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Controversial suicide capsule applications suspended amid investigation

<p>Advocacy groups behind the suicide capsule have suspended the process of taking applications amid a criminal investigation into its first use in Switzerland. </p> <p>In a statement on Sunday, they said that 371 people were “in the process of applying” to use the device, known as the Sarco, as of September 23 and applications were suspended after its first use. </p> <p>The Sarco capsule is designed to allow the person inside to push a button that injects nitrogen gas from a tank underneath into the sealed chamber, allowing the person to fall asleep and then die of suffocation in a few minutes. </p> <p>On September 23, an unidentified 64-year-old woman from the US Midwest, became the first person to use the device in a forest in the northern Schaffhausen region. </p> <p>The president of Switzerland-based The Last Resort, Florian Willet, said at the time that the woman's death was "peaceful, fast, and dignified", although those claims could not be independently verified. </p> <p>On the same day as the woman's death, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider told parliament that use of the Sarco would not be legal.</p> <p>Willet and several others were taken into custody following her death and prosecutors opened an investigation on suspicion of incitement and accessory to suicide.</p> <p>Willet is currently being held in pretrial detention, according to The Last Resort and Exit International, an affiliate founded in Australia over a quarter-century ago. The others who were detained were released from custody. </p> <p>Exit International also clarified that their lawyers in Switzerland believed the use of the device is legal.</p> <p>“Only after the Sarco was used was it learned that Ms Baume-Schneider had addressed the issue,” the advocacy groups said in the statement Sunday.</p> <p>“The timing was a pure coincidence and not our intention.”</p> <p>Switzerland has some of the most permissive laws when it comes to assisted suicide, but the first use of the Sarco has prompted debate among lawmakers. </p> <p>Laws in the country permit assisted suicide, as long as the person takes their own life with no “external assistance” and those who help the person die do not do so for “any self-serving motive”. </p> <p><em>Image: Exit International</em></p> <p> </p>

Legal

Secret transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein investigation finally released

<p>Secret transcripts from the 2006 Grand Jury investigation into allegations of sex trafficking and rape against Jeffrey Epstein have been made public for the first time. </p> <p>On Monday, approximately 150 pages of unseen transcripts were released to the public, which were released weeks earlier than originally anticipated. </p> <p>“It is our hope that the release of these records gives peace of mind to our community and gives Jeffrey Epstein’s victims the closure they deserve,” Clerk of the Circuit Court in Palm Beach County, Florida, Joseph Abruzzo, said in a <a title="www.mypalmbeachclerk.com" href="https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/Home/Components/News/News/734/16" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>.</p> <p>In February, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that allowed the documents to be released, with the judge planning a hearing for next week to discuss when and how they would be released. </p> <p>“The details in the record will be outrageous to decent people,” Circuit Judge Luis Delgado wrote in his ruling. </p> <p>“The testimony taken by the Grand Jury concerns activity ranging from grossly unacceptable to rape – all of the conduct at issue is sexually deviant, disgusting, and criminal.”</p> <p>The transcripts detail a testimony in 2005, where an anonymous 17-year-old girl was approached by a friend who said she could make $US200 ($300) if she gave a massage “to a wealthy man in Palm Beach”.</p> <p>She went to his house and was led to a room by Epstein’s assistant, and was instructed to remove her clothes by the millionaire. </p> <p>According to Palm Beach Police Detective Joe Recarey’s testimony, Epstein told the girl he would pay her if she brought “girls” to his home, “And he told her, ‘the younger, the better’.”</p> <p>Over an undetermined amount of time, the girl brought six friends from her high school to Epstein’s home, including a 14-year-old girl.</p> <p>Following the Grand Jury investigation in 2006, Epstein took a plea deal with South Florida federal prosecutors in 2008. </p> <p>The deal, which has been criticised for being too lenient, allowed him to get away with several federal charges of abuse against underage girls if he pleaded guilty to Florida state charges, as he pleaded guilty to soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution.</p> <p>Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019 after spending just over a month in custody as he awaited sentencing.</p> <p><em>Image credits: MGG/Shutterstock Editorial/Palm Beach County Circuit Court</em></p>

Legal

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>

Legal

“Such lowlifes”: Alleged thieves steal charity donation tin

<p dir="ltr">Two people are wanted by police over the theft of a charity donation bin captured on CCTV.</p> <p dir="ltr">The footage shows a man and woman standing next to each other inside the Gold Coast’s Club Helensvale on Friday, November 25, when he allegedly steals the tin for a charity aimed at preventing youth violence.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the video, released by police in an appeal to find the pair, the man is seen subtly and slowly placing it in a bag slung across his shoulder.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police are urging the man and woman to come forward.</p> <p dir="ltr">The tin that was allegedly stolen was collecting donations for the Jack Beasley Foundation, set up after 17-year-old Jack Beasley died from being stabbed in the heart on the Gold Coast.</p> <p dir="ltr">The charity has also shared an image of the suspected thieves on social media in a bid to identify them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hey guys if anyone recognises these two please contact the QPS or send us a message. They stole Jacko’s Donation box from the bar at Club Helensvale on Friday night. Thanks 🙏,” the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JackBeasleyFoundation/posts/pfbid0fgzrLvGVinZfzjqEweJfTqr3RbMKvnT4qHjDcKvUW5Xw1KascA7AiAmDqToEnbqsl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> read.</p> <p dir="ltr">Followers were quick to share their anger in the comments, with some providing information about where they had seen the man before.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Such lowlifes maybe they should get a job instead of stealing from charities,” one person wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I hope they get found, shame on them,” another said.</p> <p dir="ltr">One commenter even alleged that the man had committed similar acts before, stealing the “dog donation box” from the Boathouse Tavern in Coomera “the other day”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stealing from charity is pitiful and devious! They may have taken dollars and cents, but they have no sense,” another said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ab4e272a-7fff-e469-d984-7a5612774b3e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: </em><em>Queensland Police Service</em></p>

