Extortion threats against South Asians, Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, Australia's teen social media ban, and more

Summary

Your World Tonight (CBC) – December 7, 2025

Episode Summary:
This episode dives into urgent stories shaping global and Canadian headlines: the rise in extortion threats facing South Asian communities in Canada, the resumption of Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem amid deep uncertainty, Australia’s world-first social media ban for teens, the challenges plaguing Canada’s military recruitment, indigenous cultural repatriation from the Vatican, and more. The hosts, Stephanie Skenderas and Susan Bonner, guide listeners through in-depth reporting, firsthand accounts, and expert perspectives, delivering political and social context from a distinctly Canadian viewpoint.

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1. Extortion Threats Against South Asians in Canada

Segment starts at 00:40

Overview

A surge in violence and extortion is targeting Sikh and South Asian communities across Canada, especially business owners. Accusations have been raised against the Indian government for involvement and Canadian authorities for slow action.

Key Points & Insights

• Personal Tragedy: Gurlene Court Dada’s father was murdered after refusing extortion demands. The family reported threats to police, who initially did not take them seriously.
  • "They demanded for 500k and obviously he denied... The police thought that it isn't serious." – Family member (02:29)
• Police Response: Over 40 arrests and hundreds of charges have been laid; a dedicated extortion task force now exists.
  • "We historically have never had an extortion problem to this extent." – Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Durapa (02:53)
• Systemic Delays: Experts note police were slow to link cases occurring in different jurisdictions, contributing to frustration.
  • "To connect the dots... it took a little bit of time." – Gala Bayani, criminology professor (03:22)
• Wider Impact: Sikh leaders argue this is more than policing; it’s a national security issue linked to alleged foreign interference from India.
  • "The national crisis we're seeing around extortions is not just this law and order issue... It's fundamentally a national security issue." – Prabhjat Singh, Sikh Federation legal counsel (04:10)
• Year-over-Year Escalation: Peel region saw cases jump from around 220 to over 400.

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2. Air Transat Pilots Strike Notice

Segment starts at 04:47

• 750 Air Transat pilots have issued a strike notice over pay, benefits, and job security.
• Flights face gradual suspension if a resolution isn’t reached.

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3. Indigenous Cultural Repatriation from the Vatican

Segment starts at 05:18

Overview

After a century, cultural artifacts belonging to Indigenous peoples are being returned from the Vatican to Canada, marking an emotional occasion and a step forward in reconciliation.

Key Points & Quotes

• "These items arrived not merely as pieces of history, but as symbols of resilience, identity and living memory." – Archbishop Richard Smith (06:51)
• 62 items returned, including a seal skin kayak; negotiations with multiple stakeholders spanned years.
• Indigenous youth participated in repatriation, reinforcing generational continuity.
  • "As young people, we're ready to open up our hearts and our minds to learning about these processes because we will be the caretakers moving forward." – Katisha Paul, First Nations youth (07:27)
• Federal Minister Mark Miller pledged continued efforts for further returns.

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4. Liberal Party Divisions Over Alberta-BC Oil Pipeline

Segment starts at 08:43

• Conservatives are forcing a vote to surface Liberals’ positions on a proposed pipeline, highlighting climate vs. economy divisions.
• Some Indigenous leaders oppose the pipeline, while others support it for economic reasons.
  • "It's been a struggle for a long time for first nations that they have to find different ways to create wealth for their community." – Stephen Buffalo, Indian Resource Council (10:57)
• Polls show public support even in regions traditionally opposed.

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5. Canada’s Military Recruitment Crisis

Segment starts at 11:28

Overview

The Canadian Armed Forces face declining recruitment and retention, with young people expressing reluctance to serve.

Insights & Key Moments

• Demographic Shift: Young Canadians (18–34) are least likely to consider combat roles.
• "A lot of people have that misconception about the military that all roads lead to combat." – Capt. Joshua Register (13:35)
• Broader Appeal: The Forces highlight alternative roles and career security, especially amid high youth unemployment.
  • "Hey, money is coming in right now and so this is a good time to join." – Private Chigozi Adeye (14:36)
• Emotional Pitch: Messaging is moving toward themes of adventure and community service.
  • "You need to light a flame, right? ...I see people doing obstacle courses. I see, you know, people running in the mud like ships on that sea..." – Eric Salvey, military consultant (13:59)

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6. Christmas Returns to Bethlehem

Segment starts at 15:17

Overview

For the first time since the Gaza conflict and the pandemic, Bethlehem hosts a public tree lighting, reigniting hope for peace and economic revival.

