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Maddie McCann suspect’s cellmate shares shocking confession

<p>The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann allegedly confessed to a former cellmate that he once took a child from an apartment in Portugal. </p> <p>Christian Brueckner, a convicted German paedophile, has never formally been charged with the abduction of McCann but has long been the main suspect in the case. </p> <p>Brueckner, who was in and around the Praia da Luz resort area on the Algarve coast at the time McCann disappeared on May 3rd 2007, has denied any involvement with her disappearance. </p> <p>The 47-year-old is currently serving a seven-year sentence for a rape he committed in Portugal in 2005, while also being on trial for several unrelated sexual offences he is alleged to have committed between 2000 and 2017.</p> <p>In court on Wednesday, Brueckner's former cellmate Laurentiu Codin claimed he opened up about his past while they were confiding in each other at Braunschweig Prison.</p> <p>“He told me that in Portugal, he had stolen there,” Codin told Braunschweig Regional Court, <em><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/30657247/madeleine-mccann-brueckner-admitted-snatched-girl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">The Sun</a></em> reported.</p> <p>“He was in an area of hotels where rich people live ... and when he went to the hotel area, there was an open window somewhere, he told me. And he would have entered this window for money and gold."</p> <p>“However, he did not find any money, but came across a child and took it with him.”</p> <p>He claimed Bruckner said he “left the area” and “took the child with him ... and drove away, while the place was full of police and dogs”.</p> <p>“He drove off in the car and he was gone. He asked me if the DNA from a child could be taken from bones under the ground.”</p> <p>After the witness said Brueckner was clever, the defendant’s lawyer asked whether he thought it was clever to tell someone in prison about such crimes, to which Codin said: “Perhaps ... he misjudged me.”</p> <p>McCann disappeared from her bedroom on May 3, 2007, during a family holiday while her parents were dining with friends nearby in the resort of Praia da Luz.</p> <p>German police said in June 2020 that McCann was presumed dead and that Brueckner was likely responsible for it, however, he has not been charged with any crime related to her disappearance. </p> <p><em>Image credits: MGG/Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

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"I was going to die": Grant Denyer's brutal wake up call

<p>Grant Denyer has spoken candidly about a brutal wake up call he received from a doctor, when he was told he would die if he didn't start looking after himself. </p> <p>The TV host opened up on the <em>Mental As Anyone</em> podcast about how he would repeatedly push himself too far, and the moment he was forced to reevaluate his priorities. </p> <p>“I was skinny as a rake and unhealthy as hell and the doctor said my organs were running at about seven per cent,” Denyer told the podcast.</p> <p>“He goes, ‘if you don’t do something about this in the next four weeks, you’re going to die. It took two lessons for me to realise that I had to change my mindset and how I was approaching life and what I prioritised as important until I learned the lesson and I feel like if I hadn’t learned it the second time, it would have been fatal the third.”</p> <p>The first lesson came to Denyer in the form of a brutal car crash, and the second being chronic fatigue telling him his body needed to stop. </p> <p>“I broke my back, which I firmly now believe was not as a result of jumping seven cars in a monster truck but as a result of ignoring all my bodily signs, ignoring all the signals my body was trying to give me to slow the hell down,” he said. </p> <p>“You can’t sustain this pace and this grind and this aggressive chase for the next rung of the ladder, because you will die. As my body was deteriorating and my mental health was deteriorating, the monster truck crash came along to sit me on my arse.”</p> <p>Denyer also opened up about having to rely on prescription painkillers after his car accident, and how he struggled battling the pain and the effects of the medication. </p> <p>“It messed with me instantly and majorly,” he said. “To give you an idea, the moment you close your eyes at night time, you fall into your worst nightmares every time instantly and you can’t differentiate between dream and reality so when you wake up, you firmly believed what you have just dreamt, indeed actually just did happen. It was horrible.”</p> <p>"It is important to reflect on because it is the lows that make the highs and those euphoric moments feel high and that was one of the lows. I think in recognising (and) giving voice to those moments of low, that you can celebrate mediocre a lot more and enjoy that.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

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Woman launches true crime podcast to find her father's killer

