As Russia’s tanks rolled into Ukraine, Vladimir Putin gathered the country’s top businessmen in the Kremlin’s ornate Hall of the Order of St Catherine to discuss their response to sanctions. The Russian president seated about 20ft away in a conspicuous social-distancing measure. Putin told them he would have no other choice but to invade Ukraine and if they wanted to keep their businesses, neither did they.
It’s not the One Ring enslaving everyone – it’s a small titanium band on my finger that has been politely, but relentlessly, confronting me with numbers for almost twelve days. No fiery lidless eye, just a sleep nerd that tells me every morning how serious (or not) my body took my longevity plan the night before.