Another wonderful piece from @david-batty.bsky.social, not least for showing how very Enid Blytonesque much of the official narrative on forced adoption has been - and even remains: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Britain's apology for the scandal of forced adoption can never heal the pain for people like me | David Batty

An estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976. I was one of them, says Guardian news editor and writer David Batty

theguardian.com

Adoption reunion is pushed as a happily ever after story by reality TV shows like Long Lost Family. Mine felt like walking into the artist Cornelia Parker’s exploded shed, with all the scorched wreckage precariously suspended around me. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

My mother was forced to give me up for adoption. But when we finally met decades later, it was far from a fairytale ending

Thirty years after my parents were pressured into placing me with an adoption agency, I finally reconnected with them. But it was nothing like the neat stories you see on TV

theguardian.com

Just read this astonishing essay by @david-batty.bsky.social. An extraordinary, deeply humane piece of writing. I will be reading it again later. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

My mother was forced to give me up for adoption. But when we finally met decades later, it was far from a fairytale ending

Thirty years after my parents were pressured into placing me with an adoption agency, I finally reconnected with them. But it was nothing like the neat stories you see on TV

theguardian.com

‘They are disturbing the dead’: reconstructing the site of the forgotten first genocide of the 20th century A new forensic exhibition in Berlin is using digital technology to unearth how colonisers scarred a landscape, and a community www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

‘They are disturbing the dead’: reconstructing the site of the forgotten first genocide of the 20th century

At least 3,000 Herero and Nama people died in a German concentration camp at Shark Island, Namibia. A new forensic exhibition in Berlin is using digital technology to unearth how colonisers scarred a ...

theguardian.com

‘Her head was broken’: parents at Iranian school bombed by US describe their worst day Hours before the world learned that a US missile had hit Shajareh Tayyebeh school, parents were already searching the rubble for their sons and daughters. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

‘Her head was broken’: parents at Iranian school bombed by US describe their worst day

Hours before the world learned that a US missile had hit Shajareh Tayyebeh school, parents were already searching the rubble for their sons and daughters. In this exclusive report, four families descr...

theguardian.com

‘Stop this savage being’: Iranians fear postponed Trump attack is merely disaster delayed Some inside Iran believe threat was designed to divert attention from desire to seize islands in strait of Hormuz www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

‘Stop this savage being’: Iranians fear postponed Trump attack is merely disaster delayed

Some inside Iran believe threat was designed to divert attention from desire to seize islands in strait of Hormuz

theguardian.com

‘We must preserve our traditions’: war casts shadow over Iranian Nowruz celebrations Many Iranians were determined to mark the Persian new year despite the bombing entering its fourth week www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

‘We must preserve our traditions’: war casts shadow over Iranian Nowruz celebrations

Many Iranians were determined to mark the Persian new year despite the bombing entering its fourth week

theguardian.com

‘We want change but not like this’: Iranians describe daily life under air attack Tehran residents try to stay safe from bombing and cling to their livelihoods as war stretches into third week www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

‘We want change but not like this’: Iranians describe daily life under air attack

Tehran residents try to stay safe from bombing and cling to their livelihoods as war stretches into third week

theguardian.com

Bellingcat founder on verifying footage of deadly strike on girls' school in Iran www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Bellingcat founder on verifying footage of deadly strike on girls' school in Iran - ABC listen

Pressure is mounting on the Trump administration after a video appears to show a US Tomahawk missile was used in a deadly strike on a girls' school in Iran.  The New York Times is reporting an ongoin...

abc.net.au

Iranians living in UK tell Starmer that war will only strengthen Tehran regime Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe among more than 100 signatories to letter urging PM not to get drawn further into the conflict www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Iranians living in UK tell Starmer that war will only strengthen Tehran regime

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe among more than 100 signatories to letter urging PM not to get drawn further into the conflict

theguardian.com

It’s important to remember the countries & communities attempting to repatriate their ancestors’ human remains from UK museums. I spoke to descendants of the first Chimurenga heroes, whose skulls were long believed to have been taken to the UK after they were executed by British colonial force.

Descendants of Zimbabwe resistance heroes urge UK to locate looted skulls

Relatives call on institutions to help them find remains of ancestors who led fight against British colonisers in 1890s

theguardian.com

New video footage shows a US Tomahawk missile hitting an IRGC facility in Minab, Iran, on Feb 28, showing for the first time that the US struck the area. The footage also shows smoke already rising from the vicinity of the girls’ school, where 175 people were reportedly killed, including children.

There are more than 260,000 items of human remains held by UK museums, universities & councils, including thousands from former British colonies. Thanks to @profdanhicks.bsky.social & @rebekah-hodgkinson.bsky.social for their expert analysis of my FoI data.