Legal

Fence and digging marks at the centre of lion’s escape

<p dir="ltr">A fence and digging marks are at the centre of an investigation into how five lions managed to escape their enclosure at Taronga Zoo.</p> <p dir="ltr">One lion and four cubs were roaming around the Sydney tourist destination prompting emergency alarms to go off and people to run to safety. </p> <p dir="ltr">A family who was sleeping overnight at the zoo as part of the “Roar and Snoar” program were ordered to run as alarms blared “code one”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily no one was injured and the lions are back in their enclosure with a statement revealing what caused the animals to escape. </p> <p dir="ltr">“An initial review of this morning’s incident has confirmed that an integrity issue with a containment fence enabled five lions to temporarily exit their main exhibit,” Taronga said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The lions are now in a back-of-house holding area while a full review continues.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A full report will now be prepared for the NSW Department of Primary Industries.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Keepers and vets report all lions are doing well.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Taronga Zoo remains open and is extremely grateful to its staff and the community for their support today.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

News

Australian man among 10 killed in Ireland explosion

<p dir="ltr">An Australian man has been identified as one of ten victims who died following an explosion at a petrol station in Ireland.</p> <p dir="ltr">James O’Flaherty, a 48-year-old who hailed from Sydney, died in the blast which police say occurred shortly after 3pm local time on Friday, October 7 at a petrol station in the village of Creeslough.</p> <p dir="ltr">The blast levelled the service station building, damaged an adjacent apartment building and shattered windows in nearby cottages.</p> <p dir="ltr">An additional eight people were injured in the explosion and hospitalised, with one person flown to Dublin in critical condition.</p> <p dir="ltr">An Garda Síochána, Ireland’s police force, released the names and photos of the ten victims, ranging in age from 5 to 59 years old.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-10645834-7fff-dd8f-bd18-3654d533e181"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The victims included: James O’Flaherty, 48, Jessica Gallagher, 24, Martin McGill, 49, Catherine O’Donnell, 39, and her son James Monaghan, 13, Hugh Kelly, 59, Martina Martin, 49, Robert Garwe, 50, and his daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, five, and Leona Harper, 14.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/ireland-victims1.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>James O’Flaherty, 48, Jessica Gallagher, 24, and Martin McGill, 49, were among the victims who died in the blast. Images: An Garda Síochána (Facebook)</em></p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/ireland-victims2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Catherine O’Donnell, 39, and her son 13-year-old James Monaghan, Hugh Kelly, 59, and Martina Martin, 49, were among the victims who died in the blast. Images: An Garda Síochána (Facebook)</em></p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/ireland-victims3.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Robert Garwe, 50, his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, and 14-year-old Leona Harper were among the victims who died in the blast. Images: An Garda Síochána (Facebook)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Mr O’Flaherty, who was living in Rinclevan, Dufanaghy, will be laid to rest on Wednesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">He is survived by his wife Tracey and son Hamish.</p> <p dir="ltr">As police investigate the cause of the blast, superintendent David Kelly said evidence “is pointing toward a tragic accident”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Irish police superintendent Liam Geraghty said the event has left locals traumatised.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was a very, very traumatic scene that people came across," he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"It was a very, very confusing, as you can imagine. And there was a lot of debris." </p> <p dir="ltr">Siobhan Carr, an eyewitness, said the area was covered in ash and “a puff of smoke”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And just within seconds, people from the community had just come running up the roads," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Cars stopped, people getting out of cars running towards the building to see who could help."</p> <p dir="ltr">Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the incident has had a national impact and that the country is in mourning.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The entire nation is mourning and really shocked and deeply saddened," he said at the cordon surrounding the blast site.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The young child in the shop loses her life and two teenagers, along with men and women who are going about their lives as well." </p> <p dir="ltr">“It is a very close-knit community and our heart goes out to them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Talking to those on the front line and everyone involved, they were very moved by the extraordinary support they got from the community here almost immediately.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Many volunteers rushed to the scene to try and do everything they could to help because it was a horrific scene they came upon and we must always remember our emergency services.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a8e64f6b-7fff-35a3-26d3-b1f2a4a63ae2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: An Garda Síochána (Facebook)</em></p>

News

“We need answers”: Parents of man shot by police speak out

<p dir="ltr">The parents of a man who was shot and killed by a police officer on a Queensland beach have spoken about how they were told the heartbreaking news.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luke Gilbert was with his girlfriend at Airlie Beach, Townsville, when he allegedly approached police with a pen knife in the early hours on the morning of Saturday, October 1.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 24-year-old allegedly continued advancing towards the patrolling officers when he was shot five times.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ad2fc8d6-7fff-dc87-9780-c25d1c364773"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">After police rendered first aid to him, Luke was transported to Proseperine Hospital but died a short time later.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">AIRLIE BEACH: A man aged in his 20’s and allegedly armed with a knife was fatally shot by police in Airlie Beach this morning (October 1) <a href="https://t.co/cBz4wyfM3u">https://t.co/cBz4wyfM3u</a> <a href="https://t.co/mGcTxtosUo">pic.twitter.com/mGcTxtosUo</a></p> <p>— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/QldPolice/status/1575945897787109377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">His parents, Nicola and Darren Gilbert, told <em>9News</em> of the tragic moment when police informed them that their son had died.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Two police officers came in and they just stood, they didn’t even ask us to sit down, and they just stood at the kitchen bench and just said, ‘We’ve very sorry to tell you but your son has died’,” Ms Gilbert said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luke, who grew up in Western Australia, was working in Townsville at the time of the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Gilbert has called for an explanation for why his son was shot, describing it as a “massive failing” of police.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What happened? We need answers,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a massive failing of the Queensland Police.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the police union, officers had no choice but to shoot Luke after he allegedly “lunged” at them with the knife.</p> <p dir="ltr">The officers fired four or five shots at Luke after he continued to approach them despite them drawing their weapons and telling him to stop.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ian Leavers, the President and CEO of the Queensland Police Union, said Luke had “all of a sudden produced a knife from his hoodie and started threatening police”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The police have tried to further engage and they have retreated and moved from that location and tried and continue to communicate with that male person,” he told reporters.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At a point, (he) has lunged at police and they’ve had no other alternative but to use their firearm.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Police did all they could to try and resolve this matter peacefully.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As police swarmed the popular tourist spot on Saturday to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, Superintendent Graeme Paine said officers were speaking to several witnesses and that the incident was captured on CCTV.</p> <p dir="ltr">Several people in the area at the time also captured the shooting on video.</p> <p dir="ltr">In one clip, shots can be heard in the background and a man says, “They just f***ing shot him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought they were gonna get him with a taser.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They just f***ing shot him c***s. He just kept walking to the cops.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In the wake of the news, the 24-year-old’s brother Zac shared an emotional tribute on Facebook.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t know how to say this It’s not even sinking in yet and it doesn’t seem real,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Life will never be the same, he deserved a lot better than this! I can’t believe this has happened, he's at rest now.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Luke’s brother claimed that police used “excess force” after the 24-year-old pulled out a knife “for reasons unknown right now”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For all those who don't know this, my brother was on a night out with his girlfriend and as far as we know luke walked up to two police officers, they were talking and then for reasons unknown right now, luke pulled out a pen knife (4cm) and in reaction to that the officers shot 4 to 5 times at my brother and 1 of them being fatal,” Zac wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s a lot of speculation in the media about the circumstances surrounding the loss of my brother but just know the truth is excess force was used on him which killed him and that can never be undone, they didn’t try the taser, the baton or the pepper spray first they went straight for the guns carelessly.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The incident is being investigated by the Ethical Standards Committee on behalf of the state coroner.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb938256-7fff-1bf8-14d1-92cd0fe3a9d7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: 9News / Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

