As the registration period for candidates in the Presidential elections closes, Sherine Bahaa analyses Marwan Barghouti's decision to stand, while Khalid Amayreh in the West Bank assesses the apparent inevitabilitiy of an Abu Mazen victory

As the desire for change sweeps through the territories, Khaled Amayreh talks to former Palestinian information minister Nabil Amr about the future of the PA

Silence surrounds the demotion of Prince Hassan as the Jordanian media fails to challenge the Hashemite monarchy's taste for secrecy, reports Suha Ma'ayeh

Two years after it was established, Yemen's National Dialogue is beginning to bear fruit. Peter Willems reports

The fate of the Iraqi elections is fraught with uncertainty as the country remains divided over the election date. Omayma Abdel-Latif reports

The current electoral law is biased to ensure the occupying authorities remain in control. Abdul-Ilah Al-Bayaty proposes an alternative vision

Fatwas issued by Muslim scholars who support the Iraqi resistance seem to be making an impact. Amira Howeidy reports

While talks between the main Sudanese rebel organisation and the government continue full steam ahead, there is no end in sight to the crisis in Darfur, writes Gamal Nkrumah

Security Council Resolution 1559 marks a new phase in the international community's response to Syria's presence in Lebanon, writes Anwar Al-Bounni

Tehran enjoyed a major diplomatic success this week as it escaped the threat of referral to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme, reports Rasha Saad

The decision to exclude women from voting for "technical" reasons is casting a shadow over the first municipal elections in Saudi Arabia for 40 years, writes Rasheed Abou-Alsamh