Niveen Wahish examines the details of a very public privatisation

Palestinian national reconciliation talks fail amid charges of political arrests and attempts to impose a fait accompli on those supposedly in dialogue, writes Saleh Al-Naami

Egypt's latest diplomatic moves show that its regional clout cannot be overlooked, Dina Ezzat reports

Very little, writes Gamal Essam El-Din, as the People's Assembly opened its new parliamentary session yesterday with Muslim Brotherhood MPs deciding to boycott committee elections

The case of the MP charged with supplying defective blood bags to hospitals continues to rumble, reports Reem Leila

It is not just the Ghad Party headquarters that has gone up in flames, reports Mona El-Nahhas

The election of Obama is not just a gain for the African American community; it is a step forward for all, writes James Zogby

Rice's last and final visit to Israel/Palestine is conclusive proof that the neocons achieved nothing and could offer nothing, writes Khaled Amayreh in Ramallah

Israeli military operations and the siege on Gaza make an end to the Egyptian-mediate ceasefire inevitable, writes Saleh Al-Naami

Damascus television aired the confessions of the perpetrators of a recent bombing. But what exactly are the Syrians trying to say? Bassel Oudat reports from Damascus

Can Lebanese society pull together under the ever-looming war clouds, asks Raed Al-Rafei

Serene Assir in Madrid interviewed Mohamed Al-Faidhi, spokesman of the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq, on the future of the Iraqi resistance and the inevitability of US withdrawal

The Central Bank of Egypt stood its ground keeping interest rates unchanged, Niveen Wahish analyses the significance of the decision

Millions of Congolese are in dire need of humanitarian help and the country is not ready for Western-style democracy, contends Gamal Nkrumah

Al-Ahram Weekly enjoys the breath of jazz with Charbel Rouhana

Nader Habib finds out that the games kids play have changed

Though Ahli have the advantage in the CAF Champions League second leg final, Coton Sport are not helpless or hopeless, Ahmed Morsy reports