<p>21 years ago, Madison McGhee's father was shot in cold blood. </p> <p>Madison was just six years old when her dad, John "JC" Cornelius McGhee, died, and was originally told he had passed away from a heart attack.</p> <p>However, when Madison was in high school, she began to ask questions about what really happened that night. </p> <p>"When I was 16 I had a weird feeling that something else was going on, so I asked my mum about a weird connection between my cousin and the death of my father," Madison told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/ice-cold-case-podcaster-hoping-to-solve-fathers-21-year-murder-mystery/a873da03-0198-4e34-b65c-cc3ced6e8cca" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Today Extra</em></a>.</p> <p>"And that's when my mum told me that there was another side of the story and that my dad had actually been murdered and it was a cold case, completely unsolved."</p> <p>Madison's father, who was a recovering drug addict and police informant, was shot in the head in the early hours of July 11th 2002 at his home in Ohio. </p> <p>His 16-year-old daughter and Madison's half-sister, Alyssa, was home at the time and found her father's body on the ground with a bullet hole in a nearby wall.</p> <p>Police investigated his death, but failed to find any evidence that could convict someone of his murder. </p> <p>After Madison discovered the real nature of her father's death, she began digging into the cold case and decided to try and solve the crime herself. </p> <p>In her efforts to find her father's killer, she launched a podcast called <em>Ice Cold Case</em>. </p> <p>"I started asking questions, diving into it and that's when I realised it was much more layered than even I could have imagined," she said.</p> <p>One line of theory by investigators was that JC's death was a home invasion gone wrong, but Madison said things just don't add up to support that.</p> <p>"When you dive into the police files, it's very clear that this is suspicious," she said.</p> <p>"A home invasion to my knowledge is usually very quick and something of value is stolen, but nothing was taken and this home invasion lasted for over 30 minutes.</p> <p>"It just seemed suspicious that someone would feel so comfortable to break into a house and stick around for that long and not steal anything at all - it feels like it was planned and very intentional."</p> <p>Madison admitted that is has been jarring looking into the death of her father, especially when no one has been held accountable, but she has put her own fears aside in the hopes of finding out what really happened. </p> <p>"I do feel a little uneasy putting myself out there in this very public way, but I just feel like justice for my dad is so much more important than worrying about my own safety if his killer is still out there," she said.</p> <p>"But I really want to find out what happened for him and for my own closure, so I have sort of pushed that to the side."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today Extra</em></p>

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"Nobody wins": Sam Newman provides update after explosive outburst

<p>The future of Sam Newman's podcast is in jeopardy after his co-host Don Scott has officially quit the program. </p> <p>The shock exit comes after Newman launched into an expletive-ridden tirade at Scott last week in a now deleted segment of the podcast, which ended with Newman telling Scott to "f**k off" as he left the building. </p> <p>Now, Scott has returned to the You <em>Cannot Be Serious</em> podcast, but only to confirm he isn't coming back. </p> <p>“You do whatever you want to do … (but) what is the point of trying to have a discussion with somebody who is going off their brain?” Scott asked.</p> <p>“You do not talk to anybody no matter whether it is on-air or wherever in life when they are not rational, so you walk away."</p> <p>“I’m not getting into this … This is like a domestic and nobody wins in a domestic."</p> <p>“You can put your view as much as you like and I am not here to defend or whatever else."</p> <p>“Everybody has a different personality. I am not in to conflict.”</p> <p>Newman, who refused to believe he overreacted during the argument, asked, “Can we finally say that you’re not going to do the podcast anymore? Is that what’s going to happen?”</p> <p>Scott replied, “That’s fine at the moment, no.”</p> <p>Newman doubled down, saying, “This is history … This is breaking news. Don has now left the building, as Elvis has, and he’s not going to do the podcast anymore."</p> <p>“This is another show of disgraceful behaviour from someone who is acting like a child … it’s beyond belief.”</p> <p>Later on social media, Newman said that if Scott wasn't taking part in the podcast anymore, he wasn't sure how long they would continue with the show. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyPXhh5vX0W/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyPXhh5vX0W/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by John ‘Sam’ Newman (@originalsmartassam)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Won’t do it without Don, and even if he reconsiders, it will not be the same. So …”</p> <p>He finished the video by leaving the future of the podcast up the air, saying “<em>You Cannot Be Serious</em>, I don’t know if we’ll be on again but who cares.”</p> <p>Speaking to the <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/fiona-byrne/sam-newman-blows-his-stack-as-don-scott-quits-their-podcast/news-story/97e08f9c1549100c36e0dfc7fe46cfab" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Herald Sun</em></a> after the podcast dropped, Newman labelled Scott’s exit a “pathetic act of treachery”.</p> <p>“I am a friend of Don’s, yes, nice to know who you are dealing with though, someone who won’t stand up and face the music if you have a disagreement, not sure how that works,” he said.</p> <p>“Walking away from something shows a complete disregard for any relationship you have had in the past.</p> <p>“That is just a pathetic act of treachery.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram </em></p>

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"F*** off, go home": Sam Newman loses it at podcast co-host

