Beijing can help Washington find a way out of its Gulf quagmire, but it won't come cheap. Xi Jinping may wonder aloud if the Americans still plan to defend Taiwan.

Al Majalla examines the wider implications of the US-China summit in Beijing—especially regarding the ongoing US-Iran conflict, and Gulf states' strategic considerations as global power balances shift

Britons seem fed up with establishment parties after Labour's disastrous performance in this week's local elections, and the Tories' similar failure two years ago

Many US allies across the world are now questioning America's ability and will to protect them, making the prospect of a nuclear deterrent more appealing

Egyptian officials believe US-Israeli pressure to rapidly disarm Hezbollah could backfire and plunge Lebanon into a new civil war

Labour's disastrous showing in the local elections and gains made by the Reform party have sparked calls for Starmer to step down, but he remains defiant

Some in Damascus think female protection units are better suited for police force work, but this would be a huge waste of their valuable military skills

Al Majalla reveals how these units have evolved into cross-border operational networks targeting security and economic infrastructure

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and its proxy Hezbollah have been activating sleeper cells embedded across the Gulf States, but many have been found and detained.

Hezbollah is recruiting new cells in Syria's west, while Iraqi militias are doing the same in the east. For its part, Damascus readies its forces to respond to any threat.