> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Revolutions, refugees and Russian roulette – The Week in 1 Minute: January 20 – 26 on openDemocracy - URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/revolutions-refugees-and-russian-roulette-week-in-1-minute-january-20-26-on-opendemocracy/ - Published: 2014-01-26T00:01:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-04-23T01:35:06.000Z - Description: It’s been a week of protests, verging on revolution in Ukraine, and oD Russia shows us Yanukovych’s Face of a tyrant and helps the confused with a guide to the players. One of these, a nation about to arrange the Olympics, should perhaps pay more attention to its region of Siberia. But why did Put - Author: openDemocracy Supporters - Tags: The Week in 1 Minute, #Migrated, #en, #Import 2026-04-09 17:36, #appended-excerpt We mark the **three years since Egypt’s revolution**, with a [letter](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/04509cb965&ref=opendemocracy.net) from imprisoned activist blogger Alaa, and other insightful writing from amongst others [Rana Nessim](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/fc7787d1be&ref=opendemocracy.net), [Maged Mandour](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/0e883894da&ref=opendemocracy.net), [Hesham Shafick](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/4cac031d4e&ref=opendemocracy.net) and [Andrea Teti and Gennaro Gervasio](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/dadcdff957&ref=opendemocracy.net). The **prosecution of an Indian diplomat** sparks a row between India and the US, and Rick Cohen makes [the case for consistency](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/0d93aacc39&ref=opendemocracy.net). L K Sharma looks at [India as a laboratory for studying change](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/019df7cd57&ref=opendemocracy.net); others do the same exercise on [Hungary](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/271097fbed&ref=opendemocracy.net). The powerful are meeting in **Davos**; [bad for your health](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/dc41ceabcb&ref=opendemocracy.net), says John Hilary, while [David Sogge warns](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/948525c7f4&ref=opendemocracy.net) that as they do, our global public space and politics shrink that little bit more. EU elections are coming up, but in **France** it’s [hard to find a mention of Europe](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/52a3a91f41&ref=opendemocracy.net) at all, as [another shock is expected from its far right](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/9ef86a3dce&ref=opendemocracy.net). The **Syria conference** in Geneva offers [little hope as long as Iran isn’t there](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/e23c1c6291&ref=opendemocracy.net), is the assessment of Paul Rogers, while Rebecca Cousins looks at [what can make](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/7f95f8e34b&ref=opendemocracy.net) an **Iran** nuclear deal work. An analysis of [Iran’s culture of violence](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/82ba96074b&ref=opendemocracy.net) is a sobering read, as is an article [on the unreported violence against women in Syria.](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/8dedd5ea37&ref=opendemocracy.net) As we look at [Hamas’ response](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/222094aec6&ref=opendemocracy.net) to the Syrian uprising, what can we expect to happen to [the fragile Syrian-Israeli peace?](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/a1b9fc8188&ref=opendemocracy.net) At 50.50, how at UK universities [religious rights trumps other rights,](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/9528e2053e&ref=opendemocracy.net) a [reply to](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/04401456f3&ref=opendemocracy.net) the [case against](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/03efe30299&ref=opendemocracy.net) **criminalising forced marriage**, [unpaid care](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/f3f346974a&ref=opendemocracy.net), and why [women in Kenya are still dying from abortions](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/a440b67a12&ref=opendemocracy.net). The **UK closet has skeletons falling out of it**: we hear of [evidence](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/8e47733681&ref=opendemocracy.net) that could spell trouble at the International Criminal Court, of claims of being [complicit in torture](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/81e028f695&ref=opendemocracy.net) and of [Thatcher and SAS involvement](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/a6e7220f5a&ref=opendemocracy.net) in the 1984 raid on the Sikh Golden Temple. The probation service is working though, [writes a former probation officer](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/41365b7f68&ref=opendemocracy.net), but that doesn’t stop the government from wanting to privatise it. The country is **shy about climate change**, [as it battles floods](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/9f78e2ce5c&ref=opendemocracy.net) – but perhaps [the beaver can help?](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/a307ebbda5&ref=opendemocracy.net) In depressingly unsurprising news, [banks play Russian roulette with our future](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/53818cef72&ref=opendemocracy.net), the Cameron government [sides with speculators](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/174c8eb893&ref=opendemocracy.net) and the **death of a migrant** is only of interest to the media if he comes from, say, [Canada](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/9c962a99ab&ref=opendemocracy.net). Also: [the battle for housing rights](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/1a1e87065b&ref=opendemocracy.net), the [truth](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/9190d1a77f&ref=opendemocracy.net) about **Pakistan’s Afghan refugees**, Pope Francis’ [theology of change](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/bb156b019d&ref=opendemocracy.net), a [funder’s dilemma](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/75bb5653e0&ref=opendemocracy.net) and [refugees’ stories](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/73587ac8f9&ref=opendemocracy.net). Last but not least, Rod Jones on how in an unregulated capitalist economy, liberal democracy is [always threatened with authoritarian regression.](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/69426f39f4&ref=opendemocracy.net) **Links not to miss:** - [ECFR “two state stress test” on Israel/Palestine](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/feddccaa9a&ref=opendemocracy.net) - [Scientific American: End the ban on psychoactive drug research](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/1766e7a88f/page=1&ref=opendemocracy.net) - [Occupy Wall Street looks at how the Zapatistas have done things](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/2d19705886&ref=opendemocracy.net) **openDemocracy’s week in 1 minute is emailed to Members, Friends and authors who help pay for and create our great content. Please forward this to any contact you think might be interested and** [**want to join**](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/d822d946ec/openDemocracy/bb28beb484/946f39415f/51634b1085/openDemocracy/d4022f1a75/TEST/e64101092e&ref=opendemocracy.net) **or email us (**[**supporters@opendemocracy.net**](mailto:supporters@opendemocracy.net)**).** It’s been a week of protests, verging on revolution in **Ukraine**, and oD Russia shows us Yanukovych’s [Face of a tyrant](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/d4bd3d786e&ref=opendemocracy.net) and helps the confused with [a guide to the players](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/fc155dbeab&ref=opendemocracy.net). One of these, [a nation about to arrange the Olympics](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/89db2dfab8&ref=opendemocracy.net), should perhaps pay more attention to its region of [Siberia](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/39dc4cc662&ref=opendemocracy.net). But [why did Putin free Khodorkovsky?](http://cts.vresp.com/c/?openDemocracy/f834880b0d/7262321cfa/7e25b7844f&ref=opendemocracy.net)