Kevin Gower

On February 24th 1918, the Manifesto to the Peoples of Estonia was published, declaring an independent and democratic Republic of Estonia, from the new Soviet Russia. This was followed by a war with the Soviets to maintain Estonian liberty.

On February 2nd 1920, the war ended with the Tartu Peace Treaty which guaranteed Estonia’s independence for all time.

The Soviets went on to break this pact, however, and Estonia was under Soviet control for over 50 years.

In August 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. The pact’s secret protocol divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence, with Estonia belonging to the Soviet sphere. During this time, the Soviet’s “Russification” policy meant the Estonian flag was forbidden, with Russian was made the country’s official language.

In 1991 Estonia re-established its sovereignty after the peaceful “Singing Revolution” against Soviet rule, which saw music used as a tool of resistance and a declaration of intent.

From the capital city of Tallinn to historic Tartu, from Narva and Pärnu to Kuressaare on Saaremaa island, proud citizens of this northern Baltic state will take time to celebrate their national pride today.

Estonians start their Independence Day at sunrise with the traditional flag-hoisting on Toompea, a hill in the capital, Tallinn, and in other Estonian towns in the morning and progress through the day with the lighting of candles on the graves of state and public figures, and the organisation of ceremonies, services, and speeches.  The Defence Forces organise a traditional parade, and the evening ends with a concert ceremony and a reception by the President of the Republic.

In addition to participating in public celebrations, people get together with their families and friends to spend time in nature and enjoy the holiday. Estonian Public Broadcasting offers a special programme dedicated to the holiday.

In honor of Estonian traditions, a classic meal of kiluvõileib, an open-faced sandwich topped with a sprat filet, is served across the nation as citizens reflect on more than a hundred years of statehood.

Tallinn’s Old Town is the most intact medieval city in Europe. It has remained almost completely unchanged since the 13th century.

During the era of the Soviet Union, it was called Red Army Day or the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy.

In 1918, just after the German had invaded and captured Minsk, the Soviets declared a state of emergency and called for a draft in St. Petersburg. As a result, ten thousand people signed up on February 23rd 1918.

The day was first celebrated in Moscow as “Day of the Birth of the Red Army” in 1922.

It was made an official holiday in 1923 under the name “Day of the Red Army.”

After the Second World War, the name changed again in 1946 to Day of the Soviet Army and Navy.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the holiday’s name was changed several times. In 1995, it became known as the “Day of Victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany (1918) – the Day of the Fatherland Defenders.” Since 2006, it has officially been “Defender of the Fatherland Day”.

In Moscow, a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin walls is traditionally held on this day.

Celebrations to mark the Defender of Fatherland Day end with firework displays in cities that were at the forefront of major conflicts such as Kerch, Moscow, Murmansk, Novorossiysk, Sevastopol, Smolensk, St. Petersburg, Tula, and Volgograd, as well as in the cities where the headquarters of the military are situated.

TEENAGE daughter brought home a slouching yob with a leather jacket riding a 125cc scooter like it’s a Harley? Want to end their misbegotten relationship ASAP? Here’s how:

Pretend to like him

Nothing will dim the appeal of this iconoclastic rebel more than boring old dad’s approval. Invite him to sit down for a single malt. Get him telling his most outrageous anecdotes and reply with stories from your own wild youth, emphasising how dull you’ve become. Your daughter’s lust for him will slowly be replaced by a feeling of sick revulsion.

Dig the dirt

He’ll have a shady past and today’s youth live half of it online, so enlist the help of your most Insta-obsessed friend and get digging. If you find a drug-dealing criminal record, conceal it. You’re looking for footage of him singing Circle of Life with his school choir, his abandoned Warhammer-painting YouTube channel, or an Ed Sheeran stan Twitter.

Get into his music

He’ll have to be into something transgressive and shit, so find out what and start listening to it. It’s on Spotify, it doesn’t cost anything. Your daughter will secretly hate it already so will be dismayed to come home and find you’re also blasting Tyler, The Creator on the kitchen Bluetooth. ‘Sick beats,’ you’ll nod, effortlessly tarnishing his cool.

Offer lifts

Dating a bad boy means hanging out with his equally monosyllabic mates in their filthy flats for hours on end. Occasional texts mentioning you’re at a nearby Sainsbury’s if she needs picking up will prove irresistibly tempting when the alternative is another four hours of black metal, Xbox and cans of Carling. ‘It’s my dad, he’s ordering me home,’ she’ll lie.

