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

Syria's hereditary republic grew into a mafia-style family regime. The similarities between their 54-year rule and the fictional Corleone family in 'The Godfather' movies are more than skin-deep

The appointments show how Tehran is drawing lessons from successive wars and preparing for a prolonged period of insecurity

The spoken word has kept a key component of Algeria's social mosaic alive for generations, but now technology is stepping in to do the heavy lifting

When US forces withdrew from Afghanistan five years ago, Syrian rebels drew inspiration from the Taliban. Today, the roles are reversed.