by Yvonne Ridley

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been in existence for one year now, but change has been agonisingly slow; early promises on women's rights are as yet unrealised; and the closure of schools for teenage girls continues to be a running sore for the international community. The country is in dire straits, but blaming the ruling Taliban is simply lazy journalism, agenda-driven bias and opportunistic politics.

by Amina Khan

On 15 August 2021, the world looked on with trepidation as the situation in Afghanistan reached a critical juncture with the Afghan Taliban assuming power in the country. The takeover was swift, and relatively peaceful, with little resistance from the masses, followed by the abrupt withdrawal of US forces, leading to a new set of debates and questions.

by Dr. Tarek Cherkaoui

A storm seems to be hitting Amnesty International (AI). The international non-governmental organisation has been subject to strong criticisms since the release of its report on 4 August 2022 about the alleged conduct of the Ukrainian military during the current Russo-Ukrainian War.

by Burak Elmalı

Immediately after the announcement that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would visit Taiwan during her Asia tour, the complex relationship between China, Taiwan and the United States resurfaced. China warned the US that it would pay the price for this visit. Beijing and Moscow, which are allegedly bound by friendship with "no limits", responded similarly by describing Pelosi's visit as a provocation.

by Nabil Al-Sahli

The Russian Ministry of Justice applied to a court recently to shut down the Moscow office of the Jewish Agency for Immigration at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid warned that doing so would be a dangerous measure that would affect relations between the two countries. The agency was established in 1929 and began its activities in Russia in 1989 helping Jews to migrate to occupied Palestine. On 15 July, the ministry filed a complaint against the agency before a court in Moscow.

by Dr Amira Abo el-Fetouh

It was no surprise that, even while negotiating with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement through Egyptian mediators to defuse the tension in the Gaza Strip following the arrest of the movement's senior figure Bassam Al-Saadi in Jenin last week, Israel launched an aerial bombardment of the besieged territory. Such deception is in its nature, so there is no need to tire ourselves looking for the reasons for its treacherous attack.

by Dr Adnan Abu Amer

As campaigns get underway ahead of Israel's November general election, it is expected that internal Israeli disputes and divisions will increase. Recent polls have confirmed that rates of hate and enmities have moved from leaders of the parties and parliamentary blocs to the Israeli public.

by Rita Freire and Ahmad Alzoubi

Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the heart of the holy city of Jerusalem, is 1,300 years old – built in the 7th century. Israeli excavations, invasions and campaigns have, however, threatened the foundations of this symbol of Jerusalem.

But what does Al-Aqsa Mosque have to do with settler campaigns to rebuild the Biblical Temple of Solomon? And how did this idea reach Brazil, helping to extol the symbols that the Zionist State of Israel wants to place in place of millenary Muslim monuments?

by Dr Amira Abo el-Fetouh

The farce of the referendum on the constitution in Tunisia, which Kais Saied penned to give himself dictatorial power — what kind of constitution does not allow the president to be held accountable or impeached? — had a very small participation rate.

by Muhammad Hussein

As Arab states the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco began establishing ties with Israel over the past few years and warmed towards their old adversary, many saw it as the beginning of a new era. And in some ways, it was: trade could now openly flow between the nations in the region and the Arab world could further benefit from Israeli technology and spyware.

by Dr M Makram Balawi

A linguistic analysis of the "Jerusalem Declaration" signed by US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on 14 July exposes the nature of the document.

by Anadolu Agency

Each event, both in the past and present, could be approached from a different perspective and placed in various contexts. Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip to Iran is no exception. Some implications and expectations of this visit are clear. Still, there is another aspect of the story, and observers usually overlook it: in visiting Iran, Putin or some other members of the Russian elite might think about following the Iranian path. Yet, it is hardly possible in present-day Russia.