(251005) -- DAMASCUS, Oct. 5, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R, front) is pictured at a voting site for the election of Syria's new legislature in Damascus, Syria, Oct. 5, 2025. Syria's transitional authorities on Sunday launched the country's first parliamentary elections since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad last December, marking a new stage in the country's post-conflict political transition. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)