Matters of principle
Ariel Sharon suggested this week he might remove some Jewish settlements. It indicates how he intends to preserve most, writes Graham Usher in Jerusalem

Ready for controversy
Economic woes, strained American ties, and political dialogue are likely to top the current People's Assembly session's agenda. Gamal Essam El-Din reports

Hush, hush about Israel's bomb
A recent attack on a Knesset member underscores the country's hostility towards calls for transparency in Israel's weapons of mass destruction programme, Jonathan Cook reports

The enemy within
Two more massive bombs exploded in Istanbul last Thursday, leaving the entire city looking apprehensively over its shoulder for the next attack, Gareth Jenkins writes from Istanbul

Shock and awe v2.0
Despite the recent introduction of Operation Iron Hammer by US forces, Iraqi insurgents are adapting and looking for new ways to exploit an American occupation that is in disarray, writes Salah Hemeid

By George
The demise of Eduard Shevardnadze is sanguine food for thought for ideologues who believe that democracy has ended History, writes Gamal Nkrumah

Less than royal Bush
If any Londoner had any doubts about the true purpose of President Bush's visit to Britain, a quick stroll around Buckingham Palace last week would have surely erased them, reports Alistair Alexander from London

Egypt:

Flimsy on facts
As Jailan Halawi finds out, the new press campaign against Saadeddin Ibrahim has been as flimsy on evidence as previous allegations against the prominent democracy activist

Against empire
Egyptian and international anti-war organisations will meet in Cairo next month to voice strong opposition to the US imperial project. Amira Howeidy reports

Press battles
The new liberal newspaper Nahdet Misr has been subjected to a wave of attacks claiming it is the first example of US "infiltration" of the Egyptian press. Shaden Shehab investigates

A bag full of values
It may have annoyed many, but Ramadan's most-talked about TV series attracted viewers in their millions. Tarek Atia examines the pulling power of Auntie Nour

Experimental education
Endless adjustments to the primary school system have left parents wondering if their children are the Education Ministry's "guinea pigs". Reem Nafie investigates