Pay him off

He’s living outside morality, the law and boring bourgeois notions of working for a living, so he’ll take any bribe. Tell him you’ll give him a grand to end it and his greedy little counterculture eyes will turn to dollar signs at the thought of the tattoo he can now afford. Then don’t pay him. Who’s the bad boy now?

Move house

Drastic, but on balance worth it. 50 miles or so should do it, then learn in horror that’s where he’s been driving from and you’re actually nearer his home, because he’s the kind of bad boy whose parents are richer than you. That black tinted-window BMW will be parked on your new drive before you’ve finished unpacking.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has declared February 22 a special holiday to honour the peaceful “smile revolution” protest movement that ousted the gas-rich country’s longtime leader last year.

The country’s communications minister had called for February 22nd to be declared “a national holiday of the blessed Hirak” — the Arabic name for the uprising.

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika came to power in Algeria in 1999. Bouteflika survived the Arab Spring movement in 2011, by promising constitutional and political reform. He also lifted Algeria’s 19-year-old state of emergency.

In February 2019, Bouteflika announced he would stand for re-election in the forthcoming Presidential elections. This enraged many Algerians and on February 22nd 2019, over 800,000 demonstrators took to the streets, beginning the Hirak.

On April 2nd 2019, Bouteflika resigned from the presidency.

CINEMAGOERS will soon discover that Wuthering Heights could be half as long with a nice happy ending if any character had basic common sense. Also true of these: 

Snow White

Considering the Queen’s main goal in life is to kill Snow White, she does a shit job of it. The magic poisoned apple only puts her into a coma, so why not kill her permanently with a normal apple laced with cyanide? Or just brutally stab her to death? The Queen doesn’t care she’s in a Disney film.

Wuthering Heights

Heathcliff leaves Yorkshire – good call – when he overhears Catherine telling the housekeeper it would ‘degrade’ her to marry him, missing the rather important ‘I am Heathcliff’ bit afterwards. Considering Cathy shows every sign of loving him, he really needs to check this with her. Even if only to tell her she’s a two-faced cow.

The Lord of the Rings

It’s been said, but: giant eagles. That Gandalf is mates with. Fly the ring into Mordor? Or help Frodo and Sam with an escort of characters resistant to the Ring: Gandalf, Galadriel, other hobbits, etcetera. None are strictly needed at the diversionary attack on the Black Gate. Your arsehole boss in your office job would have organised this better.

Inception

Leo and his colleagues have dream-sharing technology, so ditch the dangerous industrial espionage and develop a consumer version. It might take a few years, but if Fortnitemakes billions then how much more fun would it be to play in someone’s dream? A few teenagers might forget to eat and perish, but that’s good for the gene pool.

Pride and Prejudice

Another dense misunderstanding. Elizabeth believes Wickham’s bullshit about Darcy being a bastard to him in the past. They’re serious allegations you’d want to verify, but no. And has it not occurred to Lizzie that he may just be trying to f**k her?

Death of a Salesman

Willy Loman could avoid killing himself by getting a sense of perspective. He could take a lower-paid job closer to home or stop obsessing about his son Biff being a failure. He is, after all, only 34. Samuel L Jackson, Debbie Harry, and McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc didn’t find success until after then. Chill the f**k out, Willy.

The Aeneid

How hard is it to check a big wooden horse for Greeks? Was it not suspiciously heavy when pushed? Did it not carry the distinctive scent of a few hundred soldiers crammed into a shed? Was there no tell-tale trail of leaking urine? The ancients were half-wits, frankly, and the democracy they invented should be treated accordingly.

In 1947, India was partitioned by the British, creating the ‘Dominion of Pakistan’, which was two separate regions to the northwest and northeast of India.

Even though the majority of people lived in the eastern part, where Bengali was the main language, the Dominion was in the control of the western part. In 1947, the western-based government had proposed Urdu as the only state language, and that it would be used exclusively in schools and in the media. This move caused unrest and protests in East Pakistan.

In early 1952, the protests had intensified and the government imposed a law (Section 144), which banned any gathering of more than three people.

