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  • Syria

Iraqi-American musician and researcher Mark Gergis, who co-founded Syrian Cassette Archives, began collecting cassette tapes during visits to Syria in the 1990s. Syrian Cassette Archive

How cassette tapes preserved Syria's unofficial soundtrack

For nearly three decades, these recordings carried voices ignored by official media across the country's streets, taxis and nightclubs. Now, they are being digitised into a comprehensive archive.

Khalil Sweileh 27 March 2026
A girl shows a peace sign, as Syrians gather to mark the anniversary of the 2011 uprising against the ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria, on 15 March 2026. REUTERS / Yamam Al Shaar

One year on, Syria's National Dialogue promises fall flat

The rushed 2025 rollout raised questions about the government's seriousness. Since then, no meaningful record has been published, fuelling fears that it was just a show.

Haid Haid 17 March 2026
A boy plays with his sheep next to an unexploded missile that landed in an open field on the outskirts of Qamishli, eastern Syria, on 5 March 2026. DELIL SOULEIMAN / AFP

Syria may escape war but not its economic fallout

Even if it stays on the sidelines of the US-Iran war, the country is fragile. Unlike larger economies that can absorb shocks in global markets, it has little room to cushion the impact.

Haid Haid 09 March 2026
Axel Rangel Garcia

Alternative security models for Syria amid US pullout

The announcement last week that the US was pulling its 1,000 troops there has sparked worry, as American presence is seen as crucial for integrating the Kurds and fighting IS

James Jeffrey 07 March 2026
People wave independence-era Syrian flags as they gather at Saadallah al-Jabiri Square after the Friday noon prayer in Aleppo on 13 December 2024. Ozan KOSE / AFP

Syria's civic space opens...but not for everyone

Forms of civic engagement unimaginable under the previous regime are now unfolding. But authorities have also been accused of arbitrary restrictions, selective enforcement, and sudden reversals.

Haid Haid 20 February 2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi @USAMBTurkiye via X

SDF presence in Munich raises eyebrows in Ankara

Despite having signed an agreement to integrate into the Syrian state, its leaders attended a key security conference in Germany as a separate delegation from Damascus, in a move that unnerves Türkiye

Omer Onhon 18 February 2026
Burkina Faso's Capt. Ibrahim Traore, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands before an official ceremony to welcome the leaders of delegations to the Russia Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 27, 2023

Why the ‘unreliable allies’ narrative doesn't track in Africa

A growing 'unreliable allies' narrative claims Russia and China are abandoning their African partners. The evidence suggests otherwise

Sergey Eledinov 08 February 2026
People and rescuers inspect the damage at the site of a reported suicide attack at the Saint Elias church in Damascus' Dwelaa area on 22 June 2025. LOUAI BESHARA / AFP

Ansar al-Sunna: the murky new jihadist group in Syria

A faceless new group that seeks to provoke sectarian violence is claiming responsibility for attacks that later transpire to be the work of others. Who are they, and do they matter?

Abdelrahman Al-Hajj 07 February 2026
Eduardo Ramon

The return of Al-Jazira and the question of Syria’s economic renewal

As Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Al-Hasakah return to state authority, this resource-rich region re-emerges as a cornerstone of economic recovery

Hussein al-Sharaa 06 February 2026
Eduardo Ramon

How the US got the SDF to capitulate to Damascus

Al Majalla publishes a full account of what transpired during negotiations, the draft integration framework, and proposed constitutional amendments

Ibrahim Hamidi 03 February 2026
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CIA Director John Ratcliffe at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on 15 August 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska, where Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin for peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. ANDREW HARNIK / AFP
Politics

Why Ratcliffe's secret visit to Moscow is concerning

27 August 2026

The American CIA director's visit looks to be a desperate attempt by the Trump administration to avert a doomsday scenario in which NATO is pulled into a larger war with Russia

Con Coughlin
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Beijing, China, on 2 September 2025. Reuters
Business & Economy

Will US sanctions on Iran bite? It may depend on China

26 August 2026

Beijing says it will not abide by the new 'Economic D-Day' measures and warns the US of retaliation if they hurt their oil trade with Tehran

Rana Freifer
Nigel Buchanan
Politics

Gadi Eisenkot: Israel’s next leader?

27 August 2026

Al Majalla looks at his military career, political positions, possible paths to victory, and what a change in leadership could mean for Israel and the region after three years of war

Al Majalla - London
Sara Padovan
Science & Technology

When myth replaces medicine

25 August 2026

As social media transforms how people seek medical advice, figures such as Barbara O'Neill offer something conventional medicine rarely can: absolute certainty

Mohammed Mansour
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif posing after signing the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on 7 August, 2026. PAKISTAN PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE / AFP
Politics

Networked Middle East security

22 August 2026

The Iran war exposed the risks of being too closely tied to US military posture, which is why some Gulf states are repositioning themselves not merely as consumers of security but as architects of it

Bilal Saab

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OPINIONS

Gadi Eisenkot: Israel’s next leader?

Al Majalla - London
Al Majalla - London

The general who could end Netanyahu’s era

Michael Horowitz
Michael Horowitz

Why Ratcliffe's secret visit to Moscow is concerning

Con Coughlin
Con Coughlin

The Houthis once again fail to read the 'regional room'

Anwar Al-Ansi
Anwar Al-Ansi
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