Notable Moments

• "We need something to make us happy after all, so after two years of war and demolition, this is better for us." – Jawad Mushasha (16:06)
• Local businesses, devastated by the absence of tourists, see this as the beginning of a hopeful recovery.
  • "Not the tree that brings the tourists, it's the political situation of the country..." – Jack Tabash, local craft vendor (17:08)
• Mayor Meher Kanawati says up to 2.5 million tourists once visited annually, but numbers plummeted post-October 7, 2023.

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7. Middle East: Gaza War and Syrian Refugee Return

Segment at 18:11

• Second phase of US Gaza peace plan imminent, with unresolved issues including multinational force deployment and disarmament of Hamas.
• On Syria’s border: more than 500,000 Syrian refugees have left Turkey to return home, despite hardship and uncertainty.
  • "Syria is our homeland, our home." – Lutvia Hassan, Syrian returnee (19:33)
  • The World Bank estimates over $200 billion required to rebuild Syria; society remains fractured.

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8. Germany’s Growing Far-Right Conspiracy Movement (Reichsbürger)

Segment starts at 22:03

Overview

Three years after police cracked down on a failed coup, Germany’s Reichsbürger (Citizens of the Empire) conspiracy movement is larger than ever.

Key Insights & Quotes

• Peter Fitzek’s "Kingdom of Germany" attempted to establish a pseudo-state; he was arrested but the movement persists.
• "This is not, as the club's title might suggest, a case of harmless nostalgia... but rather a case of criminal structures and a criminal network." – German Interior Minister (23:47)
• The movement’s membership has doubled in a decade to 26,000, with members from all walks of life.
  • "You find professors at universities, you find politicians, you find people from the press, policemen and women." – Tobias Ginsburg, undercover journalist (25:04)
• Social isolation and the pandemic helped conspiracy theories spread.
  • "The first victim of these far out conspiracy theories are the believers themselves. ...No, you found an enemy." – Ginsburg (25:24)

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9. Australia’s Teen Social Media Ban

Segment starts at 26:17

Overview

On December 10, Australia will ban anyone under 16 from having social media accounts, sparking controversy and court challenges.

Key Points & Reactions

• Law driven by parental concerns and high-profile deaths from social media harms.
  • "The social media just like it sucked her into this vortex. I do truly believe that if... she wasn't on it, that she'd probably still be here." – Rob Evans, bereaved parent (27:23)
• Enforced through age verification (ID/facial recognition); critics warn of easy workarounds.
  • "What we're going to see [is] increase in virtual private networks, increase in using other people's ID." – Stacey Edmonds, cyber safety specialist (27:42)
• Teens express fear of being silenced and isolated:
  • "We won't be able to share our views and opinions, will be isolated and separated from our country..." – Noah Jones, 15-year-old plaintiff (29:13)
• Not all agree: some hope the ban leads to healthier habits, while others see threats to free speech and creativity.

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10. Viral Rant: Shirley Manson of Garbage

Segment starts at 30:07

Overview

Scottish singer Shirley Manson makes headlines for berating a disruptive festival-goer who threw a beach ball during Garbage’s set. The rant, filled with unfiltered anger at disrespect and the struggles of working musicians, goes viral.

• "I am so tired of folks taking music for free and treating us all like circus performers. I joined a band because I hated the ... beach look. Like I said, she's never hidden how she feels." – Recap of Manson’s online message (31:10)
• Ends with the band’s iconic track, "I’m Only Happy When it Rains."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "The national crisis we're seeing around extortions is... fundamentally a national security issue." – Prabhjat Singh (04:10)
• "These items arrived not merely as pieces of history, but as symbols of resilience, identity and living memory." – Archbishop Smith (06:51)
• "You need to light a flame, right? ... I see people doing obstacle courses. I see, you know, people running in the mud..." – Eric Salvey (13:59)
• "Not the tree that brings the tourists, it's the political situation of the country..." – Jack Tabash (17:08)
• "The first victim of these far out conspiracy theories are the believers themselves. ...No, you found an enemy." – Tobias Ginsburg (25:24)
• "We won't be able to share our views and opinions, will be isolated and separated from our country..." – Noah Jones (29:13)

---

Episode Structure & Flow

• Major Canadian stories: Community-targeted violence, indigenous reconciliation, political infighting.
• International updates: Bethlehem’s revival, Syrian returns, Germany’s far-right, Australia’s social media ban.
• Human moments & cultural pulse: Shirley Manson’s viral rant closes the episode with a punch.

