Usually the last days of February are filled with anticipation of the Persian New Year holiday, Nowruz. People shop for new clothes; grocery stalls brim with mounds of oranges; mothers bargain for tiny goldfish in water-filled plastic bags. Tehran used to move faster at this time of year. People spoke with more confidence and even the smog seemed less suffocating. But this year the city is on pause.
A friend who recently defended her doctoral dissertation invited a few of us to her home. When she opened the door, I said: ‘Tehran seems quiet. Shouldn’t it be busier this time of year?’
She gestured at a nearby street vendor. ‘See that woman? Every night she calls the municipality, asking them whether the Americans will attack tonight. People aren’t planning for the New Year; they are planning for the day after an attack.’
Fela Kuti in Lagos, c.1983 (William F. Campbell / Getty)
Fela’s political career unfolded when a distinctly Nigerian left – rooted in universities, trade unions and parts of the state – was at its intellectual and institutional height. His music, public persona and confrontations with military rule cannot be fully understood without reference to that history.
A friend in China messaged me on WeChat. ‘What are your thoughts on the plagiarism scandal?’
‘What scandal?’ I asked.
‘How could you not know? It’s all over the internet.’ They meant the Chinese internet: in particular, social media platforms such as WeChat Moments, Weibo, RedNote and Bilibili. They sent me some links.
Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté in the men's single skating, short programme, at the Winter Olympics in Milan, 10 February 2026 (Joosep Martinson/Stringer/Getty)
‘Let the Minion skate!’ people were urging on social media days before the start of the Winter Olympics. Universal Pictures had refused Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté permission to perform his Minions-inspired figure-skating programme in Milan. Eventually ‘the internet did its thing’ and he was allowed to go ahead with his performance.
No discussion in British defence and security circles gets very far without someone mentioning the post-Cold War ‘peace dividend’. The idea that the collapse of the Soviet Union bequeathed to Western Europe safe conditions that allowed for lower military spending and higher social spending has become commonplace.
I recently applied for a job at a large publishing house and was pleased to clear the first hurdle. They sent me an email: ‘We were impressed with your application for our Editorial Assistant role, and would like to invite you to our Hirevue stage. You may have already used this virtual platform before, but it may be useful anyway to hear the info below.’ I had to film myself answering three questions.
The High Court has ruled that the British government’s proscription of Palestine Action – which has led to the arrest of more than 2700 peaceful protesters – is unlawful: it contradicts the home secretary’s own policy on proscription and violates the UK’s human rights framework.