As the Yemeni government began a campaign against Al-Qaeda in the south of the country this week, peace talks with the Al-Houthi rebels started in the north, writes Nasser Arrabyee

Direct negotiations might start, but Israel will continue on the ground to undermine peace, writes Khaled Amayreh in Ramallah

Abbas's decision to resume direct talks with Israel puts paid to any prospects of inter-Palestinian reconciliation, writes Saleh Al-Naami

Despite the opening of peace talks next week, Israel continues its silent war against Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine, writes Khaled Amayreh from the occupied city

Gamal Nkrumah reproves the brouhaha in Washington with regards to the release of Abdel-Basset Al-Megrahi

American forces may now be leaving Iraq, but the country still needs safeguards to protect its stability, sovereignty and national unity, writes Salah Hemeid

Ending decades of waiting and underlining Iran's long-standing nuclear ambitions, the opening of the Bushehr reactor is a giant leap forward for the country's nuclear programme, writes Amani Maged

Despite the weakness of the Lebanese army, and recent clashes with Israel, Lebanon is no further forward towards a national defence strategy, writes Lucy Fielder in Beirut

Tensions between southerners and northerners over next year's Sudanese referendum are worryingly high, writes Gamal Nkrumah