On February 21st 1952, In defiance of the law, students began gathering on the University of Dhaka. The police enforced section 144 and arrested several protestors. This further enraged the crowd and when the students attempted to enter the building of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly, the police opened fire and shot dead four protestors.

As a result of the protests, Bengali was recognised as the second official language of Pakistan on February 29th 1956, and the constitution of Pakistan was reworded to “The state language of Pakistan shall be Urdu and Bengali.”

East Pakistan gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, becoming Bangladesh.

WHEN it comes to dating advice, we’ve hopefully moved on from platitudes like ‘plenty more fish in the sea’. But is the touchy-feely advice of the internet age any better? Of course not.

You’ll find love when you stop looking

So dating is governed by some sort of sentient force, and when it notices you’re less desperate to find a partner, it will send one your way? Great timing. If you give the slightest credence to this sort of quasi-mystical bollocks you may as well start believing in in fairies. At least then you might shag a Wiccan.

You need to love yourself first

Objectively, whether you adore yourself or have low self-esteem makes very little difference to whether people want to go out with you. Also, what sort of twat won’t date someone if they’re a bit insecure or down on themselves? ‘Sorry, pleasant Dua Lipa lookalike, a relationship is out of the question because you mentioned you’re not very confident at work. I’ll get you an Uber.’

Don’t spend too long in the ‘talking stage’

This refers to the Gen Z practice of conducting a relationship via social media or texting, then it being a disaster when they meet in person. However if you’re too thick to understand the whole point of dating is to be in the same physical space so you can have sex and use those Pizza Express vouchers, maybe it’s best if you never get a chance to add to the gene pool.

You’ve got to ‘work on yourself’

Commonly cited examples of ‘working on yourself’ are: journaling, improving your sleep/exercise habits, and learning new skills. With the exception of exercise, it’s hard to see how any of these help with dating. In fact notmentioning your boring, badly-written, self-obsessed journal will probably increase your chances of pulling 100 per cent.

When you know, you know

This is usually said by tiresome women trying to sound wise about matters of the heart. What they actually mean is: ‘I found someone who met my long-term relationship requirements and also had a decent car.’ But they can’t say that because then it doesn’t sound as if they’ve got an enigmatic sixth sense.

You have to work at a relationship

This received wisdom holds that relationships are an endless knackering slog requiring constant vigilance and effort, which is incredibly depressing. And probably bad advice if a couple fundamentally aren’t suited. But in any case, you don’t have to work at a relationship. It’s a free country. What’s your partner going to do, call the Crappy Birthday Present Police?

Malaya’s independence began after the signing of the Malayan Independence Treaty signed by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj on 8 February 1956 at Lancaster House, London to represent the Malayan government with Alan Lennox-Boyd, Secretary of the British Colonies on behalf of the British government.

The delegation, known as the Merdeka Entourage, was joined by four representatives of the ruling government and four representatives of the Malay Rulers who managed to obtain British approval to formally grant independence to Malaya on 31 August 1957 after three weeks of negotiations.

After achieving the country’s independence through negotiations, the Merdeka entourage returned to Malaya from London on 16 February 1956 and arrived in Singapore at midnight on 19 February 1956.

Tunku Abdul Rahman had decided not to return to Kuala Lumpur the next day, instead deciding to stop by Malacca first to announce the date of independence of Malaya.

On the next day on February 20th 1956, history was created in Melaka when the Merdeka group left for Melaka and arrived at Batu Berendam Airport by boarding a Malayan Airways plane and was greeted with great fanfare by various levels of society.

The Merdeka entourage was paraded by a group of youths on motorbikes along with dozens of cars accompanying Tunku Abdul Rahman’s entourage and Tunku stopped by to rest at Tan Cheng Lock’s house in Klebang before continuing on to Padang Banda Hilir (now Dataran Pahlawan).

The much-anticipated historic moment of the people who flooded Padang Banda Hilir finally arrived when Tunku Abdul Rahman announced according to the agreement reached in London which decided that the Federation of Malaya would officially achieve independence on 31 August 1957.

Upon finishing the speech, Tunku chanted “Merdeka” three times and simultaneously with the announcement, shouts and chants of independence thundered in the sky of Padang Banda Hilir, Melaka with joy and gratitude.

Losar means New Year (lo – year, sar – new) in Tibetan. It is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar.

