Running out of time
As the roadmap hits a dead end Hamas makes a peace offer aimed at saving the nearly moribund two-state solution. Khaled Amayreh reports

New notch in Hizbullah's belt
Hizbullah claimed another significant victory in its struggle with Israel this week, proclaiming it a "gift to Arabs and Palestinians", reports Mohalhel Fakih from Beirut

Skeletons in the closet
A host of corruption scandals could force Sharon to resign mid-term paving the way for Netanyahu's return writes Jonathan Cook

They went to Baghdad
Arabs are planning to intensify their efforts to help the Iraqis out of their current dilemma. Dina Ezzat reports

No way out
Confusion reigned as the US formally named Saddam Hussein a prisoner of war, but is the furore a red herring? asks Nyier Abdou

I wanna secularise you up
The IGC's decision to cancel Iraq's personal status law prompted large demonstrations in Baghdad. But as Ashraf Khalil writes from the Iraqi capital, the decision might serve as a wake-up call to the country's secular political forces

Iran on the edge
Despite Iranian officials' assurances that the country's worst political crisis is close to being resolved, the Islamic regime's political future seems more uncertain than ever, reports Rasha Saad

Earthquake narrows US-Iran rift
After a quarter of a century of silence, both the US and Iran realise they have much to discuss. Tehran, however, is unwilling to leap into open negotiations that could fail. Roshanak Taghavi reports

Forum fever sweeps the Peninsula
A plethora of conferences is taking place in the Arabian Peninsula, but does the rhetoric have any bearing on reality? Ayman Ali reports

Second thoughts on reform
Dina Ezzat asks if Arabs are having cold feet over plans to reform the Arab League

Good and bad news
Sudan's forthcoming peace agreement in the South might be overshadowed by growing strife in the West, Eva Dadrian reports from Darfur

Of militants and Yemen
A leading Yemeni judge has gained wide international praise for his "reform" of alleged terrorists in his country, but the government still has a long struggle ahead. John R Bradley reports from Sanaa