A lexicon learned
Bush's long-awaited policy speech heralds a worsening in Arab-American relations, reports Mohamed El-Sayed Said from Washington

Changing the guard
Palestinian and Arab leaders tried to put a brave face on George Bush's Middle East policy statement. They are fooling no one, writes Graham Usher from Jerusalem

INTIFADA IN FOCUS

Egypt

Measured reaction
Cairo received Washington's vision on how to make progress in the peace process cautiously, writes Nevine Khalil

Showdown in Alexandria
Finally taking place after two long years of legal wrangling, today's parliamentary elections for Al-Raml district promise to pose a significant challenge to the ruling National Democratic Party. Gamal Essam El-Din reports

Time for a historic reconcilliation?
Last week, incarcerated leaders of the militant Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya announced their commitment to abandoning violence, and conveyed an unprecedented apology to victims of their attacks. Jailan Halawi searches for the story behind the attitude shift

Region

Invasions in perpetuity
While President Bush was delivering his long-awaited speech on the Middle East on 24 June, the Israeli army was completing its reoccupation of the West Bank. Khaled Amayreh reports from Hebron

Debate over suicide operations
A controversy is brewing over a petition against suicide bombings signed by hundreds of Palestinians

Half-full glass or settling for dregs?
The Arabs are focusing on the 'positive' elements of Bush's statement on the Middle East. Dina Ezzat reports

Bush's long road to Baghdad
Bickering within the US administration, lack of regional support and divisions in the Iraqi opposition may delay Bush's declared objective of toppling Saddam Hussein, reports Salah Hemeid

Economy

Interview

Budgetary finances slammed
Economic pundits and MPs have criticised the new budget as unrealistic and not reflective of economic realities. Gamal Essam El-Din reports

Trepidation all around
Both local and foreign investors held off activity as the market muddled through yet another week of sparse transactions. Sherine Abdel-Razek reports

'Where my dreams are'
Hernando de Soto, advisor to Peruvian presidents, proponent of neo-liberal theories of development, serial wearer of the hats of politician and technocrat, speaks to Aziza Sami about globalisation, dependency and Marxism

International

More carrot, less stick
The harsh rhetoric emanating from EU leaders in the run-up to the Seville Summit failed to translate into similarly hard-line action over immigration, writes Iason Athanasiadis

Latin oversight
The deepening economic crisis in Latin America is forcing the region to realise that the First World wants to block migration to safeguard its own security, writes Hisham El-Naggar from Buenos Aires

Features

Living on the edge
Gamal Nkrumah looks into the prospects for asylum seekers in Egypt

Living

Travel

All aboard the peace train
Aline Kazandjian samples the first leg of a planned rail route which will one day run through the Levant and Anatolia and on to Europe

Sports

The Egyptian eight
Egypt took third in the World Cup of rowing thanks to a closely-knit team.
Nashwa Abdel-Tawab looks at a precision performance

1952-2002