Tragic update after “horrific” suitcase discovery

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: Graphic content</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Human remains found in two suitcases by a New Zealand family late last week have been identified as belonging to two young children of primary school age, with police saying they may have been dead for years.</p> <p dir="ltr">The family made the shocking discovery after purchasing the suitcases at an auction, along with other items from an abandoned storage locker in South Auckland.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police were alerted to the discovery on Thursday, August 11, with neighbours telling local media of a “wicked smell” in the area at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said initial post-mortem examinations suggested the remains were those of two children between the ages of five and ten.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Early indications suggest these children may have been deceased for a number of years before being found last week,” he said during a press conference on Thursday. “We also believe the suitcases have been in storage for a number of years.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Detective Inspector Vaaelau went on to suggest that the childrens’ remains may have been stored for three to four years.</p> <p dir="ltr">He added that the family who purchased the items from the storage unit aren’t involved in the deaths and have asked for privacy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They are understandably distressed by the discovery, and they have asked for privacy. We are ensuring there is support in place for them,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Detective Inspector Vaaelau confirmed that New Zealand police have begun working with Interpol and making enquiries with overseas agencies as part of the investigation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As part of the investigation we are looking at canvassing and collecting CCTV, but given the period of time ... it’s going to be a challenge in itself,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The investigation team are working very hard to hold accountable the person or persons responsible for the deaths of these children.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Police are combing through the remaining items from the storage locker to establish any links and identify the remains, with Detective Inspector Vaaelau adding that contacting the next of kin was the biggest priority.</p> <p dir="ltr">He declined to comment on the gender or state of the remains, or whether police believe the children are related over concerns it may compromise the investigation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That information is very important to the investigation and I’m not prepared to comment on that,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though local media have suggested that the case may have links overseas, Detective Inspector Vaaelau remained tight-lipped, stressing that police could only say that the victims had relatives in New Zealand.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What I can say is we are making very good progress with DNA inquiries,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We want to reassure the community our investigation is continuing the establish the facts to ascertain the full circumstances around the death of these children.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This includes establishing when, where and how. The nature of this discovery provides some complexities to the investigation.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The horrific discovery has rocked the country and has had a particularly strong impact on the Manurewa community in South Auckland, which is home to strong Māori and Pacific populations.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I really feel for the family of these victims,” Detective Inspector Vaaelua said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Right here, right now, there are relatives out there that aren’t aware that their loved ones have deceased, especially two young children.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As for the investigation team, there are a number of them that are parents. This is no easy investigation and no matter how long or how many years you serve and investigate horrific cases like this, it’s never any easy task.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I myself am a parent of young kids but we have a job to do.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4ab2fcd8-7fff-befa-97e3-0d263a1746ff"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Newshub</em></p>

Legal

Anne Heche to be taken off life support

<p dir="ltr">US actress Anne Heche will be taken off life support days after she was reported to be brain dead.</p> <p dir="ltr">The decision comes after the 53-year-old was matched with an organ recipient, per CNN, in line with her wishes, after Heche was pulled out of her burning car, which she had <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/actress-fighting-for-her-life-after-horror-car-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">driven into an LA home</a> while driving 104 km/h on August 5.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heche's publicist broke the news that the <em>Six Days, Seven Nights</em> star was "not expected to survive" on Friday, revealing that Heche had "suffered a severe anoxic brain injury".</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” her spokesperson told <em>Page Six</em> at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-02f14bcd-7fff-85ab-3ecc-d0d822147ddc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”</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/CdUqTdKLo6E/?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/CdUqTdKLo6E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Anne Heche (@anneheche)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The following day, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said in a statement that the investigation into the crash would not move forward.</p> <p dir="ltr">"As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case," the LAPD said in a statement to <em><a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/08/14/anne-heche-police-investigation-dismissed-following-stars-death/?_ga=2.230917663.184706205.1660479883-1122528718.1567945808" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After the results for Heche’s blood test following the crash <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/anne-heche-s-blood-test-results-revealed-after-horror-smash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detected “the presence of drugs” in her system</a>, police investigations escalated to a “preliminary” felony DUI.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gossip magazine <em>TMZ </em>reported on August 10 that the investigation was escalated after a woman claimed she was injured and needed medical assistance due to Heche crashing into her home.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7a45620a-7fff-a523-348f-68564680d4f2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">However, an LAPD public information officer told <em>Page Six</em> that the felony was preliminary due to pending further toxicology testing.</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/ChKkPVLukOi/?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/ChKkPVLukOi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by James Tupper (@mrjamestupper)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Heche, who never regained consciousness after the crash, is survived by her 13-year-old son Atlas, who she shares with actor James Trupper, as well as her 20-year-old son Homer, shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-661f6c10-7fff-c097-316a-6f5c947cb84c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">On Saturday, Tupper shared a sweet tribute to his late wife to Instagram, posting a single photo of Heche along with the caption: “love you forever 💔”.</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/ChLAEgaPFFF/?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/ChLAEgaPFFF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Coley Laffoon (@coleylaffoon)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Laffoon took to social media to wish his ex-wife peace on her journey, sharing a throwback photo of Heche with their son as a baby.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s important to remember the real love in the best times. Thank you Anne. Peace on your journey,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dd5ef628-7fff-d8e9-c738-71dae7ec97e9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @anneheche (Instagram)</em></p>