The origins of Losar can be traced back to pre-Buddhist period and the Bon religion and was most likely celebrated to mark the winter solstice. To mark the beginning of the end of Winter, festivities included offering large quantities of incense to the local spirits and deities. When the region converted to Buddhism, the date was shifted by Buddhist monks to match up with their lunar calendar.

The Tibetan New Year period lasts for fifteen days, with the first three days and New Year’s Eve being the main celebrations

On Tibetan New Year’s Eve, a custom is making a special noodle dish called guthuk. In the dish are dumplings with different ingredients inside them. Finding a certain ingredient is a light-hearted omen for the coming year. Finding a white coloured ingredient such as rice or salt is considered a good omen; finding a pebble means good luck; finding a chilli means the person is talkative and finding a black ingredient means you have are ‘black-heated’. Interestingly, in some European Christmas customs, finding coal in your presents means the same thing.

On Tibetan New Year’s Eve, the monks do a protector deities’ puja (ceremony) to drive out evil spirits. and begin preparations for the Losar celebrations.

On the first day of the new year, people rise early and place water and offerings on their household altars to ensure a good harvest.

A GIRLFRIEND is confident her boyfriend will never cheat on her thanks to no woman finding him in any way attractive.

Hannah 28, not her real name or age, feels her relationship with Guido 30, not his real age, is rock solid due to what she calls his ‘complete and utter lack of appeal to every other woman on the planet’.

She said: “I’m not saying Guido never would try to cheat, I’m saying he never could.

“I feel safe in the knowledge that he could try it on with hundreds of women and still remain true to me. How many men are as involuntarily loyal as that?

“Attractive, charismatic partners might stray because they get tempting offers. But a weird-looking guy like Guido whose hobbies are moaning about things and watching YouTube compilation videos of people failing to park? That’s lifelong fidelity right there, baby.

“What self-respecting woman is going to fancy a man who takes her to Pizza Express on her birthday and makes her pay for herself? Well, me, but I’m paranoid about being nearly 30.

“When we first started dating I’d lie awake in a state of panic about him falling for someone else. Then he’d fart so loudly it’d set off the car alarm and I’d go back to sleep.

“People say to trust your partner and I do. But I trust women more.”

Located on the west coast of Africa, The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa.

Its first contact with Europeans was in the mid-15th century when Portuguese arrived as part of their expansion of overseas trade. It was also an important location for the African slave trade.

Trade rights to the region were sold to the British at the end of the 16th century, starting a period of British control who initially struggled for domination of the region with France. For a short period in the 17th century part of The Gambia was under the control of what is modern-day Latvia.

In 1889 the present boundaries of The Gambia were set by agreement between Britain and France; five years later it became a British protectorate.

During the 1950s political parties emerged. In 1960, elections were held under a new constitution, with the People’s Progressive Party, led by David Jawara, emerging as a powerful voice and the dominant political party after further elections in 1962.

Following agreements between the British and Gambian Governments in July 1964, The Gambia achieved independence as a constitutional monarchy on 18 February 1965, with Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general, as head of state and Jawara as the first prime minister.

The Gambia is one of only two countries whose self-standing short name for official use should begin with the word “The” (the other one being The Bahamas). In 1964, the prime minister of The Gambia said that one of the reasons they like to have “The” in their name is to avoid confusion with Zambia.

The origin of the Chinese New Year is itself ancient and obscured by the amount of time. It is popularly recognised as the Spring Festival and celebrations last 15 days. The public holidays last about a week and stores and places of business usually reopen on the fifth day of the first lunar month.

It may seem strange that the celebration is known as “Spring Festival” in China, even though it falls in January or February, which are classed as winter months. This is because the ancient solar calendar, which depicts 24 periods through the year, classifies the start of Spring as the period from February 4th to 18th.

Preparations begin a month before (similar to a Western Christmas) when people start buying presents, decoration materials, food and clothing. A huge clean-up gets underway days before the New Year when Chinese houses are cleaned from top to bottom, to sweep away any traces of bad luck, and doors and windowpanes are given a new coat of paint, usually red.

A provincial statutory holiday observed on the third Monday in February in most provinces. About two-thirds of all Canadians will have the day off on Family Day.

Alberta was the first province to introduce the statutory holiday in 1990 under the Premier at the time, Don Getty.

