Democracy

• The Supreme Court has struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, eliminating federal oversight requirements that previously protected minority voting rights. • Republican-controlled states are moving swiftly to redraw congressional maps in response, with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, and Mississippi legislators calling special sessions to adjust districts in their favor. • President Trump personally urged Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to redraw the state's map to give Republicans one additional seat, while Alabama seeks to eliminate one of the state's two Democratic-held districts.

As major parties once again spruik budget night events at thousands of dollars a ticket, some MPs say they resent the ritzy social galasGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThey’re dismissed as boring, little more than a “selfie” opportunity for economy nerds – or even labelled a threat to democracy.But as budget week approaches, the major parties are once again spruiking fundraising dinners and drinks for their most loyal followers – and slugging them for thousands of dollars. Continue reading...

Media tycoon honoured in absentia as critics decry his 20-year sentence under national security lawThe jailed media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai has been awarded Deutsche Welle’s freedom of speech award for his contribution to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.The German public broadcaster said on Thursday that Lai would be presented in absentia with the 12th iteration of the award on 23 June at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn. Continue reading...

Human rights commissioner says alleged jailing highlights the ‘growing risks of transnational repression’ in AustraliaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s human rights commissioner has said the Chinese student who was allegedly jailed for six years by Chinese authorities for joining protests in Sydney underscores the “very real and growing risks of transnational repression affecting people in Australia – including international students”.Commissioner Lorraine Finlay told Guardian Australia that while she couldn’t comment on the circumstances of individual cases, “no one should fear punishment abroad for exercising their lawful rights to free expression and peaceful protest here”. Continue reading...

Research shows natural hazards linked to climate crisis disrupted 23 elections in 18 countries in 2024Democracy is under mounting threat from the climate crisis, with new analysis documenting how elections are increasingly shaped not only by political forces but also by floods, wildfires and extreme weather.At least 94 elections and referendums across 52 countries have been disrupted by climate-related impacts over the last two decades, researchers found. Continue reading...

Exclusive: The Australian government has been urged to take stronger action to protect overseas students from political repressionThe Australian government has been urged to take stronger action to protect Chinese international students from political repression by authorities on their return after a Chinese student was allegedly sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for joining pro-democracy protests in Australia.The student, who the Guardian has chosen not to name, lost contact with his friends in Sydney after returning to China in December 2024. Continue reading...

• Myanmar's military junta arrested 156 pro-democracy activists over the past week during coordinated raids across Yangon, Mandalay, and other major cities, escalating a campaign that has imprisoned over 3,000 political prisoners since the 2021 coup. • The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued a statement expressing "serious concern" about the arrests and called for dialogue; however, the statement stopped short of threatening sanctions or diplomatic consequences. • Activist networks report torture allegations in detention facilities and restricted access to legal representation, prompting calls from international human rights organizations for an independent UN investigation.