News

Investigations continue after 21 teens die in tavern

<p dir="ltr">South African police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the mysterious deaths of 21 people in a local tavern, as survivors describe trying to escape the jam-packed premises.</p> <p dir="ltr">Officials have ruled out a stampede as the cause of the deaths at Enyobeni Tavern in the town of East London, a provincial safety official told AFP news agency, as there were “no visible wounds”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Seventeen people died inside the bar, with another four later dying in hospital. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police minister Bheki Cele has said the youngest victim was just 13 years old, with the remaining victims ranging in age from 13-17 - though a detailed list of the victims hasn’t been produced yet, per the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61941170" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Unathi Binqose, a government official on safety, told the AAP that it is suspected that the cause of their deaths may have been in something they ate, drank, or inhaled while in the tavern.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It has never happened that our country loses children in this manner,” Elleck Nchabeleng, the chair of the parliamentary committee on education and technology, sports, arts and culture, said.</p> <p dir="ltr">It has been reported that those who went to the tavern were celebrating the end of school exams.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sinovuyo Monyane, one of the survivors who was hired to promote an alcohol brand, said she was still “confused” about what happened but felt lucky to be alive.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We tried moving through the crowd, shouting, ‘Please let us through,’ and others were shouting, ‘We are dying, guys,’ and ‘We are suffocating’ and ‘There are people who can’t breathe’,” she told AFP.</p> <p dir="ltr"> She later regained consciousness after water was sprayed on her.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I could have died,” the 19-year-old said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I saw two people, they died.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Luhlemela Ulana, a resident DJ who was also celebrating his birthday that night, said a rush of revellers forced their way into the already-packed venue.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though he turned off the music to discourage the revellers, it was to no avail.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4629c71b-7fff-9d91-6fef-ef4446b21e56"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his “deepest condolences” to the victims’ families.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">My deepest condolences go to the families of the 22 teenagers who lost their lives at a tavern in Scenery Park, East London, in the early hours of this morning.</p> <p>— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) <a href="https://twitter.com/CyrilRamaphosa/status/1541018709594185733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“This tragedy is made even more grave by its occurrence during Youth Month - a time during which we celebrate young people, advocate and advance opportunities for improved socio-economic conditions for the youth of our nation,” he wrote on Twitter.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d54a7cee-7fff-d28b-51bd-583726f5a3dc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Prime suspect in Madeleine McCann case breaks silence

<p dir="ltr">Less than a week after being declared an official suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Christian Brueckner has spoken out in a letter sent from his prison cell.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the 45-year-old <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/major-development-in-madeleine-mccann-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was named an “arguido” or “official suspect”</a> by Portuguese prosecutors late last week, he sent a letter to an unidentified woman that was shared with the <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10746893/Maddie-suspect-Christian-Brueckner-describes-known-bad-person-world.html?ito=social-facebook&fbclid=IwAR0n1qmfxrYztgKZoYWmMzuR-SDwnTKjYBBOzPHeKQEABDgoA4M3fSHi0ik" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the five-page letter, he stressed he wasn’t at the Praia de Luz resort at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance in May, 2007 and has become “the most known bad person in the world and did nothing - well almost nothing”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wasn’t kidnapping anybody and of course, I wasn’t killing anybody,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ll go further, I’ll tell you I wasn’t attacking anybody after I was 18.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I made some silly mistakes when I was younger but who hasn’t?”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the Daily Mail, he then referred to the McCann case, writing: “Perhaps I was a suspect after all they found out about me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Drug dealer, breaking into houses, living in cars and there was something with kids when I was 17.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But they had not even one proof (sic) that I was involved with the McCann case. And they still don’t have it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know why. Because they have no hairs or anything from Maddie what means (sic) that nobody can put anything like that into my stuff to find it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The idea behind that all perhaps was to make the BKA (German police) and German prosecutor famous as well known all over the world as the smartest organisation ever.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Brueckner is currently serving seven years for raping a 72-year-old woman, and is being probed over the 2004 rape of a second woman and sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl at Praia da Luz a month before Madeleine disappeared.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the letter, Brueckner suggests that authorities were leaking information about him to portray him in a poor light, according to the Daily Mail.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know of about five open cases against me, all of them including raping and abusing,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They have manipulated the truth in such an unprofessional way that I am laughing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I still have not lost my sense of humour. Even in this critical situation. This is what keeps me alive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Madeleine disappeared just a few days before her fourth birthday while holidaying with her parents, Kate and Garry.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple marked what would have been her 18th birthday last year and said they still “hang on to hope” that they will see her again.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As we have said repeatedly, we need to know what has happened to our lovely daughter, no matter what. We are very grateful to the police for their continued efforts,” they said, per <em><a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/madeleine-mccann-disappearance-christian-brueckner-breaks-his-silence-over-her-disappearance-in-letter-from-prison-cell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NewsTalk ZB</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We still receive so many positive words and good wishes despite the years that have gone by. It all helps and for that, we are truly grateful.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-485a5637-7fff-dc2d-c05b-937db23bd331"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