The establishment of the day created some controversy. Some people believed that the day was established as a response to a cocaine possession scandal one of the former Premier’s sons was involved in at the time. According to an archive, “Premier Getty was obviously embarrassed by the revelation and admitted publicly that he had neglected his family, saying that it was important for all Albertans to take more care with their families also.”

ARE you unsure if your colleagues are genuinely sad to see you go? If you received any of these leaving presents, the answer is ‘no’.

The cheapest bottle of Tesco wine

Warm. Cheap-looking label. Plonked onto your desk without the basic courtesy of being in a gift bag. It’s a clear sign your colleagues regard you with the same affection as the cleaner who shows up at 6pm. Less, in fact, because they at least give him an awkward nod because he does a good job. Unlike you.

A Colin the Caterpillar cake

In the world of office politics, Colin the Caterpillar cakes are reserved strictly for birthdays. Presenting one to a colleague as a leaving present is either an embarrassing error or a veiled insult. Whoever organised this gift knew exactly what they were doing, and that was sending a massive ‘f**k off’ in the shape of a chocolate roll. A chocolate roll they hope you choke on.

A tenner in a card

Cheap as well as thoughtless. There are a dozen people in your team, which means everyone chipped in less than a quid. And you’re fairly certain this is the same note you donated to Nikki from HR’s birthday present fund. At least you’re not a tenner down any more, but even a HMV gift card would have been better.

A pen from the stationery cupboard

A monogrammed fountain pen is up there with carriage clocks when it comes to well-meaning but rather old-fashioned leaving gifts. Being handed a biro from the stationery cupboard means your colleagues forgot you were leaving or simply couldn’t give a shit. If anything, your boss will be more upset to see a useful pen go than you.

A round of applause

This is a gesture of appreciation, not a gift. They’re probably clapping in an insincere way too, like at a school play or when someone drops a pint glass. If they look happy it’s only because they’re glad to wave you off. Don’t kid yourself they’re trying to put on a brave face, their happiness is genuine as they enjoy this glorious moment they’ve been waiting for for years.

By the middle of the 15th century, most of modern Serbia had come under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, with some parts under control by periods by the Austrians and the Hapsburgs.

In January 1804, Serbia was under the control of the Dahijas, a renegade section of elite Ottoman troops. Fearing control would be taken back by the Ottomans, they executed 70 Serb nobles in an event called the ‘Slaughter of the Dukes’. This event triggered the first Serbian uprising which began on February 14th.

Initially, the uprising was supported by the Sultan of the Ottomans, but their demands for greater autonomy for Serbia led to military suppression by the Ottomans. The Serbians defended themselves against these attacks and by 1805 had formed a government.

In 1813, after the end of the Russo-Turkish War, the Ottoman Empire turned its focus back to Serbia, retaking the country.

A second uprising took place between 1815 – 1817, with the result that Serbia became a Principality.

On February 15th 1835, the Principality of Serbia adopted the first Constitution in the Balkan region.The constitution was drafted by Dimitrije Davidović, Prime Minister of Serbia, Minister of Education and chief secretary of cabinet to Prince Miloš Obrenović I, and was adopted in the City of Kragujevac in 1835. 

It established a Serbian Parliament, with a royal dynasty and abolished feudalism and serfdom. The constitution was short-lived and was repealed in April 1835.

It wasn’t until 1867 that the last Turkish troops left Serbia.

Serbian Statehood Day is celebrated on the same day as Orthodox Candlemas (Sretenje), which is why that first constitution is known as the Sretenje Constitution (Candlemas Constitution).

A 40-YEAR-OLD man has insisted that quitting his job, moving his stuff into storage and going travelling to find himself is definitely not a sign that his life has quietly derailed.

Digital sales co-ordinator Julian, not his real name, claims his decision to cash in his entire life in favour of living out of a backpack in locations where nobody knows him shows his questing, independent spirit, not that he has nothing to lose. 

He said: “I’m selling everything I own to fund the trip. Who needs a lifetime of accumulated possessions, anyway? Not me. 

“This has nothing to do with my still being single, or failing to get promoted, or not being able to get a mortgage or any of that materialist stuff. I just think there’s more to life, you know? 

“I’m going alone for spiritual reasons, and because it’s more free, and yeah, I suppose that means I can reinvent myself and my past and tell bronzed Aussie surfer girls I’m called Coyote, but that’s not the point or anything. 

