Iraqi accused of multiple terror attacks in US and Europe arrested and charged

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi appeared in US federal court to face six terrorism-related charges

The US justice department has arrested and charged an Iraqi national accused of involvement in nearly 20 alleged terror attacks and attempted attacks across the US and Europe.

The wave of violence attributed to Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi has caused huge concern in many European countries but especially the UK, where Jewish community centres, charities, synagogues and other sites have been targeted in recent weeks.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/15/iraqi-terror-attacks-arrested-charged

Tennessee school district bans Alex Haley’s Roots under 2022 state law

With third-highest number of books banned, state removes renowned work about slave trade from library shelves

A 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.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/15/tennessee-book-ban-alex-haley-roots

Louisiana senate passes bill to eliminate one of two majority-Black congressional districts

If state’s house passes bill, redrawn map could could give state Republicans a 5-1 congressional majority

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On Thursday, the Louisiana state senate voted 27-10 to pass a new congressional map that would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black House districts. The resulting map could give Louisiana Republicans a 5-1 congressional majority.

The supreme court’s recent decision in Louisiana v Callais, a case that centered on the state’s congressional maps, severely weakened the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The fallout from the decision was swift, with several other southern states calling special sessions to pass redistricting maps that would limit Black voting power.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/14/louisiana-senate-bill-black-congressional-districts

Utah woman who wrote book on grief gets life without parole for killing husband

Kouri Richins was convicted for lacing her husband’s cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl

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A Utah mother who published a children’s book about grief after the death of her husband and was later found guilty of killing him has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Kouri Richins was convicted in March of aggravated murder for lacing her husband’s cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl at their home near Park City in 2022.

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/13/utah-woman-husband-death-murder-sentence

Map: 4.3-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Iran #wanitaxigo

Conan O’Brien to return as Oscars host for third year in a row

Comedian will host the 99th Oscars in 2027 after viewership dipped this year despite rise in social media engagement

Conan O’Brien’s era as Oscars host is becoming a trilogy. The Emmy-winning comedian will be back to host the 99th Academy awards in 2027, leaders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science said on Tuesday.

O’Brien hosted the last two Oscar ceremonies to positive reviews. Earlier this year, in his opening monologue, he said he was “honored to be the last human host of the Academy Awards … Next year it’s going to be a Waymo in a tux.”

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source https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/12/conan-obrien-oscars-host-2027

Mahmoud Khalil’s lawyer calls immigration case a ‘sham’ after revelation it was fast-tracked by DoJ

Palestinian activist is awaiting another legal decision on a separate track in a narrowing effort to stay in the US

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A lawyer for Mahmoud Khalil, the first noncitizen activist arrested in the Trump administration crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech, called his client’s immigration proceedings “preordained and a complete sham” after it was revealed that the case was prioritized to be fast-tracked.

“These revelations make clear that this case has been controlled from day one by higher-ups in the administration,” said Marc Van Der Hout, an attorney on Khalil’s legal team, in a statement. “The immigration judge was hand-picked and the Board of Immigration Appeals decision was predetermined. We will continue to fight for Mahmoud in every court we can.”

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source https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/11/mahmoud-khalil-doj-case-fast-tracked