NEW BEGINNINGS:
King Farouk was led to believe that if he married again -- to a commoner, this time -- and presented the people of Egypt with a male heir, he would regain their love and respect. He was wrong. --read caption--

Endgame
Chronicle Special Supplement

Opinion

WAR COVERAGE

INTIFADA IN FOCUS

Moussa appeal at the fair
Public frustration at increasing Israeli aggression and Arab feebleness has, if anything, contributed to the popular appeal of Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa. Dina Ezzat attended as Moussa took the Cairo Book Fair by storm

Courting the dragon
President Mubarak arrived yesterday on a four-day visit to China. Nevine Khalil reports from Beijing

Egypt

By diplomatic means
As Israel steps up its violence against Palestinians, Cairo warns of 'dangerous' consequences, reports Soha Abdelaty.

'The whole picture'
The economy and the peace process were high on the list of topics that President Hosni Mubarak discussed at the opening of the Cairo Book Fair. Shaden Shehab reports

Final home for Tutankhamun's treasure
The new Grand Egyptian Museum overlooking the Pyramids is in the process of becoming a reality. Nevine El-Aref examines the prospects

Region

Arafat's shrinking dominion
Yasser Arafat's authority -- personal and institutional -- has rarely been so frail nor the forces arrayed against it so strong. Graham Usher reports from Ramallah

International

'What tiger?'
For years, Israel has been busy collecting sensitive information about the US. Why has it been above suspicion, wonders Mohamed Hakki in Washington

The Afghan killing fields
There has been no official count of the number of civilians killed in the first eight and a half weeks of US bombing on Afghanistan, and the Pentagon has falsified the facts about its war. But one American academic is setting the record straight, writes Faiza Rady

Volcanoes and violence
War and natural disaster in Congo and political turmoil in Zimbabwe overshadowed the deliberations of last week's Southern African leaders' summit, writes Gamal Nkrumah

The Asian connection
As the US casts its searchlight into Al-Qa'eda's shadows, countries in Southeast Asia veer into view, writes Nyier Abdou

Economy

Interview

Not available
Could the official reduction in the value of the pound by one piastre be paving the way for a more drastic devaluation? Niveen Wahish investigates

Crises, currencies and candy
As the global market struggles to pick itself up from the 11 September knockout, people around the world are fighting to regain local ground. Yasmine El-Rashidi takes a look at what the financial turbulence has done to Egyptians

"Our great challenge"
Ahead of the World Bank's Consultative Group meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Fayza Abul-Naga spoke to Aziza Sami

Special

Living

Endgame
Who was behind the 'Cairo Fire' of 26 January 1952?

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Egyptian revolution, Al-Ahram Weekly, in this issue, begins an occasional series chronicling the last days of the monarchy and mapping the events that led to the 23 July Revolution

Sports

Travel

Fine defence but little else
Egypt was close to taking a point from its opening match in the ANC championship but, as Nashwa Abdel-Tawab reports, Senegal pulled the rug out

Snow falling on cedars
On a short winter holiday, Amira El-Noshokaty visited Lebanon and the ancient "City of Wells"