Beni Salgado

France gifted America this stunning light show for the Statue of Liberty in honor of our 250th birthday. Thank you France!

Dua Lipa has opened a new library in Portugal, dedicated to banned books. "The Manifesto Library" is located inside the famous Livraria Lello bookstore and opened its doors on June 27, 2026, during the BABELL International Book Festival. Unlike a temporary exhibit, this library will remain open permanently to ensure people always have access to these important works. The project comes from Dua Lipa’s book club, "Service95", which she started in 2022. She describes the library as a place that honors books that have disappeared and authors who were brave enough to question power. Her goal is to support readers who refuse to be told what they are allowed to read. The library holds 100 carefully chosen books that challenge censorship, exclusion, and dominant social narratives. These books are organized into 4 simple themes. The first theme is Power, which looks at how authority works. The second is Control, which focuses on how freedom of thought is suppressed. The third is Voice, which highlights perspectives that are often ignored. The fourth is Memory, which fights against the erasure of history and identity. This launch happens at a time when book bans are rising globally. Research shows that thousands of books have been removed from schools in the United States since 2021. Dua Lipa believes that reading these books is a powerful way to defend intellectual freedom. By creating this space, she hopes to bring writers and readers together and keep difficult but necessary conversations alive.