<p>Sam Newman's podcast could be on the rocks after an expletive-ridden tirade caused a rift between the pair. </p> <p>The former AFL player hosts the <em>You Cannot Be Serious</em> podcast with Don Scott, who stormed off in the middle of a recording. </p> <p>The<em> Herald Sun</em> first reported Newman’s foul-mouthed blow up at Scott over technical issues they were having in the studio. </p> <p>“Holy s**t. Jesus Christ, if you touch that f***ing thing again. Stop it, I’m serious, f*** you, God almighty,” Newman said.</p> <p>Newman went on to say: “I can’t do it. If you could f***ing do something properly for once in your f***ing life, don’t touch the microphone and speak into it and stop eating. F***. Go out, go home.”</p> <p>As Scott appeared to walk away, Newman said, “Good, f*** off”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx9g3W9vuRB/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx9g3W9vuRB/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by John ‘Sam’ Newman (@originalsmartassam)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Newman posted a video to his Instagram page to promote the episode of the podcast, with his producer saying, "We've just had the biggest blow up that I've ever seen, and I don't know if Don is going to be back."</p> <p>Sam then chimed in, saying "Don has left the premises! This podcast could be the last one we ever do because he left!"</p> <p>Newman and Scott have both spoken publicly since the argument with Newman admitting he “temporarily lost it” when Scott broke a microphone and headphones.</p> <p>When approached by the <em>Herald Sun</em> for a comment on the blow up, Don Scott refused to confirm if he would ever return to the podcast, leaving its future up in the air. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram </em></p>

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Kochie and Karl team up for a new business venture

<p>David Koch and Karl Stefanovic has reportedly put their differences aside after a long-running rivalry, as they contemplate embarking on a new business venture together. </p> <p>After hosting rival morning television shows for decades, Kochie and Karl have squashed their beef with each other after Kochie retired from <em>Sunrise</em> earlier this year after 21 years on the air. </p> <p>Kochie chatted candidly on a recent episode of the <em>Something to Talk About</em> podcast, sharing details of his complicated relationships with Karl.</p> <p>He said despite running in similar circles due to the nature of their careers, they were never close friends. </p> <p>However, after Kochie left <em>Sunrise</em>, the pair caught up for a lunch date, and were joined by Kochie's old co-host Nat Barr. </p> <p>"Would you believe the two weeks after finishing on <em>Sunrise</em>, Karl and I and Nat had lunch together?" he said. </p> <p>"I’ve come across Karl a number of times at different functions – really nice bloke, incredibly respectful, didn’t know him much at all."</p> <p>But, it appears the two have now hit it off, as they are contemplating starting a podcast together. </p> <p>Kochie continued, "So we had lunch together and he’s talking about wanting to do a podcast together, funnily enough, so something might come of it."</p> <p>The 67-year-old was the the longest-serving breakfast TV anchor in Australian history when he left <em>Sunrise</em> two months ago. </p> <p>He was replaced by former professional sprinter Matt 'Shirvo' Shirvington, who had been filling in for Kochie for several years.</p> <p>Karl has been the host of the <em>Today</em> show for 14 years, beginning his hosting journey alongside Tracy Grimshaw in 2005. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Today / Sunrise </em></p>

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New Maddie McCann theory has "electrified" investigators

<p>An important witness in the Madeleine McCann case has shared a valuable piece of information which has has "electrified" investigators, as the search for the missing child continues. </p> <p>The witness claims that Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in Maddie's disappearance, had a burglary tool kit that could unlock any security door, and boasted to friends about his lock picking skills. </p> <p>This new theory has raised fresh doubts over the official theory that ­Maddie’s kidnapper clambered in through a window of holiday apartment 5a in Praia da Luz when she was abducted. </p> <p>German police are said to be “electrified” by discovery, and are also probing the possibility that Christian B used car paint solvent to sedate Maddie.</p> <p>In an exclusive interview from a secret location, Helge B – now in German police witness protection – told filmmaker Jutta Rabe for <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/22893975/madeleine-mccann-suspect-christian-b-lock-pick-kit/"><em>The Sun on Sunday</em>,</a> “He came through the door”.</p> <p>Helge B, 52, who met his fellow German a year before Maddie vanished aged three, said he found the kit at Christian B’s Algarve home.</p> <p>The petty criminal had decided to ransack it with another friend after learning Christian B was serving time for theft.</p> <p>He said, “I knew from Christian that he uses tools to break into holiday resorts, hotels and holiday homes to steal from tourists."</p> <p>“There were passports on the table. There was all sorts of stuff lying around – cameras, suitcases, everything that tourists have with them. I also found a lock pick set.”</p> <p>Helge B, who kept the kit and told German police about it, added, “You can use it to pick any lock, including security locks.”</p> <p>Despite police long believing Maddie's abductor had snuck in through the window, when asked how Christian B might've entered the hotel room, Helge simply said, “Through the door. Easily. He can open any door”.</p> <p>Upon the discovery of the new evidence, a police source said, “The German detectives were electrified by the discovery of the tool kit with the lock picks in it. This evidence is now very important to them."</p> <p>“It confirmed a suspicion that they’d had for a long time – that Christian B entered the apartment through the door.”</p> <p>German prosecutors hope to use the lock picks evidence to nail Christian B, who is in jail for drugs crimes and appealing a seven-year sentence for raping a woman of 72.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Fresh location being searched in Maddy McCann case

