Sydney author guilty of child abuse after book, Daddy’s Little Toy, depicted adult roleplaying as toddler 10. February 2026 (02:27) Christian charity executive, Lauren Mastrosa, pen name Tori Woods, found to have written novel that ‘sexually objectifies children’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Christian charity executive has been found guilty of child abuse after she wrote a book describing an adult roleplaying as a toddler.Lauren Ashley Mastrosa, 34, wrote Daddy’s Little Toy under the pen name Tori Woods. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Judge rejects Trump administration effort to deport pro-Palestinian Tufts student 10. February 2026 (02:03) Rümeysa Öztürk was arrested as part of the government’s targeting of students protesting against Israel’s war on GazaAn immigration judge has rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University PhD student, who was arrested last year as part of its targeting of pro-Palestinian campus activists, her lawyers said on Monday.Lawyers for the Turkish student detailed the immigration judge’s decision in a filing with the New York-based second US circuit court of appeals, which had been reviewing a ruling that led to her release from immigration custody in May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Parents of Melbourne methanol-poisoning victims ‘shocked’ by $185 fines handed to Laos hostel staff 10. February 2026 (01:20) Fathers of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, who died after a night out at the Nana backpackers hostel in 2024, say court decision is ‘absolute injustice’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe families of two Melbourne teenagers who died after drinking methanol-laced alcohol in Laos say they have been blindsided by news the workers responsible for serving the drinks received fines of just $185.Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, were killed by methanol poisoning along with four other tourists after a night out at the Nana backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng, a popular tourist destination in Laos, in November 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US judges dismiss lawsuits accusing Neil Gaiman of sexual assault 10. February 2026 (01:01) Former nanny Scarlett Pavlovich filed suit in three US states alleging author assaulted her in New Zealand in 2022Federal judges have dismissed three lawsuits accusing the bestselling fantasy author Neil Gaiman of sexually assaulting his children’s nanny in New Zealand four years ago.Scarlett Pavlovich filed a lawsuit against Gaiman and his wife, Amanda Palmer, in Wisconsin in February 2025, accusing Gaiman of multiple sexual assaults while she worked as the family’s nanny in 2022. She filed lawsuits against Palmer in Massachusetts and in New York on the same day she filed the Wisconsin action. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Serco accused of ‘petty and vindictive’ removal of artwork from court cells 10. February 2026 (01:01) Government contractor stripped custody suites in England and Wales of motivational murals, report saysA government contractor has been accused of being “petty and vindictive” after tearing down brightly coloured artworks carrying motivational messages that were intended to improve the conditions for people held in court cells.The decision by Serco to remove the artworks, commissioned to cheer up court custody areas that are often underground and “bleak”, is revealed in the annual report of the Lay Observers, independent members of the public who monitor court custody and escort conditions. The report draws on 759 visits to court custody suites across England and Wales, representing almost 2,000 hours of monitoring. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lower-income families face 137-year wait for living standards to double, says UK thinktank 10. February 2026 (01:01) Two decades of weak pay growth have left poorer households stuck, Resolution Foundation says, fuelling political uneaseIt would take 137 years for lower-income families in the UK to see their living standards double at the current rate of growth, according to a thinktank.A two-decade stagnation in disposable incomes has created a “mood of unease” across the country, the Resolution Foundation says, warning of the risk of “further political disruption” unless pay growth accelerates. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Actor Catherine O’Hara died of a blood clot in her lungs, death certificate says 10. February 2026 (00:57) Schitt’s Creek and Home Alone star died aged 71 in January after being rushed to hospital due to breathing difficultiesCatherine O’Hara, the Emmy-winning actor and beloved star of the series Schitt’s Creek and the 1990 hit movie Home Alone, died from a blood clot in her lungs, her death certificate revealed Monday.The death certificate released by the Los Angeles county medical examiner’s office also listed rectal cancer as an underlying cause. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
People with obesity 70% more likely to be hospitalised by or die from infection, study finds 10. February 2026 (00:30) Being unhealthy weight raises risk of severe illness or death from most infectious diseases significantly, researchers findPeople living with obesity are 70% more likely to be hospitalised by or die from an infection, with one in 10 infection-related deaths globally linked to the condition, research suggests.Being an unhealthy weight significantly increases the risk of severe illness and death from most infectious diseases, including flu, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections and Covid-19, according to a study of more than 500,000 people. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jamie Raskin accuses DoJ of cover-up after viewing unredacted Epstein files 10. February 2026 (00:12) Ranking member of House judiciary panel said ‘mysterious redactions’ in files obscured names of abusers A top House Democrat on Monday accused the justice department of making “mysterious redactions” to documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that obscured the names of abusers, while also allowing the identities of the disgraced financier’s victims to become public.Jamie Raskin, House judiciary ranking member, criticized the department after reviewing the unredacted Epstein files at a government facility in Washington DC on the first day they were made available to lawmakers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Miliband pledges up to £1bn for community green energy schemes 09. February 2026 (23:30) UK projects will allow local areas to control and profit from renewable power generation, says energy secretaryThe UK government is pledging to spend up to £1bn on community-owned green energy schemes in an effort to combat growing scepticism and resistance to renewables and grid upgrade projects.Ed Miliband, the UK energy secretary, said the new funding was intended to help democratise the energy system, increase the wealth and financial independence of local communities, and potentially cut some local energy bills. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
