China guilty of Uighur 'dystopian hellscape'

A dystopia depicts a society which is characterised by a repressive government ruling with an iron fist, environmental catastrophe, censorship, the loss of individuality and general social decline. The Handmaid's Tale is set in a future dystopian New EnglandA region of the northeast USA including the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Some of the first European settlers in the region were people from England. , where environmental pollution and radiation have caused a rapid decline in reproductive capacity, and a coup has led to political collapse.

Is China guilty of genocide in Xinjiang? The New York Times declared that China was committing "the ultimate crime" against its Muslim ethnic Uighurs. China bitterly denies it.

Should we be afraid of artificial intelligence? A new supercomputer can calculate many times faster than the human mind. Some fear the age of computer dominance is upon us. 

Should "enhancing" humans be banned? French officials published proposals to develop bionic soldiers resistant to pain - and strengthened with drug enhancements and microchips.

Gilead is a religious patriarchyA system of society where men hold power and women are excluded. , where only men are allowed to participate in political, social and economic life, and women are used for domestic tasks, childbearing and satisfying their husbands. But patriarchy does not benefit the men in society either, many of whom are not entitled to a relationship and are used for brute labour: even the rich and powerful, like the Commander, lack emotional connection and have to bend the rules for amusement - despite his claim that "Better never means better for everyone. It always means worse, for some."

Will evolution destroy patriarchy? Women have endured male rule for more than 12,000 years. But some think the age of men might soon come to a natural conclusion.

Should misogyny be a hate crime? Amid the furore around Andrew Tate, many are wondering why women are being left out of the conversation. Some say the solution should be found in the legal system.

Could many languages be holding women back? A growing movement argues that changes to grammar and vocabulary are an essential step towards ending the tradition of male dominance.

The main act of resistance in The Handmaid's Tale is in storytelling. In articulating her narrative in a regime that demands total silence, Offred is taking the most meaningful stand against the authority of Gilead that is possible for her - even though she has no way of knowing if her story will ever escape the regime. For Offred, resistance also lies in exploiting patriarchy: in sexualising herself in order to feel that she has some power over the men around her. She deliberately walks from the guards "swaying her hips" to tempt their desire, although she knows that this power will not aid her materially, and feels empowered by her relationships with Nick and the Commander, although she still has the lower hand in both.

Is moral courage stronger than physical force? A photograph of a nun pleading with police in Myanmar not to use violence against demonstrators reminds us of the power of peaceful protest.

Could there be another Russian revolution? Protests swept Russian cities following the announcement of "partial mobilisation", but many worry that Russia has lost its revolutionary spirit in the midst of repression.

The computer that leaves humans in the dust

Is the regime collapsing? Protests against Iranian authorities raged on following the death of Mahsa Amini, and teenage schoolgirls stepped up to take on the mantle.

Control of language is one of the most powerful tools in Gilead. Terms are stolen from the Bible and distorted for the sake of oppression; women are refused access to their own names and are named after their household's respective patriarch; characters are forbidden from talking outside of a few banalBoring and unimportant. phrases to be exchanged every day. Every single word of speech that is not dictated or controlled by the state is an act of resistance. This is what makes the taboo phrase "nolite te bastardes carborundorum" so powerful for Offred.

Will there be a day when we can chat to any animal? Zoologists have discovered that humans and wild apes share a sign language. Some think this is the start of a beautiful kinship.

Does all change start with language? Some experts believe that we need a whole new vocabulary if we are to tackle the problem of climate change... or crisis... or emergency.

Do we need more words for happiness? A researcher has been collecting an evolving index of "untranslatable" words related to wellbeing from across the world's languages.

In The Handmaid's Tale, Christian extremists overthrow the government and establish a fundamentalistBelieving in the strict, literal interpretation of a religious text. theocracyA government run by religious leaders, usually according to religious law. based on Biblical principles. The reality is that none of the rules in this totalitarianWhen a political system or leader requires complete subservience to the state. In a totalitarian system, people are not allowed to express their own opinions. nightmare are real Christian values, but Atwood highlights how easily religion can be used to justify repression and patriarchy. In theocracy, state and religion become so intertwined that they are impossible to separate: in the text, the Salvagings, for example, are posed as punishments for Biblical sins, but it is clear that they are being used as a tool for political suppression.

Is wisdom the new stardust? Today's most attractive possessions may be wealth, health, happiness, friends and looks. But in times of crisis, humanity demands deeper qualities.

Do better rules of life make us happier? Though the number of people living in monasteries and convents has shrunk in modern times, some say we have much to learn from them.

Is giving things up a good idea? The start of Lent is when Christians traditionally deprive themselves of something they enjoy. But the practice is common to other religions too.