Things to come
Sharon's disengagement plan will dominate the new year and the Palestinian leadership is in no shape to meet the challenge

Veiled dependency?
Al-Azhar is under fire after its Grand Imam issued a controversial edict on France's anti-hijab bill

Tragedy at sea
What made Flight FSH604 plunge into the Red Sea? The possibilities with the investigation and rescue team in Sharm El-Sheikh

'It won't happen here'
President Hosni Mubarak's recent high-profile dismissal of rumours that his son Gamal is being groomed for the presidency might not have fully settled the succession question

Region:

Sharon's deadly plan
Israeli occupation forces continued their lethal operations throughout the West Bank and Gaza, leaving scores of Palestinians dead

Kurdish concerns
Sectarian and ethnic affiliation is emerging as the primary criterion for power-sharing in US-occupied Iraq

The 40-day prisoner
A drive through the streets of Baghdad can turn into a nightmare for an ordinary citizen

International:

The stage is set
South Asia and the world are hoping for pleasant surprises at the SAARC Summit

Winner takes all
The breathtaking victory of a Western-educated leader in Georgian pre-term presidential elections opens the way to brave reforms in an impoverished country

Culture:

Toasting independence
The first Euro-Mediterran ean Creative Forum for Independent Theatre Groups at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Sports:

Centenary club
FIFA honours Egypt's oldest club: a historical great