<p>Portuguese police have revealed they will resume the search for missing toddler Madeleine McCann who disappeared in the country’s Algarve region in 2007.</p> <p>Portugal’s Judicial police released a statement confirming local media reports that they would conduct the search at the request of the German authorities and in the presence of British officials.</p> <p>A spokesperson from the fire brigade said police were preparing to start searches at a dam in the southern region of Algarve about 50km inland from a beach resort where Madeleine disappeared from a rented apartment while on a family holiday.</p> <p>On May 22, Reuters TV footage showed police erecting tents and cordons in the area by the Arade dam, roughly 50km from Praia da Luza, where the three-year-old was last seen alive.</p> <p>Portugal’s investigative Judicial Police overseeing the operation declined to comment.</p> <p>Another source familiar with the investigation was not confident there would be a breakthrough, saying, “It will come to nothing”.</p> <p>In mid-2020, German police jailed German citizen Christian Brueckner, a 45-year-old convicted child abuser and drug dealer who was in the Algarve in 2007, for raping a 72-year-old woman in the same area of the Algarve where Madeleine went missing. He was identified as a suspect in Madeline’s disappearance but has denied any involvement.</p> <p>Brueckner remains under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasn’t been charged.</p> <p>German police said in June 2020 that Madeleine was assumed dead and that Brueckner was likely responsible for it.</p> <p>In April, a German court dismissed additional charges against him related to other Portuguese child rape and sexual assault cases that led to German prosecutors no longer having jurisdiction to investigate the McCann case.</p> <p>Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry McCann were questioned by Portuguese police as formal suspects in 2007 but ruled them out the following year due to lack of evidence that cleared them of any involvement.</p> <p>The parents continue to campaign to attract attention to their daughter’s disappearance, and British public figures from business tycoons to authors and soccer stars have made appeals for information.</p> <p>Rewards for finding Madeleine have reached several million dollars.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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Maddy McCann's parents' heart-wrenching post on 16-year anniversary

<p>Madeleine McCann's parents have released an emotional statement on the 16-year anniversary of when their daughter was abducted. </p> <p>Kate and Gerry McCann shared that they are still hoping for a breakthrough in the search for their daughter, who would now be 19 years old. </p> <p>Maddie vanished from her family’s holiday apartment in Portugal in May 2007 at the age of three and has not been seen since.</p> <p>The grieving parents shared that even after 16 difficult years, they struggle to put their heartbreak into words. </p> <p>Writing on the official Find Madeleine Instagram Page, Kate and Gerry posted an emotional poem called <em>The Contradiction</em> by Clare Pollard before thanking people for their support.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Crwok6gLHau/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Crwok6gLHau/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Official Find Madeleine Campaign (@officialfindmadeleine)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough.” the post read. “Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s abduction."</p> <p>“Still missing …… still very much missed."</p> <p>“It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel.”</p> <p>They added that the poem <em>The Contradiction</em> “resonates strongly with us”.</p> <p>The heart-wrenching poem reads, “You are not here, I’m not myself, but still I talk to you like this."</p> <p>“I cannot hold you, yet I do: please let me hold you in my head and where you are now, hold me too."</p> <p>After posting the poem, the couple wrote, “Thank you to everyone for your support – it really helps.”</p> <p>The post was flooded was comments of support, with one person writing, "We are so many who are with you, and who hope with all our hearts that she will be reunited with you. Please let this year be the year you'll get the answers you need."</p> <p>Another put it simply, "I hope she finds her way home to you."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Rumours swirl over legitimacy of Meghan Markle’s podcast

