Timetabling elections
Ghassan Salame, the UN's senior political advisor in Iraq, speaks with Jihan El-Alaily on Iraq's political future

Liberian stand-off
Nigerian peace-keepers have returned to Liberia after a five-year absence, writes Gamal Nkrumah

Change at press syndicate
A Nasserist defeated his government-supported rival for the post of syndicate chairman, and leftists and Islamists now dominate the council. What does it all mean? Shaden Shehab investigates

Precarious hudna
Amid rising Palestinian anger over Israel's foot-dragging on the prisoners' issue, resistance groups threaten to end their truce with Israel. Khaled Amayreh reports from Ramallah

A call to violence
A right-wing US lawmaker urges Israel to ignore the truce and go on killing Palestinians, writes Ali Abunimah from Chicago

Egypt:

Boost in dispute
Opposition parties were not entirely convinced by the latest public announcements made by senior NDP officials. Gamal Essam El-Din reports

Safety at a price
Third class trains have been abandoned for a new system featuring improved security measures and much higher prices. Rania Khallaf reports

Still in the running
Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) is looking strong in the ongoing battle for the Iraqi mobile phone network licences. Wael Gamal reports

Region:

Broken promises
Isam Alkhafaji, former member of the Iraqi Reconstruction and Development Council spoke to Omayma Abdel-Latif about the American experience on how not to build a nation in Iraq

Forgive and forget
Four months after a US-led coalition unseated Saddam Hussein, Kuwaitis are still haunted by his 1990 invasion of their country, writes Salah Hemeid

International:

Like father, like son
Diplomat turned politician Ilham Aliyev is to succeed his father Haydar as president of Azerbaijan to the chagrin of Azeri opposition parties, writes Mustafa El-Labbad

The crackdown
John Ashcroft has deported more Arabs and Muslims in 2002 than all the foreigners deported in the infamous Palmer raids of 1919. Robert Younes writes from Maryland

Culture:

Innocence retrieved
Youssef Rakha enjoys Heneidi's latest