Sinan Antoon recalls the voice of a nation

After years of isolation Syrian diplomacy is suddenly scoring successes, writes Sami Moubayed

With Fatah clamping down hard on Hamas in the West Bank, Palestinian unity is the clearest victim, writes Khaled Amayreh in Ramallah

Fayyad steps in as Egypt steps back; the Palestinian premier is under pressure as Hamas renews its presence in parliament, writes Saleh Al-Naami

The stock market is in a nose dive. Sherine Abdel-Razek asks where investors should head from here

Egypt is again confronted with the spill over prospect of devastation and strife in Gaza, Dina Ezzat reports

The NDP begins preparations for its November conference against the backdrop of the highest inflation rates in 16 years, Gamal Essam El-Din reports

Judges are banned from speaking to the media. Unless, that is, you are a member of the Supreme Judiciary Council that issued the ban, Mona El-Nahhas reports

Mauritania's penchant for coups, seen locally as a panacea to the country's political ills, is condemned by the outside world, writes Gamal Nkrumah

Pressure is mounting on the Turkish government after an increase in attacks by the separatist PKK, writes Gareth Jenkins

The Lebanese president's historic visit to Syria this week is expected to herald diplomatic relations after a period of unprecedented crises, Lucy Fielder reports from Beirut

In vast numbers, Iraqi refugees remain exiled in Syria, Bassel Oudat reports from Damascus

New factors may have a long-term impact on the prices of crude oil and gold, reports Sherine Nasr

The US is inventing wars aplenty these days. Will it be Iran or Ossetia this month, asks Eric Walberg

The war between Georgia and Russia harks back to the Cold War with ominous overtones, writes Ayman El-Amir

Zubaida's Window, Iqbal Al-Qazwini, trans. Azza El-Kholy & Amira Nowaira, New York: Feminist Press, 2008.

Nader Habib asks members of the public what they think about the new traffic law

What's your secret? Salonaz Sami ponders

Ahmed Morsy reports on the re-ignition of the Egyptian League

As the national league competition went into its second week, Ahli remained stubbornly opposed to broadcasting its matches live on satellite channels, Inas Mazhar reports