<p dir="ltr">One of the guests on Meghan Markle’s <em>Archetypes </em>podcast has sparked rumours that she wasn’t actually interviewed by the former royal for the episode.</p> <p dir="ltr">Allison Yarrow, who appeared on the episode titled “To ‘B’ or not to ‘B’”, spoke about the history of the “B” word (b***h) in feminist culture and was interviewed along with makeup mogul and medical advocate Victoria Jackson and Mellody Hobson, the co-CEO of Ariel Investments and chairwoman of Starbucks.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, one of Yarrow’s posts about the podcast has resurfaced and seems to imply that the author and journalist was actually interviewed by Markle’s producer.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b81c4517-7fff-92e8-d43c-207495805895"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"Excited to be included in the visionary series Archetypes hosted by Meghan the Duchess of Sussex that aims to dissect and subvert the archetypes that hold women back," Yarrow wrote in a post dating back to August.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChpF5BiucGX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChpF5BiucGX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Allison Yarrow (@aliyarrow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">"The first episode (out now, link in bio) features a timely interview with another legend Serena Williams. Cheers to producer @farrahsafari (an excellent interviewer) and the folks at @Gimlet @spotify who get it done!"</p> <p dir="ltr">The post prompted some to speculate how much work Markle puts into interviewing her guests.</p> <p dir="ltr">While some podcast guests are clearly interviewed in-person, including actress Mindy Kaling and Serena Williams, others such as Yarrow have their comments and answers weaved into the episode.</p> <p dir="ltr">The podcast also includes audio clips from interviews with other experts, including sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen and Dr Laura Kay.</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes after the latest <em>Archetypes </em>episode featured <em>The Good Plac</em>e star Jameela Jamil, who defended Markle against the slew of criticism she has received since marrying Prince Harry.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I know you have a very similar dynamic with Harry and actually, when the four of us met that one time, it was a really sweet dynamic of two very like, sort of, similar relationships," Jameel said, referring to her partner, singer James Blake.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was very nice for me to see that you have that in your home because you need it, because it's just, it's an unfathomable amount of shit that you take, Meghan, I can't believe it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And I fought back on your behalf for years before I'd ever met you because I was so outraged. I was so outraged with the twisting of this very normal, very kind, very civilised woman. That demonization just shows how afraid they are of you."</p> <p dir="ltr">Jamil said Meghan’s treatment “re-highlighted for us the intense unkindness and bigotry and misogyny of our media and I think and I hope and I feel faith that tides are changing because so many of us are fighting back”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Well, thank you for fighting back," Markle responded, admitting that “all of that criticism can feel really attacking or uncomfortable or scary”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8f584ce2-7fff-b2b5-ace4-89cc332a4c24"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

News

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"Clueless": Meghan Markle told to show some gratitude

<p dir="ltr">American journalist Megyn Kelly has once again called out Meghan Markle for always talking about herself. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Duchess of Sussex came out swinging in her latest podcast titled <em>To ‘B’ or not to ‘B’?</em>, in which she hit back at her nickname, “Duchess Difficult”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She said the nickname was a way of gaslighting women and “is really a codeword for the B-word”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kelly had enough of the Duchess’ incessant nagging and said there was another word to call her. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I wouldn’t necessarily call her the B-word, but I would definitely call her the C-word: clueless,” she said on the GB News <em>Dan Wootton Tonight</em> program.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She’s utterly clueless and I am so sick of her off-point irrelevant musings about her non-problems.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to reveal that the homicide rates of more than 100,000 homeless people in California, where Meghan lives, “reached an all-time high”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“And we are supposed to give a damn if someone is calling [Meghan] the b-word or difficult?” Kelly continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t, she doesn’t get it. No one gives a damn about these non-problems.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She should stop complaining and start showing some gratitude for what appears to be a very beautiful life of which she finds nothing to celebrate.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t care. Shut up! Stop talking about yourself and show some humility and gratitude.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Meghan was given the nickname back in 2018 when she was accused of displaying “dictator” style behaviour towards her staff members - which led to one of them quitting.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My friend said to me, there’s a certain point when you come to terms with the fact that not everyone is going to like you,” Meghan continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The goal can’t be for everyone to like you, but the goal can be for them to respect you.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty/GB Tonight</em></p>

TV

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Meghan Markle hits back at unfair nickname

<p dir="ltr">Meghan Markle has hit back at her nickname, which she says is “really a codeword for the B-word”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In her latest podcast episode T<em>o ‘B’ or not to ‘B’?</em>, the Duchess of Sussex said her nickname “Duchess Difficult” is a way of gaslighting women.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What these people are implying when they use that very charged word, is that this woman: ‘Oh, she’s difficult’,” she said in the episode on <em>Archetypes</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Which is really just a euphemism or is probably not even a euphemism. It’s really a codeword for the B-word.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Meghan was given the nickname back in 2018 when she was accused of displaying “dictator” style behaviour towards her staff members - which led to one of them quitting.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My friend said to me, there’s a certain point when you come to terms with the fact that not everyone is going to like you,” Meghan continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The goal can’t be for everyone to like you, but the goal can be for them to respect you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Meghan has also been called the “Princess of Montecito” because of her bizarre requests when it comes to booking restaurants.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If she’s going into Beverly Hills or West Hollywood for lunch or dinner, she’ll generally call ahead and request a table that is completely secluded,” a source told the UK’s Closer magazine.</p> <p dir="ltr">The source alleges that Meghan’s favourite restaurants aren’t well known but when she goes to high-end places, she ensures the place is perfect for her arrival.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But, generally speaking, these days she likes higher-end hangouts like Cecconi’s, Sunset Tower, Sugarfish or Lucky’s steakhouse in Montecito, which was recommended by Oprah,” the magazine reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s become their favourite, and they’re waited on hand and foot.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Hugh Sheridan’s ex-husband’s identity revealed

