Sabena Siddiqui is a foreign affairs journalist, lawyer and geopolitical analyst specialising in modern China, the Belt and Road Initiative, Middle East and South Asia.
After the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan, press conferences were convened in which Talib spokespersons assured the international community that women's rights would be respected, within the confines of Islam. But how have women actually fared?
The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has caused many of its citizens to flee in panic, fearful of what life will be like under Taliban control. With the events of the past weeks causing a fresh influx of Afghan refugees, how will they be received?
Analysis: China and Pakistan have vowed closer cooperation in Afghanistan as Beijing seeks to protect its long-term interests amid the Taliban's resurgence.
Water security has become a national matter in the MENA region where 12 of the 17 most water-stressed countries in the world are located. So what strategies are being employed by the GCC states to counter this threat?
Analysis: Pakistan's silence on the repression of Uighur Muslims reflects its deep economic dependence on China after aligning with Beijing's international infrastructure strategy.
Despite discussions among GCC members to formalise an action plan to tackle climate change, there are certain unavoidable truths that the Gulf states must face. With water scarcity, pollution and sea levels on the rise, what lies ahead?
With the scarcity of the GCC's oil reserves increasingly evident, Gulf states have begun diversifying their energy sources. In a region where sunshine is abundant, solar and 'green hydrogen' energies have been identified as the way forward.
