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النسخة العربية
  • Politics
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  • Syria

Farid al-Madhan Reuters/ Al Majalla

Farid al-Madhan: Assad's fingerprints were on every picture

A former army forensics employee who later became known as Caesar tells Al Majalla how he risked his life to expose the torture and killing of countless Syrians in regime prisons

Ibrahim Hamidi 31 March 2026
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
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Al Majalla/Reuters
Politics

Trump's midterm loss opens a window for Iran diplomacy

11, Nov 2026

Both Tehran and Washington have powerful incentives to resolve the conflict through negotiations, but actors on all sides have reasons to derail these efforts

Alex Vatanka
The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey carries the traditional red budget box as he leaves Downing Street in London on 28 October 2026. Reuters
Business & Economy

Britain's debt squeeze tests the pound’s power

11, Nov 2026

Rising borrowing costs and persistent inflation are narrowing the UK's fiscal room for manoeuvre, exposing the limits of monetary independence

Abdulfattah Khattab
Crew members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) navy ship Qi Jiguang wave as their ship prepares to dock on 2 August 2026. JUNI KRISWANTO / AFP
Politics

China eyes greater security role in the Red Sea

12, Nov 2026

Beijing has been expanding its base in Djibouti, the tiny state that sits opposite Yemen across the Bab al-Mandab Strait. With numerous other states also in play, this is a region to watch

Charbel Barakat
Pep Boatella
Science & Technology

Climate change is redrawing national borders

10, Nov 2026

Whether it is rivers, glaciers, or sea-level submergence, the implications of rising temperatures are becoming an increasingly urgent issue for states

Alaa Emara
Culture & Social Affairs

Five Arab novels that paint an AI-dominated future

10, Nov 2026

From machines that develop human emotions to societies governed by artificial intelligence, Arab novelists explore the promises and perils of a radically transformed future

Ibrahim Adel

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OPINIONS

Syria textbook controversy deepens distrust in government

Haid Haid
Haid Haid

Al Majalla’s Film Watch

Wael Said
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Ibrahim Jalal

China eyes greater security role in the Red Sea

Charbel Barakat
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