Last week, Al Majalla featured a wide array of perspectives from experts, writers and analysts on important developments across the world. For his part, Tarek Rashed asked Is the US going to war with Venezuela? In his piece, he says: “A string of recent statements from US President Donald Trump, coupled with American naval deployments this month, makes for a compelling case. But could this just be psychological warfare?”

Switching to the Middle East, James Jeffrey explained why Forging Syrian national unity is key to regional peace. In his article, he says, “Damascus has already taken steps towards this end, but international support will still be vital. It can also draw on relevant elements from Iraq's governing model.” Meanwhile, the new leadership in Damascus is said to be mulling expanding the Adana Agreement—a deal struck between the PKK  and Türkiye to defuse a potential military confrontation in 1998—to include Syria. As revision talks are underway, Ibrahim Hamidi reexamines the agreement. 

Onto Palestine, Alice Gower explains why Israel’s steps towards formalising its annexation of the West Bank could upend the region. And Maher Chmaytelli explained why Saudi Arabia's Future Investment Initiative comes at a pivotal moment for the region. In his piece, he describes the summit as the “largest gathering since FII's inception in 2017, with 600 speakers set to address the four-day event and an impressive attendee list comprising US financial titans, among others.”

Shifting to the conflict in Ukraine, Con Coughlin writes, “Frustrated by Putin's refusal to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump has imposed a new 'tremendous' package of sanctions on Russia, which he thinks will have a profound impact on its war effort, this time round. For his part, Futoshi Matsumoto profiles Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s first female prime minister. “Her task will be to balance the country's security imperatives with American expectations regarding burden-sharing, defence spending, and economic cooperation,” he writes.

And on China, Shirley Ze Yu writes on the upcoming Xi-Trump meeting, which she says is about far more than trade. In her piece, she says, “US and Chinese leaders have locked themselves into a downward spiral that goes far beyond tariffs, exports, and rare earths. This is about the future and who controls it.” And Steve Hewitt explains Why Gen Z is so mad. “Economic displacement driven by AI has alienated an entire generation, and they are not going down quietly,” he writes.

And in Culture, and Abdel Salam Ben Abdelali writes on The evolution of the influencer. In his piece, he says, “Until recently, influencers looked and operated very differently, but the way that opinions are formed is changing rapidly.” And last but not least, Nesrein El-Bakhshawangy speaks to Doina Ruști, a Romanian novelist of an acclaimed parable of communism, whose father was murdered during her childhood. In the interview, she details the science behind her craft, her love for folklore, and why, in literature, everything is personal.