Sharon's near-fatal decline in health worries some Palestinians that whoever might come next will be worse, writes Khaled Amayreh in the West Bank

Ariel Sharon's legacy will be true to his life -- built for war, writes Graham Usher in Jerusalem

The showdown between Syrian defector Abdul-Halim Khaddam and the Baath regime in Damascus heats up, reports Sami Moubayed

Preparations for national elections are taking place against a continued backdrop of lawlessness as armed resistance groups flex their muscles, reports Erica Silverman in Gaza