This summary is designed for listeners seeking a comprehensive guide to the episode’s content, context, and emotional highlights.

Transcript

[Stephanie Skenderas]

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[Narrator/Reporter]

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[Stephanie Skenderas]

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[CBC Announcer]

This is a CBC podcast.

[Interviewee/Expert]

There's been a wave of violence against the Sikh community across this country from coast to coast to coast. And the government is not doing enough to stop it and hold India accountable.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Canadian Sikhs accuse Ottawa of putting foreign policy interests ahead of their safety. They're holding a series of town halls in multiple cities to address what they call an extortion cris facing their communities. This is your world tonight. I'm Stephanie Skanderas. Also on the podcast, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube. Australian youth will soon be banned from all of them. But some of those teens say they won't be forced offline without a fight. And Canada's military growing pains.

[Interviewee/Expert]

A lot of people have that misconception about the military that all roads lead to combat.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

How does the Canadian armed forces grow its ranks when young people say they don't want to enlist?

An ongoing crisis of violence and extortion has gripped several communities across Canada. Sick families and businesses have been targeted with threats, shootings and arson, which they say is coming directly from India. Politicians, business owners and victims gathered in Brampton, Ontario today for the first of three town halls organized by Sikh groups to try and address the problems. Philip Lee Shannock tells us more like.

[Interviewee/Expert]

His smile just lit up the room.

[Reporter Philip Lee Shannock]

Two years ago this week, Gurlene Court Dada's father, Harjit Dada, was shot and killed in the parking lot of his business on his birthday.

[Interviewee/Expert]

There's a hole in our heart that's never going to be filled. We miss him every single day. Like every single day.

[Reporter Philip Lee Shannock]

The 51 year old former truck driver turned insurance broker came to Canada in 1997. In the days leading up to his murder, he'd been extorted and threatened.

[Interviewee/Expert]

They demanded for 500k and obviously he denied and we then went to the police itself. The police thought that it isn't serious.

[Reporter Philip Lee Shannock]

Police arrested three men in British Columbia and charged them with Dada's murder. They've been brought to Ontario to face trial. Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Durapa says extortions in the South Asian community were new to police here.

[Interviewee/Expert]

We historically have never had an extortion.

[CBC Announcer]

Problem to this extent.

[Reporter Tom Perry]

Right.

[Interviewee/Expert]

So, and frankly Our capacity to respond.

[CBC Announcer]

Hasn'T been to the extent that it has now.

[Reporter Philip Lee Shannock]

Durapa says there's now a dedicated extortion task force in the region with dozens of officers assigned. They've made more than 40 arrests and laid hundreds of charges. Gala Bayani teaches criminology at Kwatlin Polytechnic University in Vancouver. He says even in B.C. police were behind in seeing the trend.

[Interviewee/Expert]

To connect the dots. It took a little bit of time because they were happening in different cities. So police officers were attending these, these shootings or arsons, but they weren't connecting the dots with the neighboring jurisdictions.

[Reporter Philip Lee Shannock]

Then police across the country in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec found similar threats and extortion against business owners in the South Asian diaspora community at this town hall in Brampton. That police across the country could be so late in recognizing the problem was a source of frustration.

[Interviewee/Expert]

There's well wishes or thoughts or intentions, but there's been no meaningful steps.

[Reporter Philip Lee Shannock]

Prabhjat Singh is legal counsel for the Sikh Federation. The organization has been involved in three town halls, this one in Brampton as well as in Calgary and Surrey, B.C. he says the issue is beyond a policing problem.

[Interviewee/Expert]

The national crisis we're seeing around extortions is not just this law and order issue. It's not a regional issue in Brampton or just in Surrey. It's fundamentally a national security issue.

