Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist. I'm your host, Patrick Lane,

filling in for Jason Palmer. Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

In Russia, daily coronavirus deaths are at their highest ever.

But for President Vladimir Putin, the pandemic has proved useful for suffocating dissent.

Political opponents are being locked up in record numbers.

We take a special look at the state of the opposition, including the young women who are taking up the fight.

And in China, today it's Singles Day,

an annual excuse for an almighty online spend splurge.

This year, it's happening in the midst of a crackdown on the country's tech companies.

But will that make any difference?

First... First.

On Tuesday, Liliya Cheneasheva, a Russian opposition activist, was arrested in the central city of Ufa.

Her offence, working for opposition leader Alexei Navalny,

while his organisation was still legal.

She faces up to 10 years in prison.

The same day, Sergeiouyev, the 67-year-old head of Russia's top liberal university,

was taken from house arrest to a prison cell.

Mr Zouyev had just had an operation for a serious heart condition.

It was a move thought to be intended to force a false confession in a fabricated case.

In Russia, more than 10% of the national budget is spent on internal security.

But despite the rising number of arrests, people continue to stand up to President Vladimir Putin's increasingly repressive machine.

Repression in Russia really has intensified over the past year.

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