India, Nov. 25 -- From Syria's jihadist-turned-statesman Ahmed al-Sharaa to Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, here are five figures who helped to define 2025.

From a former jihadist known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani to Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa has undergone a stunning transformation since ousting longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

On December 8, 2024, Sharaa entered Damascus after leading his Islamist alliance's lightning offensive from their northwest Syria bastion, capping nearly 14 years of civil war.

Trimming his beard and trading his fatigues for suits, Sharaa settled into the presidential palace where Assad -- who fled to Russia -- and his family dynasty ruled for decades.

Sharaa quickly consolidated power: he was a...