In the absence of a united Lebanon, the Paris III conference on the country's ailing economy -- opening today in the French capital -- is unlikely to succeed. Lucy Fielder, in Beirut, reports on Tuesday's general strike which descended into violence, recalling Lebanon's darkest days

Many issues that have blocked a Fatah-Hamas rapprochement appear resolved, but the key issue of Hamas's security forces remains contentious, writes Khaled Amayreh in the West Bank

Israel's ex-Chief of Staff's fall was assisted by a stealthy rebellion led by his senior commanders, many of whom have been regularly leaking against him to the Israeli media, writes Jonathan Cook in Nazareth

Ushering in the latest, pumped-up round of the Cairo Book Fair, open to the public today, Youssef Rakha ponders the surrounding circumstances

As the People's Assembly votes in favour of President Hosni Mubarak's proposed constitutional amendments, opposition and independent MPs are in disarray, reports Gamal Essam El-Din

Should Article 88 be amended to limit judicial supervision of elections then the poll should be internationally monitored, say judges. Mona El-Nahhas reports

Although investigations are still underway, Reem Leila discovers that the scandal of contaminated blood bags has discouraged people from donating their blood

Reem Leila reports on attempts to contain a fresh outbreak of Avian Flu

Palestinian prisoners in Israel may enjoy protected rights under international law, but who will safeguard their enforcement? asks Erica Silverman

Islamic scholars meet in Doha and call for unity in Islam amid fiery sessions and latent accusations, writes Rasha Saad

As Baghdad braces itself for oncoming massive military operations, Turkomans in Kurdistan feel abandoned and in danger, writes Nermeen El-Mufti

Pakistan's policy toward the Taliban comes under scrutiny once again writes Graham Usher in Islamabad

Dina Ezzat sets to decipher the ambivalent messages relayed by US President G W Bush during his State of the Union speech

The recent rise of racism in Turkey claimed its most prominent victim last week, with the murder of a well-known Turkish-Armenian journalist. Gareth Evans reports from Istanbul

Between clinging onto the past and looking forward to a comfortable modern life, argues Nader Habib, the residents of Esna have yet to endure years of unrest

Restaurant review by Gamal Nkrumah

Egypt's handball team will begin playing for the President's Cup after failing to reach the second round of the world championship. Inas Mazhar reports