News in 5: Weinstein guilty of rape, Dreamworld inquest findings, Kobe Bryant memorial.

1. Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of rape and taken into custody.

Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of sexual assault and rape by a New York jury, before being handcuffed in court and led away.

The 67-year-old was convicted of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006, and raping then-aspiring actor Jessica Mann in 2013.

Weinstein was acquitted on the most serious charges that carried a potential life sentence.

Justice James Burke ordered Weinstein to be held in custody and he was put in handcuffs by officers in court after Monday’s verdict.

Officers helped Weinstein unsteadily to his feet before leading him away.

Once one of Hollywood's most powerful producers, Weinstein's case is a milestone moment for the #MeToo movement that inspired women to go public with misconduct allegations against powerful men.

He faces up to 25 years in prison on the sexual assault conviction. The sentencing hearing was scheduled for March 11.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said jurors had delivered a verdict that "turned a page in our criminal justice system".

"It's a new day because Weinstein has finally been held accountable," Vance told a news conference.

"To the survivors: I owe and we owe an immense debt of courage to you."

The jury acquitted Weinstein on two counts of predatory sexual assault, which carried a potential life sentence, and the first degree rape of Mann.

A conviction on predatory sexual assault would have meant the jury had concluded he was a repeat sexual offender.

He was convicted of third degree rape which carries a sentence of up to four years in prison.

More than 80 women, including famous actors, had accused him of sexual misconduct stretching back decades.

He had denied the allegations and said any sexual encounters were consensual.

2. Dreamworld executives could face charges after inquest findings handed down.

An inquest into the deaths of Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozi Araghi, who died when a Dreamworld ride malfunctioned in 2016, has found the ride was "completely unsafe".

Coroner James McDougall described the tragedy as a "unique and catastrophic incident" slamming the safety procedures as "rudimentary and unsophisticated" in the long awaited inquest findings.

Dreamworld's parent company and executives could be prosecuted over the accident, with the coroner referring Ardent Leisure to the Office of Industrial Relations for possible prosecution under workplace laws.

The company could face fines of up to $3 million, with individual executives facing fines up to $600,000 and five years' jail.

External engineer, Tom Polley, has also been referred to the Board of Professional Engineers for failing to properly inspect the ride.

More than a hundred people packed the Brisbane Coroners Court to hear the long-awaited findings.

All four victims died after being flung into a mechanised conveyor when their raft collided with another and partially flipped after the water pump failed, causing water levels to drop.

READ: 'The ride was completely unsafe at the time.' All the findings from the Dreamworld inquest.

3. Thousands attend memorial for Kobe and Gigi Bryant, as lawsuit announced.

The Kardashians, Michael Jordan, Beyonce (who sang), and Jimmy Kimmel (who opened the memorial), are among the thousands to pack out the Staples centre to honour Kobe and Gianna Bryant.

The NBA legend and his daughter were among nine people to die in a helicopter crash last month in Calabasas.

Kobe's wife Vanessa Bryant has given an emotional tear-filled speech - remembering Gianna as an amazing daughter who would have changed the landscape of women's pro sports in America. She described her as "laser-focused" on being the best player in league history, describing her smile as "sunshine".

Vanessa Bryant remembers Kobe: “Babe, take care of our Gigi. And I got Nani, Bibi and Coco. We’re still the best team.”

(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/aZEK2HB656

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 24, 2020

Vanessa also paid tribute to her partner Kobe, as a loving father and devoted husband who took pride in doing all of his "daddy duties" after his NBA career wrapped up.

"We really had an amazing love story. We loved each other with our whole beings. Two perfectly imperfect people making a beautiful family, and raising our sweet and amazing girls," she told the packed out stadium.

As the memorial got underway news broke that Vanessa is suing the company who owns the helicopter involved in the crash.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the wrongful death lawsuit claims the pilot was careless and negligent by flying in cloudy conditions on January 26, and should have aborted the flight.

With AAP

Feature Image: Getty.

For a “different” way to look at the news, sign up for my weekly Deep Dive newsletter