News

Art gallery investigates links to Holocaust

<p dir="ltr">The Wollongong Art Gallery in New South Wales is grappling with shocking new revelations that a major donor with a gallery named after him may have been a Nazi collaborator before emigrating to Australia from Lithuania. </p> <p dir="ltr">Bronius "Bob" Sredersas donated approximately 100 works by revered Australian artists to the gallery in 1976, just six years before he died. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite working as a steelworker at Port Kembla, he saved his money to meticulously collect valuable paintings. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, after the gallery’s 40th birthday celebrations in 2018, which also celebrated the central role Sredersas played in its establishment, former councillor Michael Samaras noticed he was described as a policeman for the Lithuanian government's Department of Security.</p> <p dir="ltr">The councillor found the findings suspicious and decided to investigate further. </p> <p dir="ltr">"When all the publicity happened for the 40th anniversary of the gallery there was media, including on the ABC Illawarra webpage, about the fact that he was a policeman in Lithuania before the war," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And I just knew from general knowledge that a lot of the police from Lithuania ended up in what was called the Auxiliary Police Battalion, which actually did much of the killing in the Holocaust.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"The Wollongong City Library local studies section has a whole three boxes of material on him so I got his birth certificate."</p> <p dir="ltr">In uncovering these devastating claims, the Wollongong council, who owns the gallery, has been put on the back foot, with Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery receiving letters from the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies who have offered to help work with the council to investigate. </p> <p dir="ltr">"That has to be dealt with in a way that does not hide the past, recognises the allegations if they are proven and how we deal with the Sredersas Collection and how that's represented or interpreted," Mr Bradbery said.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the investigation is ongoing, Dr Efraim Zuroff, director of the Jewish human rights organisation the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, has suggested council remove the name of Bob Sredersas from the gallery in the meantime. </p> <p dir="ltr">He said, "I think it's important that a decision is made to remove his name as it's basically a statement that we do not want to honour people who participate in the crimes of the Holocaust."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Wollongong City Council </em></p>

Art

Police under fire for blasting Disney songs during arrest

<p dir="ltr">Police officers in a Californian town are being investigated after they were filmed blasting Disney songs late at night. </p> <p dir="ltr">In a video uploaded to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCisja0OfwWUCmhP_NPn0Kpg/videos">YouTube</a>, police are seen searching an allegedly stolen car in the town of Santa Ana around 11pm. </p> <p dir="ltr">After a few minutes, the officers notice the situation is being filmed, and one goes to a police car and turns on the speakers to loudly play <em>You've Got A Friend In Me</em> from the Disney film <em>Toy Story</em> in an effort to deter the filmer. </p> <p dir="ltr">Other songs from Disney films <em>Mulan</em>, <em>Encanto</em> and <em>Coco</em> play next, as nearby residents are awoken from the sound and ask police to turn the music down. </p> <p dir="ltr">They eventually do, but not before attracting the attention of one resident who is also a town councillor, identified as Jonathan Hernandez.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hernandez asked the police what the reason for the music was, with one officer responding, “copyright infringement” while pointing to the person filming the scene. </p> <p dir="ltr">This means if the video was posted online, it would be removed for playing the copyrighted Disney tracks. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police in the US have previously been accused of playing copyrighted songs when being filmed by civilians.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite their attempts to thwart the video, it remains on YouTube and has amassed over 46,000 views. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm embarrassed that this is how you're treating my neighbours," Mr Hernandez said in the video.</p> <p dir="ltr">"There's children here."</p> <p dir="ltr">Santa Ana Chief of Police David Valentin said in a statement that the police department was aware of the video, and that the incident was being investigated. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: YouTube </em></p>

Music

Daylight robbery: Men arrested for nicking a bridge

<p dir="ltr">Eight men have been arrested in the Indian state of Bihar for stealing an iron bridge in broad daylight.</p> <p dir="ltr">When several men arrived in the village of Amiyavar with an excavator and gas torches, locals believed the government was finally removing an old metal bridge that had become more of a nuisance than useful.</p> <p dir="ltr">The men, including some from the state government’s irrigation department, arrived at 7am and worked until dusk for three days. They cut the iron with gas torches and loosened the ground with excavators before taking the metal away in a rented van.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, a local journalist told the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61066473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em> that no one knew the men were actually stealing the metal, before depositing it at the warehouse of a local scrap dealer for a profit.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-32b2bcb9-7fff-ed56-770b-ab3f202e8b92"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“No-one suspected it was a heist,” Jitendra Singh, a journalist who lives “200 metres from the bridge”, told the outlet.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Unique theft in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bihar</a>, thieves became officers of the irrigation department and stole a 60 feet long iron bridge</p> <p>In Nasriganj, Rohtas, thieves posing as officers, with the help of local personnel, 1/2<a href="https://twitter.com/UtkarshSingh_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UtkarshSingh_</a> 📽️ <a href="https://t.co/jhnTbUSYDw">pic.twitter.com/jhnTbUSYDw</a></p> <p>— Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) <a href="https://twitter.com/sirajnoorani/status/1512521001719894017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The operation was reportedly supervised by Arvind Kumar, who worked part-time at the irrigation department. He allegedly told anyone who asked that “the work had an official sanction”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ashish Bharti, the senior police official leading the investigation, said Mr Kumar was one of the men arrested.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Irrigation department official Radhe Shyam Singh, the van owner and the owner of the scrapyard are also among those arrested. We are looking for at least four more people,” Mr Bharti said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Even three days ago, the structure of the bridge was there but suddenly it disappeared and we informed local officials,” Amiyaway local Suresh Kumar told <em><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/thieves-make-away-with-500-tonne-iron-bridge-in-bihar/article65305774.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hindu</a>.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Pawan Kumar, who lives in a neighbouring village, made the discovery that the operation wasn’t legitimate after he tried contacting Mr Singh and couldn’t reach him.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c265fe8a-7fff-0d81-4d02-497620f9bfa8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I tried calling irrigation department official Radhe Shyam Singh, but when he didn’t answer, I called a senior official to ask why they had not followed procedure - the authorities are expected to issue a tender and the work is given to the lowest bidder,” Mr Kumar told the <em>BBC</em>.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The remnants of the 500 tonne bridge that was stolen in Rohtas, Bihar. Pic via <a href="https://twitter.com/AmarnathTewary?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmarnathTewary</a> <a href="https://t.co/AaB3Ohc41x">pic.twitter.com/AaB3Ohc41x</a></p> <p>— Nistula Hebbar (@nistula) <a href="https://twitter.com/nistula/status/1512713303797035011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The official told him he was unaware that the bridge had been taken down, prompting a complaint to be lodged with police.</p> <p dir="ltr">After conducting several raids, police have recovered 24.5 tonnes of iron scrap from the bridge, as well as the pick-up van and tools used to strip the bridge, per <em><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/bihar-bridge-theft-case-water-resources-dept-official-seven-others-arrested/article65310750.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hindu</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The bridge in question was in a serious state of disrepair and had been out of use since the early 2000s, when a concrete bridge was built nearby.</p> <p dir="ltr">Journalist Jitendra Singh said the head of the village had sent a petition to authorities to remove the bridge since it had become a health hazard. </p> <p dir="ltr">He said bodies of cattle and even people would get stuck under the bridge after floating from upstream.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Over the years, all the wood used in the bridge had disintegrated and the iron had rusted. Thieves had stolen bits and pieces of the metal to put it to other use or sell it as scrap for a few rupees,” Shailendra Singh, who lives in the village, told the <em>BBC</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But what happened last week was daylight robbery.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Metal is stolen in many parts of India, as well as the US, UK and parts of Europe. </p> <p dir="ltr">In India, manhole covers and water pipes are common targets, while signalling and power cables, overhead line equipment, and clips to hold train tracks in place in England have caused thousands of hours of delays each year.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Legal