“It’ll be great. Wind in my hair – what’s left of it – sand between my toes and there’s no way a random desperate drunk Englishman on the verge of middle-age will get robbed or conned.

“Hostels are downright luxurious now and I’m so young at heart that all the 18-year-old backpackers will be delighted to hang out with me. They won’t judge like women here do. Also the locals will love me, not least in countries with a low GDP.”

“This isn’t running away, it’s reconnecting with who I really am. I just hope that’s not who I am now, only sweatier, poorer and wearing elephant-print trousers.” 

The traditions of St. Valentine’s Day mix elements of both ancient Roman rites and Christian tradition. To confuse matters, three different saints named Valentine are recognised by the Catholic Church. Valentine may not be the luckiest of names, as all three of the saints are martyrs.

One legend tells us that Valentine was a priest in Rome during the third century. Emperor Claudius II decreed that marriage was to be outlawed for young men, as he thought that single men made better soldiers than those who were married with families.

Valentine felt the decree was unjust and unfair and he defied the Emperor by performing secret marriages for young lovers. When his actions for undercover lovers were discovered, Claudius ordered Valentine to be executed. Variations on this legend say that Valentine was put to death for trying to help fellow Christians escape from harsh Roman prisons where they were often tortured. 

According to another legend, Valentine may have actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself in 270 AD the day before he was to be executed for refusing to renounce his Christian beliefs. Allegedly he sent a note of appreciation to his jailer’s blind daughter for bringing him food and delivering messages while he was imprisoned, signed “from your Valentine.”

While we can never be certain as to the true origin of the St. Valentine legend, one thing is for certain, it must have been an appealing and enduring story because by the Middle Ages, Valentine had become one of the most popular saints in France and Britain.

The timing observance of his saint’s day may have been driven by the commonplace practice of trying to integrate previous pagan festivals into the Christian calendar. in this case, the Lupercalia festival.

In ancient Rome, February was seen as the beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and wheat throughout the interiors (we still refer to Spring Cleaning to this day).

Lupercalia, which began on the ‘ides (15th) of February’, was a fertility festival dedicated to the agricultural god Lupercus and to the Goddess of Love, Juno, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Roman maidens placed their names into an urn set up in the public squares and young single men drew from it to get a ‘blind date’ for the coming year. More often than not, these annual matches often ended in marriage.

St. Valentine’s Day was set at February 14th by Pope Gelasiusin 498AD. By this time, the ‘lottery’ system for romantic dating was deemed un-Christian and had been outlawed. During the Middle Ages, the practice of love lotteries carried on as ‘Chance Boxes’. In France, drawings from the boxes allotted couples one year to get married or part company. In England, it was a common practice for men to wear the name of the girl they drew from the chance boxes on their sleeve, encircled with a heart.

Also at this time, it was commonly believed in parts of England and France that February 14 marked the beginning of birds’ mating season, which increased the notion that Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance.

Valentines messages started to appear around the beginning of the Fifteenth century, and even in these formative times, they were often given anonymously, perhaps harking back to the unknown recipients of the Roman lotteries.

A MAN who cannot be bothered to read the lengthy text his girlfriend sent him has gambled on replying with the tears-of-laughter emoji.

Faced with a dense block of text running the entire length of his phone screen, weary boyfriend Tom, not his real name, decided to take a chance on a stock response and get back to the pornography he was very much enjoying.

He said: “Odds are it’s an anecdote about what’s happened to her today at work. I’m not skimming that. What I’ve done is kindly acknowledge her need to express it.

“Could be something serious, however, so it’s a casual but high-stakes game of chance, like Russian roulette. If I’m lucky I’ve saved myself precious minutes and brain power with a few simple clicks. If I’m unlucky? The next message will be double the length.

“Is it my fault she’s never learned to break up the message with paragraph spacing? Ideally, she’d send over a succinct bullet-pointed list of key details but that’s not how women work. I guess I should be grateful it’s not a sodding voice note.

“Anyway, here goes nothing! If it goes sideways I can always backtrack and say I accidentally clicked the wrong emoji. She won’t believe it but it’s a solid distraction.”

Girlfriend Nikki Hollis said: “Fair play to Tom, he’s taken it very well. I thought he’d be livid about being dumped over text.”

