We mark the three years since Egypt’s revolution, with a letter from imprisoned activist blogger Alaa, and other insightful writing from amongst others Rana Nessim, Maged Mandour, Hesham Shafick and Andrea Teti and Gennaro Gervasio.

The prosecution of an Indian diplomat sparks a row between India and the US, and Rick Cohen makes the case for consistency. L K Sharma looks at India as a laboratory for studying change; others do the same exercise on Hungary.

The powerful are meeting in Davos; bad for your health, says John Hilary, while David Sogge warns 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 at all, as another shock is expected from its far right.

The Syria conference in Geneva offers little hope as long as Iran isn’t there, is the assessment of Paul Rogers, while Rebecca Cousins looks at what can make an Iran nuclear deal work. An analysis of Iran’s culture of violence is a sobering read, as is an article on the unreported violence against women in Syria. As we look at Hamas’ response to the Syrian uprising, what can we expect to happen to the fragile Syrian-Israeli peace?

At 50.50, how at UK universities religious rights trumps other rights, a reply to the case against criminalising forced marriage, unpaid care, and why women in Kenya are still dying from abortions.

The UK closet has skeletons falling out of it: we hear of evidence that could spell trouble at the International Criminal Court, of claims of being complicit in torture and of Thatcher and SAS involvement in the 1984 raid on the Sikh Golden Temple. The probation service is working though, writes a former probation officer, but that doesn’t stop the government from wanting to privatise it.  

The country is shy about climate change, as it battles floods – but perhaps the beaver can help?

In depressingly unsurprising news, banks play Russian roulette with our future, the Cameron government sides with speculators and the death of a migrant is only of interest to the media if he comes from, say, Canada.

Also: the battle for housing rights, the truth about Pakistan’s Afghan refugees, Pope Francis’ theology of change, a funder’s dilemma and refugees’ stories. Last but not least, Rod Jones on how in an unregulated capitalist economy, liberal democracy is always threatened with authoritarian regression.

 
Links not to miss:

• ECFR “two state stress test” on Israel/Palestine

• Scientific American: End the ban on psychoactive drug research

• Occupy Wall Street looks at how the Zapatistas have done things

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