The Iranian revolution at 40

IRAN: Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that ushered in Tehran’s theocracy under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The tumultuous events (timeline here) led to the hostage-taking of 52 Americans from the U.S. Embassy, held for 444 days; the spread of Islamic jihadism via Iranian-backed groups like Hezbollah; and an ongoing war within Sunni and Shia Islam amid resurging extremism. A panel of experts will address the fallout from those events Monday at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

NIGERIA: Nigerians head to the polls on Saturday in a presidential contest—and here’s a good synopsis of why (and how to) pray for elections in Africa’s most populous country and largest economy.

A UN official condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s January suspension of Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen, the first southern Christian judge to preside over the country’s judiciary in 35 years. The controversy has cast a shadow over election campaigning, as the chief justice (now a Muslim Buhari compatriot) could preside over an election dispute.

SIERRA LEONE: President Julius Maada Bio declared a national emergency over sexual violence after the rape of a 5-year-old girl—who was paralyzed from the waist down by the attack—sparked national outrage.

HUNGARY: Hoping to improve his country’s flagging birth rate, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced new tax and loan incentives for families to have children. Orban has taken a tough line on immigrants and said, “We do not need numbers. We need Hungarian children.”

CANADA: Michel Cadotte’s disturbed state of mind impaired his “freedom of choice,” said his lawyer, defending the 57-year-old Montreal husband accused of killing his wife in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Last week Cadotte admitted to a jury he smothered his wife after health officials denied his request for her medically assisted death.

CHINA: The Tibetan Daocheng County is just beautiful.

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