Unfortunately, the history of this day has become somewhat obscured over time, so it is not widely known why it came to be considered unlucky.

The “Thirteen Club”: In the late 19th century, a group in New York, led by Civil War Captain William Fowler, formed the “Thirteen Club” to actively defy the superstition. Members held their first meeting on Friday, January 13, 1882, in room 13, sat down to a 13-course meal, and walked under a ladder to prove the superstition wrong.

Airlines and Buildings Skip 13: Many hotels, high-rise buildings, and hospitals do not have a 13th floor or room 13. Some airlines even skip row 13 on their planes.

However, not all Fridays were created equal. Good Friday, in contrast, was believed to bring good luck, especially for sailors who made their maiden voyages on this auspicious day. Similarly, the number 13 has been associated with bad luck since ancient times.

The exact origins of this superstition, however, remain unknown. Some attribute it to the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, where there were 13 individuals at the table, including Jesus and his 12 disciples. The 13th guest, Judas Iscariot, is infamous for betraying Christ and taking his own life.

This belief led to the notion that if 13 people shared a meal, one of them would die within the year. The fear of the number 13 gained immense popularity in the 19th century, prompting people to go to great lengths to avoid it. It was common practice to skip the number when numbering hotel rooms, and the 13th floor of buildings was often labeled as the 14th floor.

In 1886, Myanmar (then called Burma) came under British control, but the British made a distinction between how central Burma and the various outlying ethnic groups were ruled.

Following the end of the Second World War, General Aung San, head of the interim Burmese government and representatives from the Shan states, the Kachin hills and the Chin hills met in Panglong to determine the future of Burma.

They reached an agreement which was signed and passed on 12 February 1947. The agreement unified Burma and demanded that the British government restore independence to all of Burma. The Panglong agreement formed the basis for the creation of the Union of Burma. The deal also offered the ethnic leaders the possibility of seceding from the union if they were dissatisfied with the new nation.

The agreement was a key event in the history of Myanmar as it directly led to the creation of Burma as an independent state in January 1948.

While instrumental in the Panglong agreement, Aung San did not live to see Burma gains its independence in January 1948. He was assassinated on 19 July 1947.

A MAN who has no time to himself due to his three children is jealous of victims of the male loneliness epidemic.

Despite media concern about the growing number of men who are socially isolated, solitude-starved Julian, not his real name, feels endless loneliness would be a massive lifestyle improvement.

He said: “Quietly drifting through the years without having to watch Moana hundreds of times? Where do I sign up?

“When I read about these neckbeards starved of human contact and intimacy, I can’t help but wish I were in their position. Imagine how incredible it must feel to get a full night’s sleep and then do f**k all. It’s like some crazy dream.

“I used to be like those guys, desperate to get laid and thinking a girlfriend would solve all my problems. Nope. Now I have to drag myself to kids’ football practice every Sunday and watch my bank balance nosedive.

“I get that it’s a serious social problem, but so is paying £60 just to go to the cinema. And it’s not like I’ve got time to make friends, either. Those sad bastards don’t realise how good they’ve got it.”

Julian’s son James said: “With that attitude, dad might get what he wants soon. At least that’s what mum says.”

Iran had been an absolute monarchy ruled by the Pahlavi dynasty since 1925. In the 1960s, a series of reforms intended to modernise Iran had failed to improve the economic conditions. Large-scale rioting took place following the arrest of the cleric, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who had made a speech attacking the Shah. Khomeini was sent into exile in November 1964.

In 1978, resistance against the rule of the Shah intensified, with marches, demonstration, and strikes paralysing the country. Recognising that he had lost control and suffering from ill-health, the Shah left Iran on January 16th 1979.

On February 1st 1979, Khomeini made a triumphal return to Iran and led the campaign to overthrow the remnants of the Shah’s rule.

Ten days later, the Pahlavi royal regime was defeated when Iran’s military declared itself “neutral” after rebel troops overwhelmed those still loyal to the Shah.

Two months later, the new government held a referendum on establishing the Islamic Republic based on a new constitution replacing the Persian monarchy that had ruled for 2,500 years. This event is marked by another public holiday, Islamic Republic Day.

Khomeini served as Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to his death in June 1989.

The 10-day period from the return of Imam Khomeini until the revolution’s victory is celebrated annually in Iran and is known as the Ten-Day Fajr (Dawn).