<p dir="ltr">The identity of the high profile entertainer who was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/zero-regrets-hugh-sheridan-reveals-secret-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">married to Aussie actor Hugh Sheridan</a> has been revealed. </p> <p dir="ltr">The former <em>Packed to the Rafters</em> actor, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, appeared on Jessica Rowe's <em>Big Talk Show</em> podcast and said they were married for nine years to an unidentified actor. </p> <p dir="ltr">But fans did a little digging and have concluded that Hugh, 37, was married to 35-year-old <em>Dynasty</em> star and Venezualan actor Rafael de la Fuente. </p> <p dir="ltr">It is understood that at the time of the relationship, Rafael was openly gay and Hugh was yet to share that he too was gay.</p> <p dir="ltr">On the podcast, Hugh said he did not want to reveal their former partner’s name but said the pair tied the knot on July 11, 2011 and were married for nine years. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf14Mh9OQeV/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf14Mh9OQeV/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rafael De La Fuente (@rafaeldlf)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I can't say their name because they were in the same industry, so. Couldn't really be specific about that, but I was married,” Hugh said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We were solidly together for about seven years and then the last couple of years we were travelling a lot and it got too hard and, but we're still very good friends.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Hugh confessed that close family and friends knew about the marriage but they decided to keep it private from the public. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was finding out if you don't speak out about your private life, people can assume that you're ashamed or that you've got some sort of an agenda or that you are denying other people their self expression by not talking about it.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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"Zero regrets": Hugh Sheridan reveals secret marriage

<p dir="ltr">Hugh Sheridan has revealed they were married to a well-known entertainer for nine years but the pair opted to keep the relationship a secret.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 37-year-old actor, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, appeared on Jessica Rowe's Big Talk Show podcast, and revealed their past relationship. </p> <p dir="ltr">Hugh did not want to reveal their former partner’s name but said the pair tied the knot on July 11, 2011 and were married for nine years. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I can't say their name because they were in the same industry, so. Couldn't really be specific about that, but I was married,” Hugh said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We were solidly together for about seven years and then the last couple of years we were travelling a lot and it got too hard and, but we're still very good friends.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Hugh confessed that close family and friends knew about the marriage but they decided to keep it private from the public. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was finding out if you don't speak out about your private life, people can assume that you're ashamed or that you've got some sort of an agenda or that you are denying other people their self expression by not talking about it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Hugh and their ex officially got divorced a couple of years ago and revealed they are “very single right now”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“​​I am definitely single. I can confirm that right now,” Hugh said. </p> <p dir="ltr">The news comes just months after Hugh announced their split from fiancé Kurt Roberts after just eight months.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an Instagram post, the actor reminisced about their good times and that it was time to move on. </p> <p dir="ltr">“In retrospect, having a first public relationship, that public, that fast, might’ve been too much pressure on us,” they wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Maybe it was COVID or quarantines or us working to (sic) hard (I take the blame for full responsibility for the working hours), maybe it’s dads death or all the above.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The point is Kurt is incredibly kind, someone who is earnestly caring and helped me through a very tough time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Transparency is what I promised you all. For now we didn’t make it, but we tried very, very hard, I’m so sorry for us that it wasn’t easy and I’m sorry for the added pressure.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Lots learned, the heartache is heavy, but zero regrets for the greatest love.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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US comedian cracks cruel ‘jokes’ about rollercoaster victim Shylah Rodden

<p dir="ltr">A US comedian has cracked a series of distasteful jokes about Shylah Rodden, the Melbourne woman who was hit by a rollercoaster last month.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 26-year-old suffered severe facial and brain injuries after being struck by the 70 km/h Rebel Coaster Ride at the Royal Melbourne Show, and she remains in hospital in a serious condition.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is believed she had walked onto the tracks to retrieve her phone when she was hit.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, comedian Anthony Jeselnik seemed to find the situation quite funny while discussing the accident with NFL Network analyst Gregg Rosenthal on their podcast, <em>The Jeselnik &amp; Rosenthal Vanity Project</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This story is absolutely hilarious to me,” Jeselnik said during the episode, titled ‘Your Luck Is Like A Rollercoaster, Baby-Baby’.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I bet no one could believe it. I bet she feels dumb.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Rosenthal then explained how Ms Rodden had only just re-learned how to walk when she was struck, having been involved in a car crash in January 2021 that saw her car collide with a truck and flip over, with Jeselnik bursting into laughter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Now you’re wondering why is this funny to us?” Jeselnik said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Walking onto a rollercoaster track is a bad idea. If you drop your cell phone, ask someone who works there to get your phone for you. Do not jump onto the rollercoaster tracks.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She’d gotten hit by a car a few years ago, had to go through physical therapy to be able to walk again. To celebrate learning to walk again… she goes to an amusement park and immediately gets hit by a rollercoaster</p> <p dir="ltr">“Can you be forgiven because you haven’t been walking around that much that you don’t really know how to walk, and so you think walking onto rollercoaster tracks are fine?</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s bad luck but rollercoasters only go in two directions. It’s hard to get hit by them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A car, ok anything could have happened, maybe you’re in the street, maybe the car jumped the kerb.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A rollercoaster, that’s your fault every single time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Jeselnik’s comments come amid a growing number taking to social media to criticise Ms Rodden’s actions in the lead-up to the accident, with some claiming that she isn’t a victim and deserves to be in intensive care.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, a friend of Ms Rodden has appealed for prayers for the young woman, who he described as having a “heart of gold”.</p> <p dir="ltr"> “Please pray for Shylah Rodden. Shylah Rodden is one of my best friends [and has a] heart of gold. Shyla has always been there for me and is always there for anyone, not just her friends,” Mr Nawar wrote on Facebook.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She has suffered a horrible accident at the Melbourne Show and was put in a induced coma. I don’t know her current status but please ask anyone who sees this to make a small prayer for her and her family, even if it’s [as] small as please God help them heal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Shylah and her family lost their son/brother a few months ago and were all still grieving. I saw the pain this had on Shylah.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6e63ddfe-7fff-8163-f54e-c4deff582289"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: YouTube / Facebook</em></p>

