Tennessee school district bans Alex Haley’s Roots under 2022 state law 15. May 2026 (23:01) With third-highest number of books banned, state removes renowned work about slave trade from library shelvesA Tennessee school district has banned Roots, the author Alex Haley’s groundbreaking novel and one of the most renowned and influential works about the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade.Knox county schools (KCS) took that step under a state law that has disappeared hundreds of titles from school libraries and alarmed advocates of free expression. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Georgia town sues over ICE plan for vast immigration detention center 15. May 2026 (21:22) Officials of Social Circle, population 5,000, file lawsuit over plan to turn warehouse into 10,000-capacity facilityOfficials in the small Georgia town of Social Circle have filed a lawsuit against federal immigration agencies over plans for a huge immigration detention facility, arguing the project threatens to overburden local services and damage the environment.The complaint, filed on Wednesday in US district court for the middle district of Georgia, accuses US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of moving ahead with the project without completing mandatory environmental assessments. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Shaky truce between Israel and Lebanon extended for 45 days, US says 15. May 2026 (21:05) Statement following ‘productive’ talks in Washington comes as Israel launches strikes on southern city of TyreIsrael and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of their ceasefire after another round of talks in Washington, the US state department has said.It came after two “productive” days of talks, and more negotiations would be held from 2-3 June, the department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
How team Burnham finally cleared the first of many hurdles on route to Westminster 15. May 2026 (20:46) At one stage the northern mayor looked to be locked out of parliament, again, but he is still only one step along the road to his No 10 ambitionsFor weeks, Andy Burnham’s supporters had told MPs to “hold the line”, that he had a seat in parliament in his sights and that he would be a contender in any leadership contest. That was never the full truth.His path to No 10 – if he makes it – is littered with more failed attempts than almost any other politician. Two leadership contests, a block on a return in Gorton and Denton, and quite a few aggrieved MPs in the north west who have had to spend weeks batting off suggestions they will give their seats up for him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man hit by van in Birmingham after residents take down union flags put up by anti-migrant group 15. May 2026 (20:35) Police investigate incident on Thursday after witness claims seeing Raise the Colours logo on side of vehiclePolice are investigating an incident where a man was run over by a van after a group of people were taking down union flags put up by Raise the Colours campaigners in Birmingham.A man, in his 30s, suffered a broken leg that required surgery. He remains in hospital after the incident on Thursday evening in the Birmingham suburb of Stirchley, police said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Harvey Weinstein’s New York retrial ends in mistrial with jury deadlocked 15. May 2026 (20:17) Weinstein has been convicted of other crimes in the US and is already behind bars but move leaves rape charge in limboHarvey Weinstein’s retrial in New York on a rape charge ended in a mistrial on Friday after the jury deadlocked in the closely watched criminal case that another jury had already failed to decide last year.The disgraced former Hollywood mogul has been convicted of other sex crimes on the US east and west coasts and is already in jail. But Friday’s declaration of another mistrial leaves the New York rape charge in limbo after three trials. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bard’s board voted to end Botstein’s tenure as president after independent review of Epstein ties 15. May 2026 (20:14) Leon Botstein announced his retirement on the day the results of the inquiry into his connections with Epstein were releasedBard College’s board of trustees “voted to end” the 51-year tenure of Leon Botstein, the school’s president, last month after board members were presented with the results of an independent review of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, according to emails seen by the Guardian. Botstein framed his departure as a long-planned retirement in a statement on 1 May.The move appears to have created a rift within the liberal arts college’s board of trustees. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘There’s a deer trapped in an escalator’: muntjac rescued from Norwich M&S 15. May 2026 (20:09) Animal wedged upside down nicknamed ‘lucky’ Lucy after being freed with only superficial cut on foot“There’s a deer trapped in an escalator” was not a phrase anyone at Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk was expecting to hear when staff at a Marks & Spencer department store in central Norwich called last Tuesday.“In Norfolk, deers often get themselves in trouble,” said the sanctuary’s founder, Wendy Valentine. “They get stuck between walls and sheds, and in gates. It’s quite common for deer to get trapped … But ‘trapped in an escalator’ was a first.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Far-right activists barred from UK before Tommy Robinson rally 15. May 2026 (19:58) Keir Starmer accuses Robinson of ‘peddling hatred and division’ and archbishop of Canterbury urges people to ‘choose hope’ Eleven foreign far-right activists have been blocked from entering the UK before a rally by Tommy Robinson supporters as Keir Starmer accused Robinson of “peddling hatred and division”.The archbishop of Canterbury urged people to “choose hope” and faith leaders spoke out before the rally on Saturday, the second of its kind, after more than 100,000 attended one last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andy Burnham will push to become PM before Labour conference, allies say 15. May 2026 (19:56) Autumn conference in Liverpool targeted for victorious homecoming but Reform UK to fight hard in byelection Andy Burnham will push to become prime minister in time to address Labour’s autumn party conference in Liverpool, his supporters have said.The Greater Manchester mayor cleared his first hurdle to becoming the candidate in the Makerfield byelection on Friday when Labour’s ruling body gave him permission to stand for the seat. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