[Reporter Philip Lee Shannock]

Singh accuses the Indian government of foreign interference and transnational crime and warned against Canada's attempts to restart trade with India. Meanwhile, police say they are now working in a coordinated fashion across multiple jurisdictions with federal backing. Still, the number of extortion cases in Peel region has increased year over year from around 220 to more than 400 this year. Philip Lieshanok, CBC News, Toronto.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

The union representing some 750 Air Transat pilots has issued a 72 hour strike notice. The pilots say they will strike from Wednesday morning unless progress is made at the bargaining table on with travel company Transat. The airline says flights will be gradually suspended starting Monday, but says it's working around the clock to reach a deal. Last week, the pilots voted 99% in favor of a strike. At issue are pay, benefits and job security.

Experts are now examining dozens of cultural objects belonging to Inuit, first nations and Metis people that are being returned. The item's journey back to Canada was an emotional occasion for indigenous leaders who spent years negotiating negotiating to get them back from the Vatican. It's also an opportunity for young people to learn more about their heritage. Juanita Taylor has more on the homecoming.

[Reporter Juanita Taylor]

Snow falls softly as the crate of precious cargo is offloaded on the tarmac in Montreal.

Indigenous leaders and members from their communities got to be there to welcome them back after being away for 100 years. Another step closer to their return home. An emotional time for Duane Smith, who led the repatriation for his Inuvialui people. Embracing the crate that held a seal skin kayak used to harvest beluga whales.

[Interviewee/Expert]

I was just trying to get our kayak home.

[Reporter Juanita Taylor]

Sorry.

The kayak and other Indigenous items were sent to the Vatican in 1925. Negotiations to get it back resulted in a much bigger victory for indigenous people. Altogether, 62 items belonging to the Inuit, first nations and Metis returned to Canada. Vancouver Archbishop Richard Smith is with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

[Interviewee/Expert]

These items arrived not merely as pieces of history, but as symbols of resilience, identity and living memory.

[Reporter Juanita Taylor]

A press conference was held after the items arrival. Federal Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Mark Miller was there.

[Interviewee/Expert]

We pledged to do more, committing to.

[Reporter Juanita Taylor]

Continue working with Indigenous groups to repatriate more cultural objects.

[Interviewee/Expert]

Canada needs to do more. And countries around the world where these are housed, whether it's Britain or elsewhere, also need to step up.

[Reporter Juanita Taylor]

Four first nations youth were asked by the assembly of first nations to accompany the cultural objects back to Canada from Frankfurt, where a flight donated by Air Canada brought them back. Katisha Paul is the first nations youth from the West Coast. As spiritual people, we have an understanding that these aren't just artifacts. She says she felt honoured to have taken part. As young people, we're ready to open up our hearts and our minds to learning about these processes because we will be the caretakers moving forward. The cultural objects are now at the Museum of History in Gatineau. An Inuit delegation will get a private viewing of its 14 pieces Monday before deciding on a final destination for them. Juanita Taylor, CBC News, Montreal.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Still ahead, three years ago, Germany cracked down on a group of conspiracy theorists who were plotting a coup. Some of them had already created their own pseudo state with its own currency. Well, now the movement's not only still growing, its membership has more than doubled. The full story is coming up on your World Tonight.

In Ottawa, the Conservatives will force a vote this week to try and expose divisions within the Liberal Party. It plans to ask all MPs whether they support a proposed oil pipeline From Alberta to B.C. that proposal formed part of a deal signed between the feds and Alberta last month. But as JP Tasker explains, not every Liberal is on board.

[Interviewee/Expert]

I'm forcing the Liberals to put up or shut up.

[CBC Announcer]

Conservative leader Pierre Poliev is turning up the pressure on Liberal MPs this week, forcing them to publicly take a stand on whether they support the prime minister's landmark deal with Alberta.

[Interviewee/Expert]

He's blown eight months saying one thing to his keep it in the ground caucus and the opposite to Albertans. It's time for Mark Carney to stop speaking out of both sides of his mouth.

[CBC Announcer]

Speaking to CBC News on Sunday, Poliev said the results will reveal whether Mark Carney is willing to demand skittish members fall in line.

[Interviewee/Expert]

So we need to now go from announcements and signing pieces of paper to putting shovels in the ground and building something.

[CBC Announcer]

A spokesperson for the government house leader said the Liberal Party has nothing to say on how its members will vote on this motion when it comes up on Tuesday. At least one MP is uncomfortable with what's been negotiated. Stephen Guilbeault quit Carney's cabinet over the issue.

