Indefinitely at war
To avoid being dubbed an occupying force, the US administration has delayed declaring the end of the war, Khaled Dawoud reports from Washington

Approaching midnight
The dispute over Mahmoud Abbas's new Palestinian government sparked a full-blown political crisis. That is because it was not simply about government, reports Graham Usher in Ramallah

Ya Hussein
Iraq's Shi'a population are shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with. Omayma Abdel-Latif looks at the complicated relationship between the occupation forces and Iraq's majority sect

A brief window of triumphalism
Just as the sporadic pockets of celebration at Saddam's defeat have been swiftly replaced with anger in Baghdad, so the mood in the corridors of Westminster has also noticeably darkened, writes Alexander Alistair in London

'Cultural catastrophe' hits Iraq
International experts meeting at UNESCO last week deplored the looting of Iraq's cultural heritage in the wake of the US-led invasion, calling upon the occupying forces immediately to secure Iraqi sites and institutions, reports David Tresilian from Paris

Why the US needs Syria
The "Syria-next" scenario has been avoided thanks to the efforts of President Bashar Al-Assad this week, writes Sami Moubayed in Damascus

Closing ranks
The general post-war mood in the region is grim, causing several Arab leaders to close ranks and consult on the next stage of developments. Nevine Khalil reports on President Mubarak's first foreign post-war trip

Back in the limelight
The ruling party's influential Policy Secretariat is back in action, striving to prove that it is Egypt's most important decision-making body. Gamal Essam El-Din reports

The moral of the story
The ruling NDP says it is moving towards reform; independent and opposition pundits argue that it should be dissolved altogether, writes Gamal Essam El-Din

Al-Sahhaf's legacy
The fall of Baghdad two weeks ago has, paradoxically, boosted the popularity of former Iraqi information minister worldwide. Gihan Shahine finds out why

Freedom first
Two journalists have been on a hunger strike for a week to protest the unfair detention of their colleague. Mona El-Nahhas spoke to the two men

Saving the remains
Iraq's heritage has been looted and destroyed. Nevine El-Aref looks at Egypt's efforts to help restore and retrieve the treasures

Waiting to see the light
Niveen Wahish speaks with the chairman of the ruling National Democratic Party's economic committee on the two controversial draft laws that promise to change the face of Egypt's economic outlook