Syria

Maysa Sabrin joins illustrious figures such as Russia's Elvira Nabiullina, Europe's Christine Lagarde, and America's Janet Yellen, proving women heading central banks is no longer a rarity

For a country that needs to include all its varied elements if it is to heal, there are some worrying early signs in the recruitment of a new army. The region offers many lessons in what not to do.

Many agreements were one-sided in favour of Damascus, with some never ratified, implemented or even known about at all. Calls are now mounting to rebalance the relationship.

The Ba'ath movement was a big part of the Arab world for almost 80 years. Its demise in Iraq after 35 years in power—and in Syria just recently—comes with important lessons.

During the French Mandate, Syria's women's movement went from grassroots protest to established force, setting up schools, helping the poor, and calling for rights and votes

While Trump's rhetoric doesn't always match his actions, there are more signs than not that the US will draw down its forces in the region, leaving room for other actors to step in

Having long dreamt of a free homeland, Syrians who had to live abroad for years talk to Al Majalla about the land they left, their conflicting emotions about coming home, and their hopes for Syria

The lack of transparency threatens to derail Syria's aspirations for a democratic and inclusive future, transforming what should be a period of hope and progress into one of missed opportunities

Watching Gabriel García Márquez's epic on TV as Syria awoke from its 'eternal' slumber, Assad's ouster felt like the scene the Colombian writer forgot to write in his most famous novel

'Ghost Trail' is a timely French thriller about Assad-era atrocities, revealing what went on in the regime's darkest corners and how justice can be done by those determined enough to find the culprits