Al-Ahram Weekly

Crux of the matter
Threats to build a synagogue in the heart of one of Islam's holiest sites mark the beginning of a new phase in the struggle over the future of Jerusalem, writes Khaled Amayreh from the holy city

Questions of justice
and expediency
Following Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's international tour to drum up support for his plans to declare a Palestinian state, Hanan Ashrawi, spoke to Sherine Bahaa by telephone from Ramallah

The morning after
As the Lebanese army reclaims sovereignty over the newly-liberated south, upcoming parliamentary elections have turned attention towards Beirut. Ranwa Yehia reports from the Lebanese capital

Ten years of solitude
A defiant visit by Venezuela's president to Baghdad presents Iraq with a golden opportunity to chastise Arab neighbours for their indifference to the plight of its people after 10 years of sanctions, writes Salah Hemeid

A new voice rising? The struggles at the summit of Sudanese political society may not be the whole picture, writes Mohamed Khaled from Khartoum
Off-key witnesses The Lockerbie trial is due to resume 22 August after a one-month summer break. Rasha Saad examines the first round	A cause without a rebel Iran's new parliament watches helplessly as hard-liners gag the little that remains of the reformist press. Azadeh Moaveni follows the movement as it falters