Syria: Black Holes and Media Missionaries With fewer reporters willing to enter the killing fields of Syria, the coverage of the conflict is dominated by ideological types, hack reporters and embeded correspondents. By Idrees Ahmad
To Stay or to Leave? No Escaping the Hopelessness in Syria An international conference on the situation of Syrian refugees has been arranged for 28th October in Berlin. Yet in view of the magnitude of the crisis, this is a mere drop in the ocean. Western states keep concentrating on ways to ease the symptoms of the crisis which they cannot gain control over without political underpinning. By Bente Scheller
Kleptocracy Banned: The Hungarian Tax Authority Scandal The Hungarian tax authority scandal is complicated and mysterious. One thing is clear, however: Fidesz came into conflict with the Obama administration – which took more effective action than the European Union against a corrupt and Russia-oriented government. By Áron Varga
The Berlin Pledging Meeting: Success is More than Just one Number! Ten billion US Dollars: One figure will be enough to judge the success of the first ever pledging conference for the Green Climate Fund on Thursday, November 20th in Berlin. Though, equally important will be in what form and how soon the pledge reaches the trust fund as an actual payment. By Liane Schalatek
India: Hydropower in Arunachal Pradesh In 2003 the Indian government had launched an initiative to built 162 hydropower sites by 2017. The centrepiece of this scheme was to be the state of Arunachal Pradesh in the north east of the country. It seems highly unlikely however that even one of these projects will succeed in producing a single unit of power. By Mibi Ete
Modi woos Japan and the US India's prime minister Modi tries to develop relations with important countries: In Japan, he marketed India as a ‘low cost manufacturing hub’ and tries to inject new life to U.S.-India relations. By Avani Tewari
Dissatisfaction peaks with internet tax The year 2014 was supposed to be a year of success stories for Fidesz in Hungary. But demonstrations against the internet tax have become a channel through which the people have been able to express their dissatisfaction. By András Jámbor
India: Too early to say Narendra Modi campaigned on the slogan that “good days will soon happen”. His promised reforms did not happen yet. But it is too early to judge him. By Mohan Guruswamy
Ayotzinapa: "The families ask for a search for their children" There is still no trace of the students of Escuela Normal Rural of Ayotzinapa who disappeared towards the end of September. We spoke with María Luisa Aguila from the Tlachinollan Centre about the situation, the role of the Mexican government and the responsibility of the European Union in the Ayotzinapa case. By Ines Thomssen
Contradictory Mexico Coahuila introduces same-sex marriage. A step forward, but there are more and more conservative voices in Mexico– the Heinrich Böll Foundation promotes human rights and equality for lesbian, gay and trans* individuals By Caroline Ausserer