, geospatial location data, exploration times, and gas measurements.
Salazar stated, “The robot’s map only shows points and boxes, but once processed at the base station, it generates a detailed model of the mine’s conditions, such as fractures, collapse zones, rocks, and flooding.” This functionality is crucial for identifying and addressing potential risks in hazardous environments.
During the development of the prototype, the team, alongside mentors Rodolfo Vera Amaro and Verónica Lozano Vázquez, conducted a field visit to a mine in Durango, northern Mexico, to witness the working conditions and inherent dangers miners face. They emphasized that while similar technologies exist internationally, they are often stationary and require human intervention for mobility, thereby exposing workers to additional risks.
The group customized a commercial exploration vehicle, integrating a Raspberry Pi 5—a high-performance microcomputer—together with sensors for carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, a lighting system, and a depth camera. This innovation combines simultaneous mapping and localization with advanced technologies to optimize decision-making within the mining sector.
Importantly, the students opted not to pursue a patent at this juncture, focusing instead on further refining their prototype for potential large-scale industrial application. Their commitment to enhancing safety in mining operations underscores a significant step forward in the application of technology in hazardous industries.
Town Hall and State Library train stations join Anzac, Arden and Parkville as city waits for launch date of long-awaited rail line
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The final two stations of Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel are complete, paving the way for the long-awaited project to open by the end of the year – though the government remains tight-lipped on its exact launch date.
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, held back-to-back press conferences on Sunday and Monday to announce the completion of Town Hall and State Library stations, joining Anzac, Arden and Parkville stations, which were handed over to Metro Trains in April.
Mourners paid tribute to Melvin Cravitz, who died after he helped to prevent Jihad Al-Shamie from entering Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.
Approximately 2,600 properties were still without power across the island of Ireland on Sunday night.
Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin announced he would be withdrawing from the race after acknowledging he had ‘made a mistake’.
Trump attempted to deploy the California and Texas National Guard in Portland after a judge halted his bid to send Oregon National Guard troops to the city.