The Complicated Rise of India’s Regional Parties The “rise” of regional political parties seems to be an eternal theme on the Indian political scene. The exponential increase in the number of parties contesting elections, particularly over the past two decades, and the shrinking margins of victory in parliamentary elections are direct results of the emergence of new regional power centers. Milan Vaishnav
The Aam Aadmi Party: A democratic revolt against the old order Emerged from an anti-corruption movement, the Aam Aadmi Party has made a spectacular entrance into Indian politics and challenged the rules of Indian politics. Ajaz Ashraf
"Discrimination arouses hatred" What is the situation with regard to the rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, trans* and inter* (LGBTI) worldwide? The Director of the German Institute for Human Rights, Prof. Dr. Beate Rudolf in an interview with Caroline Ausserer. Caroline Ausserer
Afghanistan's wasted potential The country’s natural resources, especially its abundance of water, could bring great benefits to the Afghans – but only if the right conditions can be achieved. A summary of "Afghanistan's Transition in the Making?" Stefan Schaaf
In the Name of the People? Political protests in Thailand and the underlying conflict The opposition in Thailand continues to occupy Bangkok. The protests have been accompanied by widespread rumors of a coup as well as social tensions. Elaine Haller from our office in Bangkok analyzes the reasons for the escalation of the events. Elaine Haller
The Putin-Orbán nuclear deal: a short assessment Hungary receives massive aids from Russia in constructing new power plants. It is not only generosity, but mere a fiendishly clever economic strategy. Still legal and political risks have been neglected. András Deák
Of Redlines, Blue Jeans, and Yellow Cakes: Iran and Israel, the Way Forward The official relationship between Israel and Iran is tainted. But nonetheless both states have shared characteristics and common goals. This article analyzies which steps could be realistically undertaken to make things better for both sides and strengthen the bilateral relationship – unilaterally. Aviv Melamud, Ariane Tabatabai
Valuing natural capital or devaluing nature? The "natural capital" concept is a trending topic and even companies like Coca-Cola attended the World Forum on Natural Capital 2013 in Edinburgh. But how does natural capital accounting really work? Maxime Combes
Meat Atlas The publication sheds light on the impacts of meat and dairy production, and aims to catalyse the debate over the need for better, safer and more sustainable food and farming.
The Rehabilitation of Assad Above all, the West wants stability in Syria. Because he has managed to sit out everything that has happened in recent years, the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad seems to offer this very stability. But accepting the kind of stability Assad offers would mean having to forget the atrocities committed by his regime. Bente Scheller