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Maddie McCann suspect charged with sex offences

<p dir="ltr">Christian Brueckner, the only suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, has been charged with several sex offences. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 45-year-old, who is already in jail for raping a 72-year-old American woman in the Portuguese resort of Praia de Luz in 2005, is the only suspect in the Maddie McCann case.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Braunschweig prosecutor's office said Brueckner has been charged with several sex offences he committed in Portugal between December 28, 2000, and June 11, 2017.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The accused is the same person against whom charges were brought in connection with the disappearance of the then three-year-old British girl Madeleine Beth McCann,” they said in a statement. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Specifically, the accused is charged with three offences of aggravated rape and two offences of sexual abuse of children.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Police are however continuing their investigation into the disappearance of the then three-year-old who vanished in May 2007 from her bedroom in the Algarve apartment where her family were staying.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann continues."</p> <p dir="ltr">"In view of the ongoing investigation, it is not possible to provide any further information on the results of the investigation so far."</p> <p dir="ltr">Brueckner, who was first named as a suspect in the case in April 2022, has denied any involvement in the disappearance of Maddie.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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Murder conviction overturned for podcast star

<p>A US judge has overturned the high profile murder conviction of Adnan Syed, who served more that 20 years behind bars for the death of his ex-girlfriend. </p> <p>Th 42-year-old's case shot to fame when he became the subject of the <em>Serial </em>podcast, which went on to gain worldwide notoriety. </p> <p>Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn vacated the conviction of Syed, who had been serving a life sentence since 2000 for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee.</p> <p>Phinn ordered Syed to be immediately released on his own recognisance “in the interests of justice and fairness”.</p> <p>The body of Hae Min Lee was found buried in February 1999 in a shallow grave in the woods of Baltimore, Maryland, with the autopsy revealing the cause of death for the 18-year-old was strangulation. </p> <p>Throughout his multiple appeals of the guilty verdict, Syed maintained his innocence, while his appeals were continuously denied,  including by the US Supreme Court which declined in 2019 to hear his case.</p> <p>In a surprising move last week, the Baltimore City state’s attorney, Marilyn Mosby, announced that she had asked a judge to vacate Syed’s conviction while a further investigation is carried out.</p> <p>Assistant state’s attorney Becky Feldman told the judge that the decision was prompted by the discovery of new information regarding two alternative suspects and the unreliability of mobile phone data used to convict Syed.</p> <p>“The state has lost confidence in the integrity of his conviction,” Feldman said. “We need to make sure we hold the correct person accountable.</p> <p>“We will be continuing our investigation,” she said, while promising to “do everything we can to bring justice to the Lee family.”</p> <p>Prosecutors now have 30 days to either bring new charges or dismiss the case.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <div class="media image side-by-side" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; width: 705.203px; margin-bottom: 24px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"> </div>

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Today Show host fuming after featuring in Meghan Markle’s podcast without permission

