The Arab League committee met this week in Cairo to bolster the 2002 Arab peace initiative, a job that is far from easy, reports Doaa El-Bey

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates came to Cairo to denounce Iran's ambitions in the Gulf region and its nuclear programme, Gamal Essam El-Din reports

Arab-Palestinian Knesset member Azmi Bishara explains to Amira Howeidy the motives behind the Israeli media's campaign against him and how it affects the Arab community

Abbas and Olmert meet again but it appears they have discussed nothing of substance, writes Khaled Amayreh

The continuing violence in Iraq shakes its parliament, as it considers a made-in-Washington oil law, reports Nermeen Al-Mufti from Baghdad

Turkish secularists take to the streets to try to prevent Erdogan from becoming president, reports Gareth Jenkins from Ankara

The US opts for new military approaches in Iraq as it seeks to counter the insurgents' offensive tactics, writes Salah Hemeid

In Morocco and Algeria, many fear that so-called Al-Qaeda operations may provide pretext for American military bases, writes Faycal Saouli

Syrians go to the polls next Sunday. Beyond empty rhetoric, there is not much to hope for. Omayma Abdel-Latif writes from Damascus

International and domestic pressure to establish the international tribunal to try suspects in Rafik Al-Hariri's assassination has reached unprecedented levels, Lucy Fielder reports from Beirut