18th March 2026

Lightbulb

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It’s great to be back, Lightbulbers—though I must warn you that after 26 hours on and off planes, then 11 hours of near-comatose catch-up sleep, I bring you today’s news in a groggy fugue state. I just went to put my tea bag in the fridge and the milk in the bin. Though perhaps jetlag is an appropriate state in which to pen today’s edition, for it is a veritable world tour.

First stop: Dubai. I was glad that my layover was elsewhere, for since the United States attacked Iran, the regime in Tehran has been lashing out at its neighbours, bringing air travel to a near standstill in one of the world’s biggest travel hubs. While Dubai itself remains relatively safe, fear that tourists might perceive it to be dangerous has led the United Arab Emirates to roll out a “readily detectable PR counteroperation”, Peter Williams writes.

And it has conscripted some of Dubai’s 50,000 content creators (many of which are British expats) to the cause. Journalist Isabel Oakeshott, for instance, posted that “no drone has hit Dubai marina. It was debris from a successful interception.” In what I’m sure is Oakeshott’s only piece of unoriginal and ethically dubious reporting, many other accounts posted the exact same words.

The coordinated messaging also has a coercive side: the UAE has reminded residents and tourists that posting videos on social media of attacks or their aftermath could lead to steep fines or even prison sentences for “cybercrimes”. It’s a good thing that my colleague Peter waited until he returned from his recent Dubai holiday to write his article. But if the censors were capable of subtlety, they would have noticed that Peter resists indulging in schadenfreude at the Dubai influencers’ plight, reminding us that “anyone serious about rebutting their indolent, selfish, incurious vision of the good life needs to show that better dreams are available.”

Oakeshott’s partner, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice, also splits his time between London and Dubai—and also insists the kingdom is doing A-OK. Though he might need to spend a little more time in his home country over the coming months, as Labour has asked His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to investigate Tice’s tax affairs. Tice insists he has obeyed all UK laws. This is just one of several headaches for Nigel Farage, who is currently brawling with polling group YouGov as surveys show his party’s popularity might be slipping. So, has Reform really peaked? We asked former YouGov president Peter Kellner on the latest episode of the Prospect Podcast. Kellner also discusses his open letter to Labour’s next prime minister, published in our latest edition.

Another guy suffering the frequent indignity of aeroplane food (among more serious challenges) is Volodymyr Zelensky. He flew into London this week to draw attention to some under-reported news: since the start of the year, Ukraine has been winning territory from Russia. As Andrew Adonis writes, this is a “huge unsung triumph of European policy and cooperation.” Send me your least favourite airport at ben.clark@prospectmagazine.co.uk.

Benjamin Clark

Head of digital audience