Ahead of Rice arriving to seek creative ways of getting rid of Hamas, fighters loyal and opposed to the Palestinian government go on the rampage, reports Khaled Amayreh

The West, served by Arab "moderates", is attempting to take the Arab world back to the Stone Age, writes Azmi Bishara

In a desperate move to forestall a growing civilian conflict, Iraq's prime minister launches yet another bid to unify warring factions, writes Firas Al-Atraqchi

In the two years since his re-election, Algerian President Abdul-Aziz Bouteflika has introduced sweeping political changes designed to consolidate his power, reports Adlène Meddi

Violence erupts in Gaza City and Khan Younis as security forces loyal to Fatah face-off with counterparts loyal to Hamas, reports Erica Silverman

A conference of Mediterranean officials and intellectuals concludes that the quest for collective Mediterranean security is fraught if not lost, Dina Ezzat reports from Antalya

An age-old dilemma is at the heart of the debate on Hizbullah's weapons, reports Lucy Fielder from Beirut

Hostilities may be over, but over one million unexploded cluster bombs continue to threaten Lebanese lives, Serene Assir reports from South Lebanon

Somalia's growing instability has set the country adrift as the comprehensive peace accord in Sudan falls into crisis, writes Gamal Nkrumah