Dan Hicks@profdanhicks.bsky.social · 7mo ago

This FOl enquiry for the Guardian has taken up a great deal of my life for the past 2 years. (1/3)

This FOl enquiry for the Guardian has taken up a great deal of my life for the past 2 years. (1/3)

Brooklyn Park police chief Mark Bruley: "We're hearing people being stopped with no cause & being demanded to show paperwork to determine if they're here legally. We started hearing from our police officers the same complaints. Every one of these individuals is a person of color... it has to stop"

NEW: NEW: Standards commissioner finds Nigel Farage committed seventeen breaches of MPs code of conduct. He failed to declare £333,000 in outside interests (more than 3x MPs annual salary)…

The Iranian state silenced protests with brutality. What now for Iran’s opposition? Grieving, bruised and divided on the wisdom of foreign-backed revolt, how can the Iranian people achieve change? www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

The Iranian state silenced protests with brutality. What now for Iran’s opposition?

Grieving, bruised and divided on the wisdom of foreign-backed revolt, how can the Iranian people achieve change?

theguardian.com

Khamenei regime will not be able to keep control of Iran, says dissenting film-maker Jafar Panahi, director of Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident, says Iranian leaders want to destroy country www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Khamenei regime will not be able to keep control of Iran, says dissenting film-maker

Jafar Panahi, director of Palme d’Or winner It Was Just An Accident, says Iranian leaders want to destroy country

theguardian.com

Hundreds of gunshot eye injuries found in one Iranian hospital amid brutal crackdown on protests Doctors in Tehran tell of overwhelmed medical staff as violent crackdown intensifies www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Hundreds of gunshot eye injuries found in one Iranian hospital amid brutal crackdown on protests

Doctors in Tehran tell of overwhelmed medical staff as violent crackdown intensifies

theguardian.com

How Iran’s protest movement has gained increasing momentum – a visual guide Demonstrations initially focused on economic issues but as they have grown and become political the regime has responded with deadly force www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

How Iran’s protest movement has gained increasing momentum – a visual guide

Demonstrations initially focused on economic issues but as they have grown and become political the regime has responded with deadly force

theguardian.com

An ecosystem of smuggled tech holds Iran’s last link to the outside world Despite internet blackout, a small number of Iranians are risking their lives to share messages as protests continue www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

An ecosystem of smuggled tech holds Iran’s last link to the outside world

Despite internet blackout, a small number of Iranians are risking their lives to share messages as protests continue

theguardian.com

Dozens of artists call for end to Israel’s ‘systematic attacks’ on Gaza hospitals Actors, doctors and human rights leaders sign letter calling for restoration of medical care to ‘collapsed’ system www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Dozens of artists call for end to Israel’s ‘systematic attacks’ on Gaza hospitals

Actors, doctors and human rights leaders sign letter calling for restoration of medical care to ‘collapsed’ system

theguardian.com

Amazingly, Zahawi only got round to deleting the below after the press conference announcing his defection to Reform.

Trump says he is considering ‘very strong’ military options against Iran as protester death toll climbs US president claims ‘Iran wants to negotiate’ as rights groups report that regime’s crackdown on protest has killed hundreds www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Trump says he is considering ‘very strong’ military options against Iran as protester death toll climbs

US president claims ‘Iran wants to negotiate’ as rights groups report that regime’s crackdown on protest has killed hundreds

theguardian.com

Iran crisis: Trump claims leader ‘wants to negotiate’ amid protest crackdown as he mulls US military response – latest updates www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

Iran crisis: Trump claims leader ‘wants to negotiate’ amid protest crackdown as he mulls US military response – latest updates

US president says he ‘may have to act’ before talks amid crackdown that rights group says has led to at least 538 deaths

theguardian.com

Over four years have passed since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Claudia Janke’s photographic series features 7 Afghan women who have found safety in the UK after escaping at great personal risk. www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

Afghan women in the UK: amplifying their voice – a photo essay

Over four years have passed since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Claudia Janke’s photographic series features seven Afghan women who have found safety in the UK after escaping at great ...

theguardian.com

Iranian student killed during protests was shot in head ‘from close range’ Rubina Aminian, 23, struck by bullet from behind after joining Tehran protest from college, says human rights group www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Iranian student killed during protests was shot in head ‘from close range’

Rubina Aminian, 23, struck by bullet from behind after joining Tehran protest from college, says human rights group

theguardian.com

Lamar wants to have children with his girlfriend. The problem? She’s entirely AI As synthetic personas become an increasingly normal part of life, meet the people falling for their chatbot lovers www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Lamar wants to have children with his girlfriend. The problem? She’s entirely AI

As synthetic personas become an increasingly normal part of life, meet the people falling for their chatbot lovers

theguardian.com

UK wants ‘peaceful transition’ of power in Iran, says minister Heidi Alexander calls for end to violence while Tory leader says she would ‘not have an issue’ with regime change www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

UK wants ‘peaceful transition’ of power in Iran, says minister

Heidi Alexander calls for end to violence while Tory leader says she would ‘not have an issue’ with regime change

theguardian.com

Iranian cultural figures condemn internet blackout as ‘blatant tool of repression’ Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasoulof and Golshifteh Farahani among those to join outpouring of support for protesters www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Iranian cultural figures condemn internet blackout as ‘blatant tool of repression’

Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasoulof and Golshifteh Farahani among those to join outpouring of support for protesters

theguardian.com