Bird flu puts patents and intellectual property rights in the spotlight, with the world's poor once again destined to suffer the worst consequences. Gamal Nkrumah investigates

What is the rational response to such predictions, wonders Alec van Gelder

Horrid stories of force-feeding at Guantanamo highlight the systematic abuse of prisoners of America's war on terror, writes Sharif Abdel-Kouddous

South Asia's earthquake crisis was initially seen as manageable -- three weeks on it is emerging as the most challenging emergency the world has faced, writes Graham Usher from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir

The US was last week isolated in its opposition to a new UN international convention seeking to protect cultural diversity, notably by controlling trade in cultural goods and services, writes David Tresilian from Paris