Kaushik Basu on the world economy and India's rough patch [1], during a visit there.

Paul Krugman on how India and some of the other BRICs hitting a rough patch in his piece titled 'This age of bubbles [2].'

Egypt needs truth and reconciliation, says [3] Hafez Ghannem, via Brookings.

Syria's refugee children will ultimately be left to rebuild their country, says [4] aid worker Cassandra Nelson, writing as the UNHCR just estimated that 1 million kids have now fled from that war-torn country.

Direct cash transfers to the poor are discussed in a post [5] by Chris Blattman, following coverage of direct cash giveaways by charities in Kenya and elsewhere in the NYT Sunday Magazine as well as on NPR.