Bombings first and last
"Gaza, Bethlehem First" lasted a day before it was blocked by Israeli military actions. It will remain blocked until outside pressure is applied, writes Graham Usher in Jerusalem

A guessing game
How far can we rely on press reporting for an informed reading of Washington's current thinking on Iraq, asks Mohamed El-Sayed Said

GOLDEN JUBILEE OF THE 1952 REVOLUTION

Egypt

Trying times for Egypt-US ties
Egypt-US relations have seen better days. Nevine Khalil looks at the issues troubling both sides

Caught in the middle
Now that the US has explicitly linked his case to a halt in additional economic aid to Egypt, Egyptian-American sociologist Saadeddin Ibrahim is caught in the middle more than ever before. Jailan Halawi reports

Region

What does Sharon want?
No sooner had Israeli tanks rolled out of the streets of Bethlehem than time came for Tulkarm to be attacked. Khaled Amayreh, in Hebron, reports

Waterless world
As Israel reclaims Negev Desert land for agriculture, Palestinians thirst for drinking water. Talal Jabari writes from the West Bank village of Beit Dajan

Democracy versus oil
Peace and security in Sudan come at a price -- greater democracy. Will the key players pay the price, asks Gamal Nkrumah

Preparing for war
How will Iraq confront a US-led attack aimed at overthrowing Saddam Hussein's regime? Galal Nassar went to the Jordanian-Iraqi border to find out

International

A debt to be paid
Last Saturday's Million for Reparations March in Washington DC served to spotlight the struggle for reparations by descendants of African slaves in America, writes Gamal Nkrumah

Private business
Poverty, corruption and market-demand combine to make pornography a Bangladeshi cottage industry Shaikh Azizur Rahman, in Dhaka, reports

Fast Track blues
The 'most historic' trade legislation ever passed by Congress gives the US president unprecedented trade negotiation powers. It may, however, spell disaster for the Western hemisphere, writes Faiza Rady

Crosscurrents into the mainstream
As the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee acts to fortify its presence in the US mainstream, some members are crying capitulation to the establishment. Amira Howeidy reviews the debate

Economy

Book-fixing, here and there
Accurate financial statements are crucial for investors. Wael Gamal looks at accounting standards in Egypt in the light of the US's recent spate of corporate scandal

Developing labour
International Labour Organisation's Abidjan Regional Officer Regina Amadi-Njoku talks to Gihan Shahine about the different challenges facing development in Egypt and Africa

Travel

Features

Siesta south
Got the going-to-the-US-to-visit-relations blues? Why not nip over to the Caribbean for some fun in the sun? Nyier Abdou on how to sneak a holiday into your yearly pilgrimage West

Living

Heritage

The plot thickens
Is the ad world changing as fast as the audience, asks Tarek Atia