A thousand and one pages Will the crowds browsing through the stalls when the Book Fair opens on the 26th keep in mind the fact that each tome they glance at is the fruit of a journey worthy of one of Sheherazad's tales? See also New age new fare (Youssef Rakha speaking to Samir Sarhan, chairman of the General Egyptian Book Organisation)

The limits of reconciliation There is still no sign Iraq might go half-way to meet the Arab states -- or vice versa Refugee camp Iraq Last weekend marked the eighth anniversary of the Gulf War, while the UN Security Council was winding up a week of intensive discussions on the future of economic sanctions against Iraq. Al-Ahram Weekly's special correspondent on Iraqi affairs explores the current situation Israel's Watergate -- Barak's salvation The Labour Party suspects Likud has launched a dirty tricks campaign in the Israeli elections. Ehud Barak should be so lucky, writesGraham Usher

Out of Eden Even the paragons of orthodoxy can't agree when it comes to the First Man. Amira Howeidy wonders who's been at the apples again

Channelling dissent Toshka is once again in the firing-line. Gamal Essam El-Din reports on the Wafd Party's latest campaign to get the government to provide parliament with studies on the project Running on sun and water Clean energy drawn solely from sun and water -- can it be done? Zeinab Abul-Gheit reports on a groundbreaking experiment