[Interviewee/Expert]

What is being proposed through this MoU would be the end of a climate plan in Canada.

[CBC Announcer]

Still, polls suggest the majority of Canadians are generally on side with Carney's memorandum of understanding with Alberta.

[Interviewee/Expert]

Even in places where in the past you would have found a lot of resistance, like in Quebec, like in British Columbia, and in both of those two provinces, there are more people who think this pipeline to the west coast is a good idea than a bad idea.

[CBC Announcer]

Abacus data pollster David Coletto says right now, jobs and growth are top of mind for most voters, not the environment.

[Interviewee/Expert]

No matter where you are in this country, the economic uncertainty is very much defining how you're looking at everything.

[CBC Announcer]

And while first nations chiefs voted against the deal en masse last week, some Indigenous leaders are coming forward to say this pipeline could deliver some much needed money and jobs. Stephen Buffalo speaks for the Alberta based Indian Resource Council.

[Interviewee/Expert]

It's been a struggle for a long time for first nations that they have to find different ways to create wealth for their community.

[CBC Announcer]

If a large contingent of Liberal MPs vote against this motion, it would be an embarrassing setback for the prime minister, who has staked a lot of political capital on securing a deal with Alberta. Still, forcing MPs to vote in favor could rankle some members of caucus who are wary of a new pipeline and worried about the possible political consequences. J.P. tasker, CBC News, Ottawa.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Right now there's a renewed focus on Canadian defence. After threats to this country's sovereignty from across the border, a commitment to meeting our NATO target, and a recruitment push, that last point may prove challenging. An Auditor General's report this fall found the Canadian armed forces is facing a recruitment and retention crisis. National polls suggest young people are less willing to en. Deanna Sumanak Johnson tells us how experts say the military can turn that around.

[Interviewee/Expert]

The military was a big part of my upbringing. My dad was a Marine in South Korea and he was very proud of his military service.

[Narrator/Reporter]

He's in his last year at the University of Waterloo's prestigious math program. His career options wide open. But after graduation, Adam Yeo has his sights set on joining the military. Yeo was a cadet as a teen and says he loved the adventure, being outdoors and the discipline, the military culture.

[Interviewee/Expert]

I believe that Canada is a country that's going to be more and more geopolitically relevant in the future due to its vast natural resources and our depressants. So I think it would be really cool just to be a part of that vision.

[Narrator/Reporter]

His dreams are aligned with the federal government's plans to majorly rebuild and strengthen Canadian armed forces with $20.4 billion earmarked over five years to retain and recruit new CAF members. But young Canadians views about joining the military are complex. Angus Reid conducted a major survey among Canadians in July, asking them, could you ever foresee an armed conflict that would compel you to join the military in a combat role? 18 to 34 year olds, the very generation needed to fill recruitment gaps, were the least likely to say yes. Experts point out that there are things caf can do to broaden the tent of potential recruits.

[Interviewee/Expert]

So we are actively developing and improving our processes and efficiencies.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Part of CAF strategy is also pointing out that joining the military doesn't necessarily mean active combat, says Captain Joshua Register at Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre, Vancouver.

[Interviewee/Expert]

A lot of people have that misconception about the military that all roads lead to combat. You know, there's a variety of different occupations almost as wide as anything that you could do on the civilian side of things.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Eric Salvey, a military consultant and columnist, says that attracting young people also has to appeal to their emotional side, that life in the military is one of adventure and excitement.

[Interviewee/Expert]

What I see is you need to light a flame, right? I want to join this. I see some exciting stuff. I see people doing obstacle courses. I see, you know, people running in the mud like, like ships, ships on that sea, you know, airplanes flying.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Still, in an uncertain economy and particularly high youth unemployment numbers, the military's job stability and solid pay, including a new raise, are factors. Private Chigozi Adeye has been in basic training at Canadian Armed Forces Base Borden since June. She worked in the corporate sector before.

[Interviewee/Expert]

When I talk to other people outside, that's something I always bring up. Hey, money is coming in right now and so this is a good time to join.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's something Adam Yeoh is also aware of.

[Interviewee/Expert]

And I have so many friends around me that recently graduated that are struggling.

