Will the latest rail disaster finally force the government to address the chronic problems of Egypt's transport networks? Not if past experience is anything to go by, writes Shaden Shehab

Diplomacy has replaced mass destruction as the preferred weapon to eliminate the Lebanese resistance, writes Serene Assir from Beirut

In the eleventh hour before a Security Council deadline for Iran to desist nuclear activities, Tehran puts its position in writing, reports Rasha Saad

Could the formation of a national unity government solve the crisis of the Palestinian Authority? Very unlikely, writes Khaled Amayreh

Palestinians flood to Rafah crossing in a bid to escape the hell that is life in the Gaza Strip, writes Erica Silverman

Monday's train crash outside Qalyoub, which claimed the lives of 58 people, highlights safety concerns over Egypt's ailing rail network, reports Pierre Loza

The National Democratic Party's constitutional programme attracts condemnation from the opposition, reports Gamal Essam El-Din

Is the fragmented left finally getting its act together, wonders Mona El-Nahhas

Attempts continue to bring home 11 students who were arrested in New York after attempting to disappear in the US, writes Reem Leila

If Hizbullah's 12 July capture of Israeli soldiers took place on the Lebanese side of the Blue Line, as some say, everything changes, writes Serene Assir

Having taken the lead in finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Lebanon, France has been more reluctant to commit its troops on the ground, writes David Tresilian in Paris

Are Arab countries adapting to new regional dynamics? Yes and no, writes Dina Ezzat

Heikal sees testing times ahead for America and Israel in the "new Middle East", writes Gamal Nkrumah

Tensions between the government and bakery owners are fermenting over a new initiative to improve the quality of subsidised bread. Mona El-Fiqi samples the debate

Mohamed El-Assyouti finds Abla Kamel far from convincing in Awdat Al-Nadla

Hassan Ibrahim traces a path from anarchy to despair in his collection of short stories, writes Hala Sami

Violence breaks out in Kinshasa as the Congo's incumbent leader fails to win an overall majority in questionable presidential elections, writes Gamal Nkrumah

London Heathrow is still reeling from last week's foiled terrorist plot to blow up planes on trans-Atlantic flights, reports George Richards from London

Restaurant review by Youssef Rakha