Edward Said:
Really, now -- what's next?

Ihab Shakir :
Profile by Youssef Rakha

Abdel-Azim Anis :
Running after illusions

Warming up
Sudanse Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismail was scheduled to arrive in Cairo last night for his second visit in less than three weeks, amid indications of reciprocal warmth in bilateral relations. --read on--

Slow count
Western poll-watchers expressed deep concern yesterday over the slow counting of the votes in the first democratic elections in Indonesia since 1955, warning it could raise serious doubts and damage credibility. --read on--

A gaggle of geese, a pride of lions, a flock of flamingoes and... a tangle of teens?
--see caption--
Life behind bars

Kosovo waits
The battle of wills continues between NATO and Yugoslavia over a Serb military withdrawal from Kosovo

Missiles in the mountains
As New Delhi and Lahore prepare for their first direct talks since the Kashmir crisis flared up again last month, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sherif tells Mahmoud Mourad why he remains optimistic about the future of Southern Asia

Handing on the baton
The architect of the 'negotiated revolution' steps down from active politics and hands over the reigns of power to Thabo Mbeki. South Africa must now face up to political life after Mandela, writes Gamal Nkrumah

The UN goes corporate
Starved of funds, the United Nations has turned to the private sector for support, in a series of unprecedented -- and highly controversial -- funding agreements. Faiza Rady watches as the international system goes corporate

Barak's coalition "for all the people"
Ehud Barak is still trying to put his One Israel coalition in place. But to predict its probable policies, writes Graham Usher from Jerusalem, one should look less at the parties included in its fold than those excluded from it

No Peace with settlements
Palestinian minister Nabil Shaath told Rasha Saad that peace and settlements cannot coexist

NGO controversy drags on
It was an action-packed week for human rights organisations, culminating in a meeting between them and Mary Robinson. Mariz Tadros follows up on a regional workshop on human rights and development as well as the issue of the new NGO law

A woman for all seasons

Le temps du Maroc
David Tresilian reports from Paris on the 5ème Salon euro-arabe du Livre held at l'Institut du monde arabe this week