[Narrator/Reporter]

To find jobs as young Canadians in an era of patriotism and tough economy. Rethink the military as a career choice. Deanna Sumanak Johnson, CBC News, Toronto.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

After a two year hiatus, Christmas celebrations have returned to the spot where it all began. Saturday night saw the lighting of a Christmas tree in Bethlehem's Manger Square. The tourism reliant city is hoping the ceremony will herald an economic revival. Tom Perry reports.

[Reporter Tom Perry]

Celebrating the season for the first time in years, crowds gathering in Bethlehem to watch as a Christmas tree towering over Manger Square, a fixture for Christians who believe this was the birthplace of Jesus, is lit up for the first time since the start of the war in Gaza and the attacks of October 7, 2023.

For Jawad Mushasha, here from Jerusalem, the ceremony is a welcome change.

[Interviewee/Expert]

We need something to make us happy after all, so, so after two years of war and demolition, this is better for us.

[Reporter Tom Perry]

Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem have been muted the past two years as the fighting in Gaza raged on. Prior to that, the pandemic put a damper on gatherings and made celebrations like this impossible. Reem Khoury used to come to the tree lighting every year with her family and says it's good to be back.

[Interviewee/Expert]

Nobody had the appetite to celebrate, so now we're hopeful and peace would somehow miraculously come.

[Reporter Tom Perry]

For local businesses, the past few years have been hard as tourists and pilgrims disappeared.

[Interviewee/Expert]

We used to see many tourists coming between over 100 buses every day to visit the Church of Nativity. So this is business for the whole city.

[Reporter Tom Perry]

Jack Tabash and his wife have been selling local crafts for decades, but their shop has been closed for most of the past two years. They're glad to see this celebration, but no, it's just the first step.

[Interviewee/Expert]

Not the tree that brings the tourists is the political situation of the country when it has come. No wars, no shootings, then we can see tourists.

[Reporter Tom Perry]

On this night, the crowds are big, but most people here are Palestinian from Bethlehem and other communities. Local officials say what's needed is for foreign tourists and their money and to start making a comeback.

[Interviewee/Expert]

Bethlehem is ready to receive tourists and pilgrims.

[Reporter Tom Perry]

Meher Kanawati, the mayor of Bethlehem, is hoping for a turnaround.

[Interviewee/Expert]

We were getting like 2.5 million tourists a year and October 7th just stopped. It was a big drop from 100 to a zero and you know Bethlehem went black.

[Reporter Tom Perry]

The mayor and local people hoping this ceremony is a sign of better days ahead. Praying for prosperity and peace. Tom Perry, CBC News, Bethlehem Staying in.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

The Middle East Israel's prime minister says the second phase of the US Plan to end the war in Gaza will begin soon. Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet President Donald Trump at the end of the month to discuss the implementation of the new phase. But he says several key issues still need to be resolved and including the deployment of a multinational security force to Gaza and the disarming of Hamas. Israel is also waiting for Hamas to return the remains of one more hostage. Monday is one year since Bashar al Assad's regime collapsed in Syria. During its 13 year civil war, millions of Syrians left the country, most settled in Turkey. Now hundreds of thousands of refugees are making the journey home, hopefully for a better future. But as Bryer Stewart reports, many are still anxious about what that future may hold.

[Reporter Bryer Stewart]

At the entrepreneur border crossing in eastern Turkey, a line of trucks piled high with sofas, chairs and tables wait for the green light to head into Syria. Inside the border office, 62 year old Luthie Hassan is getting her paperwork checked. She is one of more than 500,000 Syrians who Turkish officials say have made the same journey out of Turkey in the past year.

Syria is our homeland, our home, she said. She's from Aleppo, an ancient city scarred by years of intense fighting. She doesn't know what life will be like there. But after more than a decade in Turkey, she says it's the time to go.

Rent is expensive, it's hard, she said. After Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, more than 3 million people fled over the border with Turkey. Many, like Juma Hita, moved to the eastern Turkish city of Gaziantep and found work in one of the city's textile factories. What do you remember about Kamiyah here then?

[Interviewee/Expert]

When you were 14 or 15.

[Reporter Bryer Stewart]

There was a bomb. We ran away. We came here and slowly we worked and lived, he said. Now with two young children, he says it's not safe to go back now.

My hometown is not in a good condition yet. I don't have a job there and no electricity or water for hours.

The World bank estimates it will cost more than 2, $200 billion US to rebuild the country.

