In a wide-ranging interview with Al Majalla, one of the key figures in Syria's politics speaks out on diplomacy, the PKK's Abdullah Öcalan and the state of his own alliance with the US

Detailed plans to end Damascus' diplomatic isolation have been set out and shared with major global and regional powers. Al Majalla has seen them and outlines the promise and pitfalls that lie ahead.

This is the third IS leader to have been killed in 14 months — placing the leadership of the worldwide jihadist movement under serious and unprecedented strain

Though attacks have become more sporadic, local populations in some areas of both Iraq and Syria continue to feel threatened by the group

Many important contributions of Muawiyah were purposely downplayed or ignored by Abassid historians due to sectarian reasons

Power dynamics in Middle East are shifting. After Saudi Arabia's moves to normalise relations with Iran, Syria has choices to make over differing efforts to bring it out of isolation.

With the war in their country not yet entirely over, people there are seeking solace by wearing a new face, perhaps as a distraction from lingering suffering

With more than 15 million Syrians in need of aid an agreement to resurrect oil production may be the answer with Libya setting the precedent

IS and its predecessors have a long history of working directly with al-Assad's regime and benefiting from its indirect facilitation

Syrian novelist Khaled Khalifa shares his firsthand account from the heart of the country's capital, describing the endless sorrow of the Syrian people