The ObserverUK newsThe toxic Tree of Heaven threatens England's green and pleasant landBritain faces a fate worthy of the Book of Revelation. According to botanists, the Tree of Heaven is set to make life hell on Earth for our gardeners. Ailanthus altissima, which gets its heavenly nickname from its ability to grow rapidly to heights of 80 feet or more, has begun spreading alarmingly across the landscape and poses an imminent threat to plant health and biodiversity in Britain.

Rural Australia This article is more than 5 years oldBig watermelon pips big peanut to become Australia’s next big thingThis article is more than 5 years oldQueensland town of Chinchilla wins four-tonne melon structure as neighbouring Kingaroy vows to build giant nut anyway A campaign to build a Big Peanut in Queensland has humbly accepted its loss to a Big Melon in a competition to find Australia’s next Big Thing.

Alex Fields holds a portrait of his brother Don Fields Sr.Donald Fields Jr faced a life sentence after he was charged with his father’s murder. Instead, his case became a pioneering instance of restorative justice by Oliver Laughland in Durham, North CarolinaAlex Fields had not spoken to his nephew in four years. Not since the killing. He had been preparing himself for months. Speaking with his counselors and siblings, seeking guidance from his church as he ran through what their first conversation would be like.

Charlotte Higgins on cultureCultureFive historical clangers in Kevin Macdonald's The EagleKevin Macdonald's The Eagle is an enjoyable sword-and-sandals yomp – just don't go assuming it's historically accurateEnjoyable an adventure as it is, Kevin Macdonald's The Eagle – a free adaptation of Rosemary Sutcliff's classic children's story The Eagle of the Ninth, in which Roman centurion Marcus and his British slave, Esca, go in search of the lost legionary standard of the Ninth Legion – plays fast and loose with Romano-British history.

Guardian Africa networkUgandaAnalysisFrom headlines to hip-hop: the Ugandan TV show rapping the newsAmy Fallon for Agence France-PresseHitting back at press censorship, NewzBeat uses music to cover controversial topics and engage younger audiences Ugandan broadcasters calling themselves “rap-orters” are changing the way news is delivered, after a team of hip-hop artists teamed up to deliver a weekly TV bulletin. “Uganda’s anti-gay law is making news/Some countries have found it befitting to accuse/Uganda of treating gays as German Jews/Nothing to gain from this and more to lose,” they rapped in a recent episode of NewzBeat, broadcast on NTV, one of the country’s most-watched channels.