And it will likely be an even bigger challenge to unite a fractured society. The new government doesn't have full control in all of the regions and in the past year, thousands have been killed in sectarian violence.

[Interviewee/Expert]

It depends on the political situation in Syria.

[Reporter Bryer Stewart]

Shakir Din Shaheen is a professor at Istanbul Gaddock University. His research recently took him to Syria to see speak with some of those who moved back.

[Interviewee/Expert]

Some of them had this sense of belonging to Syria, especially after the revolution succeeded. They wanted to go back and contribute to the rebuilding of Syria.

[Reporter Bryer Stewart]

The presence of the Syrians in Turkey has been a highly political and polarizing issue at times, leading to large protests. Officials say there's no pressure for them to return. However, most of those leaving now will not be able to come back unless they have a work permit or Turkish citizenship. Back at the border, Lutvia Hassan wipes away tears. The rest of her relatives, including her grandson, are staying in Turkey, but she and her husband believe they will be able to cope with whatever awaits them, because in Syria, at least, they will be home. Briar Stewart siblings Along the Turkey Syrian.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Border, they've been labeled terrorists, crackpots, conspiracy theorists, and their numbers are growing. Three years ago today, German police carried out a series of raids across the country against a group that was plotting to violently overthrow the government. At the time, many Germans believed the movement was weakened, but as freelance reporter Melissa Kent tells us, it seems stronger than ever.

[Interviewee/Expert]

As you can see, I have so much stuff.

[Reporter Melissa Kent]

Tobias Ginsburg looks through a large folder filled with documents and other artifacts from the months he spent undercover with Germany's conspiracy theorists and right wing fringe groups.

[Interviewee/Expert]

Here, for instance, one of the early books of Peter Fitzek, when he started to explain to people that he can talk to angels.

[Reporter Melissa Kent]

The man he mentions, Peter Fitzek, was arrested earlier this year. Police caught up with him in a tiny village in Sac.

Germany's Spiegel tv. Was there. A former karate teacher, Fitzek founded Koenigreich Deutschland, or Kingdom of Germany, in 2012, a secessionist group which over the years bought up land and real estate to create a pseudo state, complete with its own currency and constitution. Witzek crowned himself king and goes by the name Peter I.

At a press conference following Fitzek's arrest, Germany's Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrind accuses the group of trying to create a counter state and says Kingdom of Germany used anti Semitic conspiracy narratives to underpin its supposed claim to power.

[Interviewee/Expert]

This is not, as the club's title might suggest, a case of harmless nostalgia.

But rather a case of criminal structures and a criminal network. And that is why it is being banned today.

[Reporter Melissa Kent]

According to the government, the Kingdom of Germany and its reported 6,000 members make up the largest group within the so called Reichsburger movement or Citizens of the Empire. A loose association of individuals and groups who for various reasons don't believe modern Germany is a sovereign state. Many subscribe to right wing, populist, anti Semitic and Nazi ideologies.

[Interviewee/Expert]

German authorities claim everyone arrested was part of the far right Reichsburger movement.

[Reporter Melissa Kent]

The movement made international headlines three years ago when German authorities uncovered a plot by a Reichsberger group to violently overthrow the government and install a minor German aristocrat as leader. There were nationwide police raids. More than two dozen people were arrested. Their trials are ongoing.

[Interviewee/Expert]

I cannot tell you what the typical.

[Reporter Melissa Kent]

Reichsberger is, Tobias Ginsburg says. They come from all walks of life.

[Interviewee/Expert]

People coming from a happy family. You meet people who are hugely unwell. You find professors at universities, you find politicians, you find people from the press, policemen and women, he says.

[Reporter Melissa Kent]

Like qanon in America, Heisberger conspiracy theories flourished during the pandemic lockdown.

[Interviewee/Expert]

The first victim of these far out conspiracy theories are the believers themselves. I didn't meet anyone who was happy. I didn't meet anyone who, oh, now I found a great community. No, you found an enemy.

[Reporter Melissa Kent]

And the number of believers keeps growing. Germany's domestic intelligence agency says there are currently 26,000 known Reichsberger members across the country. That's 3,000 more than in 2022, the year of the nationwide police raids, and more than double the number 10 years ago when the government first started tracking the movement. Melissa Kent for CBC News, Berlin.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Australia is about to attempt what many parents see as a losing battle, forcing kids off social media. On Wednesday, it'll become the first country in the world to ban anyone under 16 from having social media accounts. Freelance reporter Danielle Robertson has more on that from Sydney.

