Erstellt am: 4. 11. 2014 - 14:34 Uhr

The 4 billion dollar yawn?

Reality Check: US mid-term elections, access to medicines week, Kiev reaction to eastern Ukraine, campaign to end statelessness, Syria's civil war.

US Mid-term elections

EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS

Americans have not been fired up by the elections

An estimated 4 billion dollars have been spent on the current mid-term elections, making them the most expensive in US history. But despite costing over 10 times the amount the US has pledged to help fight ebola, the turnout is still expected to be very low, and the majority of Americans just aren't interested. Professor Reinhard Heinisch of Salzburg University explains why most Americans are unlikely to go the the polls, even though some important issues are at stake.

Access to medicines week

Every year, millions of people die of treatable diseases, simply because they can't get the right medicines. The initiative Universities Allied for Essential Medicines has organised the "Access to Medicines Week" with the support of Ärzte ohne Grenzen to raise awareness of the problem.

EPA/ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO

Alexander Zakharchenko won the election, but it could be theend of the Minsk agreement

Kiev reaction to Eastern Ukraine elections

Ukraine's president, Petro Poroschenko, says he plans to "take back" Eastern Ukraine. Our Kiev correspondent, David Stern, discusses what this might mean, and what is likely to happen next, as the Minsk agreement seems to have collapsed.

Syria's civil war

The continuing crisis in Syria becomes more complicated all the time. Salwa Ismail from the School of Oriental and African Studies discusses the deteriorating situation.

UNHCR

One of the I Belong campaign images to raise awareness of statelessness

UNHCR campaign to end statelessness

The United Nations' refugee agency is launching a campaign to end statelessness within 10 years. UNHCR spokesman, William Spindler, explains why people become stateless, and the changes that are needed to prevent this happening.

FM4 Reality Check

Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.00, and after the show via Podcast or fm4.orf.at/realitycheck.