Al-Zarqawi's message of justification for terrorism convinces no one in Jordan while new threats are issued to the king and country, reports Sana Abdallah in Amman

Darfur, democracy and rampant factional divisions continue to dog US-Sudanese relations, writes Gamal Nkrumah

Following reports in Damascus that the Lebanese government is ripe to fall, tensions are renewed in Lebanon between pro- and anti-Syrian forces, writes Mohalhel Fakih

Visiting Syria, Britain's rebel MP raises a pan-Arab flag to rapturous applause and a few eyebrows, reports Sami Moubayed

Amid controversy over the almost all-inclusive Iraqi meeting in Cairo this week, Dina Ezzat wonders if the deal brokered by the Arab League can survive an on-the-ground reality check

For Iraqis living in poverty amid bombs and death squads, the Cairo conference is mainly TV, though some hope it may usher the beginning of the end of their ordeal, writes Nermeen Al-Mufti in Baghdad

The world was taken by surprise after Ariel Sharon's snap decision to leave Likud, thereby breaking the mould of Israeli politics, writes Graham Usher

Whether Fatah is ready or not, national elections in January will go ahead, reports Khaled Amayreh in the West Bank

One year after the horrendous Phantom Fury offensive against the innocent civilians of Fallujah, Washington admits its troops used white phosphorous in violation of international law banning the use of chemical weapons, writes Sharif Abdul-Kuddous

Gaza's business community looks to its options following a brokered deal which should allow trade relations to be established with countries other than Israel, reports Erica Silverman in Gaza City

On the eve of the opening of Rafah's border crossing Mohamed Dahlan, Palestinian Authority minister of civil affairs, speaks to Al-Ahram Weekly about Israel's economic occupation of the West Bank and Gaza