<p dir="ltr">Allison Langdon has been left fuming after her voice during a <em>Today Show</em> segment was used on Meghan Markle’s podcast.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Duchess of Sussex has released a few episodes of <em>Archetypes</em> in which she discusses various topics and her experiences since marrying Prince Harry. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the latest episode <em>The Stigma of the Singleton</em>, Meghan played part of an old interview she had with fellow actor Mindy Kaling where she spoke about the sexism reporting she endured when she and Prince Harry started dating. </p> <p dir="ltr">“When I started dating my husband, and we became engaged, everyone was just like, ‘Oh my god, you’re so lucky, he chose you,” the Duchess of Sussex is heard saying before it cuts to Ally’s comment. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The happy couple has enchanted the world with their real-life fairytale,” Ally said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“And at a certain point, after you hear it a million times over, you’re like, ‘Well I chose him too!’” a fed up Meghan says. </p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fiwakeupwithtoday%2Fvideos%2F806123573905958%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">She then goes on to say that she is grateful to have Prince Harry by her side who was counteracting the comments. </p> <p dir="ltr">“They’ve got it all wrong. I’m the lucky one because you chose me,” she claims Prince Harry said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“But it is gendered and it’s archetyped and stereotyped that you’re so lucky, and it just feeds into this idea that you’re waiting for someone to tell you that you’re good enough, as opposed to knowing that you’re good enough on your own.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When Ally found out that she was featured in the new episode she said she was listening to it with “steam out of my ears”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“What part of that was saying, Harry (chose you)... oh, my gosh,” a furious Ally told co-host Karl Stefanovic. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Whatever side of the fence Ally is on in this story, she gets smashed by Meghan,” Karl responds.</p> <p dir="ltr">“All I know is that I had a lot of mates who liked Meghan for a long time and none of them do anymore,” Ally finished, explaining that the episode made her head “explode”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Duchess of Sussex has caused quite a stir with her podcast <em>Archetypes</em> and is being called out by several big names around the world. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook/Spotify</em></p>

TV

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Ally Langdon rips into Meghan Markle

<p>Ally Langdon has torn into Meghan Markle in the wake of her new podcast hitting Spotify, admitting she "tries to like" the exiled royal, but "there's just something" about her. </p> <p>The <em>Today Show</em> host was joined by Australia's minister for sport and aged care, Anika Wells, on Wednesday morning, as the pair discussed the launch episode of <em>Archetypes</em>: Meghan's new Spotify exclusive podcast. </p> <p>Together the women dissected Meghan's chat with tennis champion Serena Williams, and the story in which Meghan <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/meghan-markle-confirms-fire-in-archie-s-nursery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed a fire in baby Archie's nursery</a> during a royal engagement in Africa in 2019. </p> <p>In the podcast, Meghan explained how their family had only been in the township of Nyanga for a few hours before the incident took place.</p> <p>She detailed how then four-month-old Archie narrowly avoided a fire in his nursery as his nanny took him to another part of the residence when the heater burst into flames. </p> <p>The Duchess then shared how she was required to attend another formal engagement, rather than stay home with her child. </p> <p>While discussing the clip, Langdon pointed out that Meghan often "divided opinion".</p> <p>She said, "I really try to like Meghan Markle... but there's just something, you know?"</p> <p>Ms Wells agreed and said Meghan "should have pushed harder" to be with her child and taken him to the second public engagement.</p> <p>"Ultimately I think, she should have pushed on, she should have fought harder," the minister said.</p> <p>"She should have just brought the baby, made the point and said something."</p> <p>"Because I think ultimately what everyone wants is authenticity in people in public life, and if that means being honest about caring responsibilities that ultimately creates better public policy."</p> <p>Channel Nine's entertainment reporter Peter Ford also weighed in on the Duchess of Sussex's new project in a tweet, writing that it was "just another way she can talk about herself".</p> <p>The first episode of <em>Archetypes </em>is available now on Spotify, and will feature a new guest each week, with next week's guest being music legend Mariah Carey. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Spotify / The Today Show</em></p>

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Meghan Markle confirms fire in Archie's nursery

<p>Meghan Markle has revealed that her son narrowly escaped a fire that broke out in his nursery while on a tour of Southern Africa in 2019.</p> <p>The Duchess of Sussex shared the story on the first episode of her new podcast, <em>Archetypes</em>, which featured her "dear friend" and tennis champion Serena Williams. </p> <p>During the hour-long conversation, Markle discussed the devastating incident with her then four-month old son Archie while aboard on a royal engagement. </p> <p>This ill-fated tour to Southern Africa in October 2019 was the last official engagement for Harry and Meghan before they stepped back from being senior working royals. </p> <p>In the podcast, Meghan explained how their family had only been in the township of Nyanga for a few hours before the incident took place in Archie's nursery. </p> <p>She said, "I'm giving this speech to women and girls, and we finish the engagement, we get in the car and they say, 'There's been a fire at the residence. There's been a fire in the baby's room.' What?"</p> <p>She went on to explain how Archie's nanny Lauren had taken him downstairs briefly before he was put to bed for a nap, and the heater in the room caught fire. </p> <p>Luckily, no one was injured during the fire, but Meghan said both her and her husband were rattled by the experience and were rushed out to attend another engagement, rather than stay with their son. </p> <p>She said, "And we came back. And of course, as a mother, you go, 'Oh my God, what?' Everyone's in tears, everyone's shaken. And what do we have to do? Go out and do another official engagement?"</p> <p>"I said, 'This doesn't make any sense'. I was like, 'Can you just tell people what happened?' And so much, I think, optically, the focus ends up being on how it looks instead of how it feels."</p> <p>The first episode of <em>Archetypes</em> is available now on Spotify, and will feature a new guest each week, with next week's guest being music legend Mariah Carey. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Spotify</em></p>

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