Bermuda snail thought to be extinct now thrives after a decade’s effort 07. February 2026 (07:00) Special pods at Chester zoo helped conservationists breed and release more than 100,000 greater Bermuda snailsA button-sized snail once feared extinct in its Bermudian home is thriving again after conservationists bred and released more than 100,000 of the molluscs.The greater Bermuda snail (Poecilozonites bermudensis) was found in the fossil record but believed to have vanished from the North Atlantic archipelago, until a remnant population was discovered in a damp and overgrown alleyway in Hamilton, the island capital, in 2014. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sex and snacks, but no seat at the table: the role of women in Epstein’s sordid men’s club 07. February 2026 (07:00) Files reveal a world of flattery and fratboy tones, where rich men are cultivated and women provide servicesPluck an email at random from the millions in the Department of Justice’s Epstein Library. It is a Saturday evening in February 2013, and Jeffrey Epstein is messaging Bill Gates’s assistant about guests for a dinner he wants to organise.“People for Bill,” the email begins. Epstein starts listing possible candidates: the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the film director Woody Allen, the prime minister of Qatar, a couple of Harvard academics, the billionaire CEO of Hyatt hotels, a White House communications director, a former US secretary of defence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
China overturns death sentence of Canadian in sign of diplomatic thaw 07. February 2026 (06:09) Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014 before Canada-China ties nosedived in 2018China has overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a Canadian official said on Friday, in a possible sign of a diplomatic thaw as prime minister Mark Carney seeks to boost trade ties with Beijing.Schellenberg’s lawyer Zhang Dongshuo, reached in Beijing on Saturday, confirmed the decision was announced on Friday by China’s highest court. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cyclone intensifies as towns in north-west WA brace for winds, flooding 07. February 2026 (05:30) Cyclone Mitchell was expected to become a category three system before it hit the Pilbara coast on SundayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA tropical cyclone off northern Western Australia is expected to intensify into a severe category three system.Cyclone Mitchell was offshore of Port Hedland and moving south-west towards the coast off Karratha late Saturday morning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Colorado funeral home owner sentenced to 40 years for abusing 189 bodies 07. February 2026 (03:51) Jon Hallford, condemned in court as ‘monster’, stashed decaying bodies and gave grieving families fake ashesA Colorado funeral home owner who stashed 189 decomposing bodies in a building over four years and gave grieving families fake ashes was sentenced to 40 years in state prison Friday.During the sentencing hearing, family members told Judge Eric Bentley they have had recurring nightmares about decomposing flesh and maggots since learning what happened to their loved ones. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US social media personality Sur Ronster fined after swarm of ebike riders converges on Sydney Harbour Bridge 07. February 2026 (03:50) YouTuber Sur Ronster issued with two traffic infringement notices for negligent driving in relation to the bridge ride-outGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNew South Wales police have fined an American social media personality and issued two traffic infringement notices for alleged negligent driving after a swarm of ebike riders converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.A group of about 40 people riding ebikes and motorcycles travelled along the bridge’s main deck, where cycling is prohibited. The group then turned around and rode through the city’s CBD and Haymarket. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Minns invokes special powers for NSW police to restrict protests during Israeli president’s visit 07. February 2026 (03:26) Thirteen state and federal NSW MPs appeal to police to allow planned march protesting against the visitGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe NSW government has invoked special powers ahead of the Israeli president’s visit next week with the premier, Chris Minns, warning would-be protesters that police will not allow “conflict on Sydney streets”.But 13 state and federal NSW MPs have written to the police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, appealing for him to work with protest organisers to facilitate a planned assembly and march from Town Hall to state parliament. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
One person dead from Nipah virus in Bangladesh, WHO says 07. February 2026 (02:45) The case in Bangladesh, where Nipah cases are reported almost every year, follows two Nipah virus cases identified in neighbouring IndiaThe World Health Organization said on Friday that a woman had died in northern Bangladesh in January after contracting the deadly Nipah virus infection.The case in Bangladesh, where Nipah cases are reported almost every year, follows two Nipah virus cases identified in neighbouring India, which has already prompted stepped-up airport screenings across Asia. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
NBC appears to cut crowd’s booing of JD Vance from Winter Olympics broadcast 07. February 2026 (02:22) Vice-president given hostile reception by some in MilanUS broadcast cuts out crowd’s show of dissentThe US vice-president, JD Vance, was greeted by a chorus of boos when he appeared at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday, although American viewers watching NBC’s coverage would have been unaware of the reception.As speedskater Erin Jackson led Team USA into the San Siro stadium she was greeted by cheers. But when the TV cameras cut to Vance and his wife, Usha, there were boos, jeers and a smattering of applause from the crowd. The reaction was shown on Canadian broadcaster CBC’s feed, with one commentator saying: “There is the vice-president JD Vance and his wife Usha – oops, those are not … uh … those are a lot of boos for him. Whistling, jeering, some applause.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pentagon to cut ties with Harvard over ‘wokesters ’, ending training, programs and fellowships 07. February 2026 (02:11) Move by Pete Hegseth marks latest escalation by Trump administration against the Ivy League schoolThe US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said the Pentagon is ending all military training, fellowships and certificate programs with Harvard University, marking the Trump administration’s latest escalation against the Ivy League school.“The @DeptWar is formally ending ALL Professional Military Education, fellowships, and certificate programs with Harvard University,” Hegseth said in a statement posted on X, labeling Harvard as “woke”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
