Palestinians are distrustful of Sharon's intentions in Gaza, Khaled Amayreh reports from the West Bank

After the supposed conclusion of Operation Rainbow, Sara Hussein, reporting from Rafah, finds that shootings and tank patrols remain a part of daily life with hundreds still homeless

The grand opening of the West Bank's first and only Palestinian cultural centre of its kind is generating a great deal of buzz in the occupied territories. From Ramallah, Jaideep Mukerji looks at what the centre means for the Palestinians' sense of identity

How strong is the alliance between Israel and the Kurds? Omayma Abdel-Latif seeks some answers

As the transfer of power nears, efforts are stepped up to keep the Iraqi transitional government from losing face, reports Ahmed Mukhtar from Baghdad

The composition of the new Iraqi legislature will reflect the political realities of post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, allegedly. Nermeen Al-Mufti reports from Baghdad

Sudan's civil war in the south may be ending, but the people of Darfur need urgent protection and aid, writes Ahmed Reda

Hope for Sudan's most infamous Islamist jailbird can now be found in his unlikely secularist rival, writes Gamal Nkrumah

A document issued by Syria's Communist Party urged political reform of the National Progressive Front coalition, reports Dina Dakhlallah from Damascus

With a former prison warden now head of Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, fears abound that the security apparatus has been infiltrated by Islamic militants, writes Gamal Nkrumah

The cycle of violence in Saudi Arabia is merely a symptom of the broader chaotic region, writes Diaa Rashwan

In what seems to be the end of the honeymoon between Iran and Europe, this week has witnessed confrontations over Iran's nuclear activities and its human rights record. Rasha Saad reports