Could Will Smith lose his Oscar?

<p dir="ltr">The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has said it “condemns” Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock during the Oscars as fans called for his award to be revoked.</p> <p dir="ltr">Smith sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry and sparked intense debate online after <a href="https://oversixty.co.nz/news/news/the-slap-heard-around-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slapping the comedian</a> following an off-colour joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5e40a620-7fff-316a-403a-0c116c76e54a">The organisation behind the annual awards ceremony initially said it condoned violence of any kind without direct mention of Smith, but has since made its disapproval of his actions much clearer, as reported by <em><a href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/will-smith-chris-rock-oscars-2022-academy-condemns-slap-starts-formal-review-strip-best-actor-oscar/b231d527-aeaf-4d38-93cb-74ef0b51422f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9Honey</a></em>.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Academy does not condone violence of any form.</p> <p>Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world.</p> <p>— The Academy (@TheAcademy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAcademy/status/1508310547564953606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">They have also said they have launched a formal review into the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr Smith at last night’s show,” a spokesperson for the organisation said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Per the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/oscars-2022-fallout-continues-after-will-smith-slaps-chris-rock-over-joke-about-wife/GSTU7H5MJK5UBA76N6KJHXM3RM/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZHerald</a></em>, organisers of the awards held emergency Zoom talks to discuss stripping Smith of his Best Actor Oscar, which he received shortly after the incident for his role in <em>King Richard</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bosses of the Oscars are reportedly split over whether to take away Smith’s trophy since his actions broke a new code of conduct the Academy drew up following the #MeToo movement and the sex crimes of Harvey Weinstein.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Once the ceremony was over they called in key members to hold an emergency meeting about what action they should take,” one source told <em>The Sun</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There have been calls to have Will stripped of his Best Actor gong. They cannot be seen to be condoning violence in any way and there are some people in the Academy who believe they should remove the award from him to make a point. Others however believe he should be allowed to hold on to it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Smith has also taken to social media to address the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the <em>Men in Black</em> actor failed to mention Rock, just like his apology during his winning speech on the night.</p> <p dir="ltr">The video, posted on his Instagram account, shows Smith and his wife coming together and posing in a series of stills with a popular voiceover playing over the top.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-49c7a7f6-7fff-71b7-065c-ec7b1309c7d0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Good morning everyone. God let me live another day and I’m about to make it everyone’s problem,” the voiceover said.</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/reel/CboD3G6Akc8/?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/CboD3G6Akc8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">It was accompanied with the caption, “Me ‘n Jada Pinkett Smith got all dressed up to choose chaos.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Though Smith could face some form of disciplinary action from the Academy, Rock has reportedly declined to file a police report.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed as much in a statement, and that a report could be completed in the future if Rock changes his mind.</p> <p dir="ltr">“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,” the LAPD said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, other celebrities have weighed in on what could happen to Smith, including Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg.</p> <p dir="ltr">Goldberg spoke about the slap on <em>The View</em>, saying Smith “overreacted”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think it was a lot of stuff probably built up,” Goldberg said, noting that the couple had been the subject of jokes for many years.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think he overreacted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think he had one of those moments where it was like [goddamn it], just stop. I get it, not everybody acts the way we would like them to act under pressure. And he snapped.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Though there have been calls for his Oscar to be taken back, Goldberg predicted that wouldn’t happen, especially since Rock hasn’t pressed charges.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since Harvey Weinstein also hasn’t had his Oscars taken back, it seems unlikely the Academy will decide to take that kind of action either.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6d936255-7fff-96c7-b92b-cb8bae41e434"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Movies

