Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad speaks to Al Majalla about Islamabad's diplomatic role in the talks between the US and Iran, its balancing act between Tehran and Riyadh and the Mecca Pact

Shaibani held several calls with the Mossad chief days before the strike, explaining why the airport's runway was being rehabilitated and that it had no hostile intentions, but Israel bombed it anyway

As stocks rise ever higher, yields have been climbing ominously

Balancing the competing interests of regional and global stakeholders is no easy task. Can the president keep Syria from becoming an arena for regional conflict?

The Egyptian novelist's latest book, 'Contrary to What Came Before', prompts a deeper meditation on life, death, and the possibility of renewal

Al-Zaidi's push to take arms out of militias' hands and bring them under state control is exposing deep political divisions and challenging the government's authority at home and abroad

Syria's new post-Assad leadership is working to sever Iran's reach by shoring up its borders with Lebanon and Iraq, and by closing in on cells operating in the country

Despite losing its dominant position in Syria, Moscow still sees opportunities in oil, military cooperation, and access to Africa

The Arab world has a vibrant and rich literary scene. Al Majalla picks out some choice titles in our fortnightly round-up of the latest Arabic books