Autocracy

Myanmar’s military has imported arms worth at least $1bn since seizing power in February 2021, despite “overwhelming evidence of its responsibility for atrocity crimes”, a United Nations expert has said. Most of the weapons came from Russia, China and companies in...

A ‘campaign of terror’ is how human rights groups are describing what’s happening in central Myanmar. In the Buddhist heartland, there are recurring reports of villages torched, people killed, homes destroyed and food sources charred. A scene that has played out since...

Five Iranian girls who were arrested for a video of them dancing have publicly apologised, as Iranian women have shared support for the group by posting their own dancing videos. The five teenagers shared a TikTok on 8 March of them dancing to the Selena Gomez and...

Belarus has handed long jail terms to senior staff at the country’s largest independent news site, which was forced to close after historic demonstrations against strongman Alexander Lukashenko over two years ago. The verdicts are the latest in a crackdown on...