Brian Houston resigns from Hillsong amid more scandal

<p dir="ltr">Brian Houston’s reign as the head of Hillsong Church has come to a shocking end, after it was announced he resigned from the global megachurch.</p> <p dir="ltr">The church’s founder resigned as Global Senior Pastor after an internal investigation into two incidents involving Brian found he had breached the church’s code of conduct, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/hillsong-church-brian-houston-resigns-as-head-of-megachurch/f4ead2f0-5292-418f-a38a-5c579ee2680b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dear Church, we would like to advise you that Pastor Brian Houston has resigned as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church and the board has accepted his resignation,” a statement from the church read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Irrespective of the circumstances around this, we can all agree that Brian and (his wife) Bobbie have served God faithfully over many decades.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We ask that you continue to pray for them, and the entire Houston family, during this challenging time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The church revealed last week that Brian had breached its moral code following the investigation.</p> <p dir="ltr">He allegedly sent inappropriate text messages to a staff member a decade ago, and entered a woman’s room at a conference in 2019 after mixing medication and alcohol.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The first issue was approximately a decade ago and involved inappropriate text messages from Pastor Brian to a member of staff, which subsequently resulted in the staff member resigning,” last week’s statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At the time, Pastor Brian was under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had developed a dependence.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hillsong said Brian apologised to the staff member and received help from the church for his use of sleeping pills.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Following an in-depth investigation, it was found that Pastor Brian became disoriented after a session at the Hillsong Conference, following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol,” the statement said of the second incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This resulted in him knocking on the door of a hotel room that was not his, entering this room and spending time with the female occupant.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Although members of the church were likely rocked by the news on Wednesday afternoon, this moment has been a long time coming for critics of the church and its leader.</p> <p dir="ltr">Brian Houston‘s resignation as Global Senior Pastor of the church comes just a month after he stepped down as the church’s figurehead last month while facing charges of concealing historic child sex abuse offences committed by his father, Frank.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was charged with concealing a serious indictable offence of another person in October last year, pleading not guilty to the charges after he returned to Australia from the US.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hillsong’s external legal counsel gave the board advice regarding the current charge I’m facing and that it would be best practice for me to step aside completely from church completely during court proceedings,” Brian previously said.</p> <p dir="ltr">These aren’t the first scandals Hillsong has been embroiled in either, with accusations of homophobia, celebrity pastor infidelity, and the accepting of millions in tax-free donations from attendees being just a few.</p> <p dir="ltr">“With that tax-free status must come greater responsibility. If you don’t pay taxes, like you and me, then you ought to be more accountable,” former Senator Nick Xenaphon told <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/hillsong-church-critic-reacts-to-leader-brian-houstons-resignation/fe878186-9fa6-4b1b-adf1-345478595282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Obviously there’s a lot to unravel here but if you’re the leader then the buck must stop with you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">With Brian’s resignation, Phil Dooley and his wife Lucinda have now taken over leading the church.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, it’s still possible that this will simply be an interim measure until a new leader is appointed.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0b1858bb-7fff-6b2b-a4e0-f89b17a71040"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

Terrifying final moments of crashed passenger jet emerge

<p dir="ltr">Less than a minute of flight data has stumped aviation experts who have been trying to retrace the last minutes of the China Eastern airlines MU5735 flight before it crashed.</p> <p dir="ltr">The passenger airplane departed from Kunming at 1pm local time (6pm NZDT) on Monday, with 123 passengers and nine crew onboard.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though it had an expected arrival time of 3.05pm in Guangzhou, the Boeing 737 plane crashed at approximately 2.20pm local time over Wuzhou city, nose diving into a hill and erupting in flames.</p> <p dir="ltr">After analysing the plane’s flight data taken from its computers and sensors, FlightRadar24 was able to show the plane stabilising during the stable auto-pilot section of the trip.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1d5c0fa6-7fff-7d49-b4d7-98c7f2b66247"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The flight path monitoring then abruptly drops, the vertical rate increases again, and the aircraft dramatically drops a second time - correlating with a reported altitude drop from 29,100 feet to 9075 feet in two minutes and 15 seconds, 10-20 seconds of stabilising, and another drop.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/graph.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: FlightRadar24</em></p> <p dir="ltr">No more data was recorded from 2.22pm onwards, when the plane was recorded as travelling at 3225 feet.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the drop and brief stabilisation has stumped experts, with NSW-based aviation expert telling <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/china-eastern-flight-5735-aviation-experts-call-boeing-737800-flight-pattern-unusual/b080c7bd-563c-4114-940b-3ca9dd20714b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a></em> he found it hard to explain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is unlikely, unless it was absolutely catastrophic like the wings falling off, for it to have fallen from the sky in the way that it did,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This has gone straight down. It’s likely when you go through the causes it has been hit in flight with military ordinance or there’s been a pilot intervention or collision.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with the plane’s blackbox, Boeing 777 pilot and aviation blogger Juan Brownes believes there is another piece of evidence that could explain the crash.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Browne claimed that the condition of the plane’s elevator trim jackscrew could help investigators understand how and why the plane was locked in a near-vertical nosedive, explaining that it could only happen if the aircraft’s elevator was locked in a specific position.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s really only one thing that can get the aircraft in that vertical descent and keep it there, and that is the elevator or the stabiliser trim,” he told the <em><a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3171336/china-eastern-airlines-flight-mu5735-air-safety-experts-study-video-and?module=lead_hero_story&pgtype=homepage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South China Morning Post</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c9c65c5e-7fff-9ddc-e9fc-d0fb5cac683d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“If you can find where the nut on the jackscrew was located, you can get an idea of what the trim state of the aircraft was on impact.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/crash-event.png" alt="" width="979" height="919" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: FlightRadar24 (<a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/plane-carrying-133-crashes-in-china-casualties-unknown/news-story/283d107abceae4c132f821d15bf060a3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Another aviation expert claimed the pilots would have been powerless to rescue the plane as it plummeted from the sky, explaining that the dramatic drop in altitude would have rendered the passengers and crew unconscious.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, flight commentator Sally Gethin told <em><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18014251/china-eastern-airlines-crash-jet-mountain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a></em> that flight data may have shown the “10 to 20 second spell where one or more of the pilots regained consciousness and tried to save the plane”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also said it was “too soon to speculate” on whether the crash could have been caused by a safety issue.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nevertheless, China Eastern Airlines has grounded their fleet of Boeing 737’s, with Ms Gethin suggesting they could be concerned “about the safety of that aircraft”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other experts have said the crash shouldn’t have occurred when it did, as the autopilot stage is the point when accidents are least likely to occur, and that the Boeing 737 was one of the safest planes ever made.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The 737 NG has been in operation for 25 years and has an excellent safety record,” the director of aviation consultancy firm Cirium told Bloomberg.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not going to speculate on what happened but if the FlightRadar24 logs are accurate, something seems to have happened abruptly and the plane nose dived from cruising altitude.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Graphic footage of the aftermath of the crash has since emerged online, including <a href="https://twitter.com/TheInsiderPaper/status/1505824981950816259" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this clip</a> from Insider Paper on Twitter.</p> <p dir="ltr">State broadcaster China Central Television reported that rescue teams were dispatched to the scene of the crash, while one local villager told a news site the plane had “completely fallen apart”.</p> <p dir="ltr">No survivors have been found as of yet.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dec1c5d3-7fff-b9cb-2d6d-7f50c103c66d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: news.com.au</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Madeleine McCann case to be closed

