Queensland government to introduce new gun control laws advocates criticise as ‘weakest in Australia’ 09. February 2026 (15:00) Under proposed changes in response to Bondi terror attack only Australian citizens will be able to obtain a gun licence, with no cap on number of weaponsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland will be left with “the weakest guns laws in Australia”, according to gun control advocates, after the premier rejected increased limits on the number or type of firearms that people can own.On Monday, David Crisafulli and the police minister, Dan Purdie, announced what they called the second part of a three-part policy response to the Bondi shootings. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar expected to call for Keir Starmer’s resignation – UK politics live 09. February 2026 (14:57) Sarwar is expected to call for Starmer’s resignation at his press conference at 2.30pmTim Allan said he was standing down to allow Keir Starmer the opportunity to build a new team.In a statement, he said:I have decided to stand down to allow a new No 10 team to be built.I wish the PM and his team every success. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ebo Taylor, Ghanaian highlife pioneer and guitarist, dies age 90 09. February 2026 (14:44) Taylor, who did for Ghanaian music what his friend Fela Kuti did for Nigeria, has been called the greatest rhythm guitarist in historyGhanaian musician Ebo Taylor, a definitive force behind the highlife genre, has died age 90.His son Kweku Taylor announced the news on Sunday: “The world has lost a giant. A colossus of African music. Ebo Taylor passed away yesterday; a day after the launch of Ebo Taylor music festival and exactly a month after his 90th birthday, leaving behind an unmatched artistry legacy. Dad, your light will never fade.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
A new town for the 21st century? Seven-village build to begin after 20-year journey 09. February 2026 (14:40) Gilston in Hertfordshire aims to be rebuke to cookie-cutter estates with network of 10,000 new homes within country parks and woodlandAfter two decades of legal wrangling and planning bottlenecks, the first bricks will finally be laid on a project being hailed by developers as the blueprint for the future of community building in Britain.Gilston in east Hertfordshire will be transformed into a network of seven interconnected villages, comprising 10,000 new homes nestled within a sprawling 660-hectare (1,630-acre) landscape of country parks and woodland. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to call on Keir Starmer to stand down 09. February 2026 (14:36) Sarwar said to be furious Starmer’s repeated mistakes have heavily damaged Scottish support before May electionsUK politics live – latest updatesAnas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, is to call on Keir Starmer to stand down as prime minister and Labour leader at a hastily arranged press conference in Glasgow.Sarwar is said to be furious that the prime minister’s repeated mistakes have heavily damaged support for Scottish Labour in the run-up to crucial Scottish parliament elections in May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK borrowing costs rise after departure of two key Keir Starmer aides 09. February 2026 (14:29) Yield on government debt up as investors weigh up prime minister’s survival chances Business live – latest updatesUK politics live – latest updatesUK borrowing costs rose on Monday as investors watched for signs of jitters in the markets over Keir Starmer’s future.The yield, or interest rate, on UK benchmark bonds increased as traders reacted to Sunday’s resignation of the prime minister’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, over the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Wedding in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show was the real thing 09. February 2026 (14:17) Unnamed couple actually married during performance by Puerto Rican singer, who served as witnessBad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show review – a thrilling ode to Boricua joyYes, the wedding depicted during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show was real.About five minutes into the 13-minute extravaganza at Levi’s Stadium, the latter part of a wedding ceremony was shown, with a smiling officiant declaring the couple married, and the husband and wife, both wearing white, shared a kiss as dancers and musicians surrounded them and smiled. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Melania drops 67% at US box office as Rotten Tomatoes defends record-breaking audience scores 09. February 2026 (14:02) Depite an expanded release to some 2,000 screens, the gushing enthusiasm recorded on the vox pop Popcornometer is not powering a word-of-mouth hitMelania, Brett Ratner’s authorised documentary following the first lady in the 20 days preceding Donald Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, has dipped 67% in its second week of release in the US.The film outpaced expectations over its first weekend, taking in $7.2m domestically and leading Amazon to expand their rollout from around 1,500 venues to just over 2,000. But indications are that appetite had already been sated, with Sunday projections standing at $2.3m, meaning a drop from No 3 to No 10 in the US box office charts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
EU threatens to act over Meta blocking rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp 09. February 2026 (14:01) Firm accused of ‘abusing’ its dominant position for messaging in what appears to be breach of antitrust rulesThe EU has threatened to take action against the social media company Meta, arguing it has blocked rival chatbots from using its WhatsApp messaging platform.The European Commission said on Monday that WhatsApp Business – which is designed to be used by businesses to interact with customers – appears to be in breach of EU antitrust rules. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Russian military scrambles to find Starlink alternative after access blocked 09. February 2026 (13:39) Elon Musk’s SpaceX curbs illicit use of satellite internet network, which Ukraine says is already affecting operationsRussia’s military is scrambling to find alternatives to Starlink satellite internet after access to the network was curtailed, disrupting a key communications system that its forces had been using illicitly on the battlefield.Ukraine said last week that Starlink terminals being used by Russian troops had been deactivated after talks between its defence minister and Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX operates the satellite network. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
