Peter Rhodes on hijabs, nuclear bombs and the relentless rise of cyberbumf

In Smethwick a huge new sculpture has been unveiled celebrating “the strength of the hijab,” as worn proudly by some Muslim women. In the same week in Iran the government announced crippling fines and prison sentences for any woman not wearing the hijab. It seems the hijab is empowering – but only if you can choose not to wear it.

Nearly 40 years ago I interviewed veterans of the UK nuclear-bomb tests. Some claimed that exposure to radiation had caused them a variety of diseases in the years that followed. I never imagined back then that their campaign for truth and compensation would still be rattling on in 2023. But it is and the vets are now fighting for medical records to be released.