<p dir="ltr">The 15-year investigation into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance is set to be closed because police fear the suspect won’t be charged.</p> <p dir="ltr">German convicted paedophile and rapist Christian Bruekner was arrested as the prime suspect in the case back in 2020. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, police believe there is insufficient evidence to charge Bruekner, who was living in a campervan near the resort at the time of her family’s stay.</p> <p dir="ltr">Madeleine McCann was only three years old when she vanished from her family’s hotel room at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, in Portugal’s Algarve region in 2007, while her parents had dinner at a nearby restaurant.</p> <p dir="ltr">Scotland Yard, the headquarters of London Metropolitan Police, are set to close Operation Grange later in the year after launching it in 2010, three years after Madeleine disappeared.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The end of the road for Operation Grange is now in sight,” a UK source told <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18004401/madeleine-mccann-inquiry-end/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The team's work is expected to be completed by autumn. There are currently no plans to take the inquiry any further."</p> <p dir="ltr">The case was due to be closed at the end of March, but investigators applied for an extension until September in the event new evidence comes to light.</p> <p dir="ltr">Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, both 54, have been notified of the case winding down. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Legal

Community reeling after elderly couple found dead together

<p dir="ltr">An elderly couple has been found dead at their semi-rural property in a suspected murder-suicide, with neighbours and friends remembering them as well-loved socialites.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stephen, 74, and Sally Starling, 75, were living a seemingly dream retirement filled with extensive global travels and events where they entertained their neighbours. </p> <p dir="ltr">But, one of their neighbours tragically discovered the pair’s bodies at their Darling Downs property, near Armadale to the southeast of Perth.</p> <p dir="ltr">After police were called to the home at around 6.45pm on Monday, the peaceful street was transformed into a crime scene as they scoured the property for evidence.</p> <p dir="ltr">Detectives and forensic police returned to the scene to continue their search on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Neighbour Maureen Parkes said she was woken up in the early hours on Tuesday morning by lights coming up and down the driveway.</p> <p dir="ltr">“About 2am I got up, looked out the window and police cars were there … the whole of the driveway was floodlit, so I knew something was wrong,” she <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/wa/neighbours-grisly-discovery-sparks-investigation-as-elderly-couple-found-dead-at-darling-downs-property-c-5886688">said</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a quiet place … I knew something was different.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fellow neighbour Pat Hogge was surprised when police first appeared.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f83047ea-7fff-c3aa-0307-e0c09e45aab9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s worrying that we were just sitting on the patio and suddenly police cars were coming,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/forensic-police.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Forensic police continue to search the Darling Downs property. Image: 7NEWS</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Hogge remembered how the Starlings welcomed her into the neighbourhood when she first moved there eight years ago.</p> <p dir="ltr">She said Sally’s “flamboyant, social” personality complemented the “quiet and intelligent” Stephen.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They were very sociable and very welcoming,” Ms Hogge said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They have a yacht, a Jag, did a lot of travelling.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Just gorgeous people.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Starling, the Grand Tourer Register Secretary of the WA Jaguar Club, also documented their travels on an online travel blog, where he combined his passions for travel writing and photography.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Travel, writing and photography have been my passions since the 1970s when I boarded a train at a wet and windswept station in Blackpool, England, bound for a new life in sunny Perth, Australia,” his <a href="https://stephenwstarling.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> reads.</p> <p dir="ltr">Major Crime Division officers are treating the deaths as a murder-suicide as they continue to investigate the surrounding circumstances.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though police have confirmed that no one else was involved, they have not revealed who carried out the killing.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-247bd810-7fff-e304-e0b2-dc1cea8d7ccb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: stephenwstarling.com</em></p>

News

Potential breakthrough in Theo Hayez case

<p>Investigators are a step closer to solving the mystery of missing backpacker Theo Hayez, after honing in on WhatsApp messages he exchanged the night he vanished, to gain an insight into what happened.</p> <p>The Belgian teenager disappeared in 2019 from NSW hotspot Byron Bay, with an inquest on Wednesday hearing there had been a 'potential breakthrough' in the case.</p> <p>The development came just hours after Theo's parents suggested 'another person' was involved in their son's disappearance and police offered a $500,000 reward for information.</p> <p>'I don't want to overstate it, your honour, but we know Theo was engaged in some WhatsApp activity just before 1 am on the 31st of May,' counsel assisting the coroner, Kirsten Edwards said.</p> <p>This activity was prior to a five-hour window when Hayez' mobile phone ceased communicating with the nearest tower.</p> <p>In a bombshell revelation, Ms Edwards said the investigating team had also found a mystery person 'who was communicating with Theo on the 31st of May' but it is not yet known when the two exchanged messages.</p> <p>But WhatsApp messages, very commonly used as the primary messaging app in Europe, are encrypted, making it virtually impossible to find out what the texts said without one of the senders' phones.</p> <p>Earlier on Wednesday, it was revealed the police officer who led the initial search for Mr Hayez was inexperienced, missed vital training and would have conducted the operation 'very differently' with the benefit of hindsight.</p> <p>Speaking at the inquest the same day police announced a $500,000 reward for information on his case. Senior Constable Louis Papworth admitted he had only previously conducted two minor searches before the 18-year-old went missing.<br />Due to the urgency of the search and his inexperience, Papworth told the inquest he had made 'some mistakes.'</p> <p>If he'd had access to location data sourced from Theo's phone on the first two days of the search, it would have looked very different, Papworth said. With the benefit of hindsight, he would also have tried to find out more about Theo's interests and behaviours, to help tailor the search.</p> <p>The data showed Theo had spent seven minutes near cricket nets at a local sporting field, before charting a route through the Arakwal National Park to Cosy Corner Beach.</p> <p>'If you'd had that access to that information, you would have approached the search in a very different way, and with a lot more intensity?' Ms Edwards asked at the inquest.</p> <p>More volunteers would have been sent to those areas and he would have sent detectives to interview 'vagrants' who were staying near the sporting field.</p> <p>The inquest continues, and is due to hear more new 'significant' evidence in the coming days.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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