Violence in Gaza this week presents new challenges to Egypt vis-â-vis its role in Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan. It is unlikely to surmount them, writes Graham Usher in Jerusalem

Israel sought to crush Palestinian spirit before a possible pullout from Gaza, reports Khaled Amayreh

Washington renews diplomatic relations with Libya after a break of more than two decades. But minor problems still need to be ironed out, writes Gamal Nkrumah

Will the one-month grace period granted by the Saudi government to militants prove effective, asks Sherine Bahaa

International theorist Joseph S Nye spoke to Ezzat Ibrahim in Washington on American foreign policy after the war in Iraq, the limits of empire and how "smart power" should replace military misadventure in reforming the Middle East

Yemeni militant Islamists are under siege from government forces after violent confrontations left many dead and wounded, reports Peter Willems

A tit-for-tat war seems to have begun between the US and Tehran over the Islamic Republic's alleged nuclear file. Rasha Saad reports