[Interviewee/Expert]

How many people would put their hand up to say that they'd be okay.

[Reporter Danielle Robertson]

If social media didn't exist? That was Michael Wipfly speaking to a group of teenagers at a school in Sydney, Australia. A conversation that sparked a nationwide movement for safer online spaces and eventually led to a world first social media law. He co founded the 36 months campaign that pushed to delay social media access from age 13 to 16 to protect teens from bullying, harmful algorithms and mental health risks. Parents were central to the team sharing real stories of the psychological harm online platforms caused to their children, including father Rob Evans, who told the prime minister the story of his daughter Olivia and the circumstances of her death by suicide.

[Interviewee/Expert]

She went on this deep dive of like self loathing, unrealistic health standards, body image. The social media just like it sucked her into this vortex. I do truly believe that if, if these laws existed, she wasn't on it, that she'd probably still be here.

[Reporter Danielle Robertson]

The law comes into effect on December 10, with users required to verify their age via government ID or facial recognition. The government says platforms could face fines of up to $45 million, but cyber safety specialist Stacey Edmonds warns enforcement will be difficult. There's going to be children who will work around it, so what we're going to see increase in virtual private networks, increase in using other people's ID. 13 year old angel King has confirmed that in her circle of friends that is already happening this month, receiving a warning that her Snapchat account would shut down. Many of my peers just created facial expressions to make it appear that they had wrinkles and were able to bypass.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

The ban and are still on their social media.

[Reporter Danielle Robertson]

Angel says the fight to stay online isn't just about staying connected. It's about having a space to be creative and build a career. A view shared by Leonardo Puglisi Good.

[Interviewee/Expert]

Evening and welcome to 6 News.

[Reporter Danielle Robertson]

He launched a YouTube news channel at 11 years old. Now 18, it's grown into a business with thousands of followers, even landing the Prime Minister as a guest on his show.

[Interviewee/Expert]

It has allowed me to explore my passions. It's allowed me to find plenty of friends, people I consider good friends. It's been a positive experience and I'm glad that I was able to use social media.

[Reporter Danielle Robertson]

With the ban just days from taking effect, two teenagers are now challenging it in the high court, including 15 year old Noah Jones.

[Interviewee/Expert]

I felt very strongly about being the plaintiff for young Australians having their right to free speech taken away from them. And I feel that we will become invisible with this ban. We won't be able to share our views and opinions, will be isolated and separated from our country and the rest of the world.

[Reporter Danielle Robertson]

While progress on this court case won't happen until next year, for now, the government hopes this will mean a chance to disconnect. And as Greg atwells from the 36 months campaign puts it, we launch into.

[Interviewee/Expert]

What will hopefully be the best summer ever.

[Reporter Danielle Robertson]

While not all may agree, it will be the first summer in Australia that this generation has ever experienced without social media. Now part of a global test with the world monitoring its effects. Danielle Robertson for CBC News, Sydney, Australia.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Shirley Manson from the band Garbage has never been shy about saying how she feels.

The Scottish singer definitely got angry. At a festival in Melbourne, Australia on Friday during her band's set, a fan started throwing beach balls in the crowd, which sparked this guy with your big.

[Interviewee/Expert]

F ing beach ball. Ooh, what a.

It's disrespectful. And musicians have had enough. And we're fed up of not getting paid properly and fed up of having to play for, like, you. You're a middle aged man in a ridiculous hat. And you're a face.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Okay, okay, okay. We're just gonna stop that right there.

The rant, it went viral. Now Manson is doubling down, posting online. She says I make no apologies, all caps whatsoever for getting annoyed at beach balls at shows. I am so tired of folks taking music for free and treating us all like circus performers. I joined a band because I hated the F word. Beach look, like I said, she's never hidden how she feels.

[Interviewee/Expert]

I'm only happy when it rains.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Here's more from Garbage on youn World Tonight. I'm Stephanie Skenderas. And from Shirley Manson to you, good night, angel face.

[Interviewee/Expert]

You know I love it when the news is bad or why it feels so good to feel so sad. I know they happen when it rains.

Oh, my.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

For more cbc podcasts, go to cbc ca podcasts.