Category: World News

FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigates stabbing of NYPD cop in Brooklyn

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation into the stabbing of an NYPD cop in Brooklyn.

The feds arrived early Thursday at the Flatbush apartment building of the man accused of stabbing the cop in the neck.

Agents could be seen at the address on East 22nd Street in an apparent search of evidence, near the scene of the violent confrontation on Church Avenue, where the melee unfolded at about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force also arrived Thursday morning at the scene, while police took photos of “ACAB” graffiti — an acronym meaning “All Cops Are Bastards.”

The graffiti may be related to an anti-police demonstration that took place this past weekend in the same neighborhood, a source said.

The suspect, a 20-year-old white man with no prior criminal history, approached an officer and stabbed him in the neck, a police source said. Several cops responded to the scene and one pulled his firearm, sources said.

The officer and the suspect then struggled for the weapon, which went off striking one officer in the hand and another in the arm.

A sergeant also responded to the scene and shot the suspect, police said. The police officers were rushed to Kings County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

The officers were listed in stable condition Thursday morning.

The suspect, who has not been identified, was in critical condition.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said he visited two of the wounded officers and met with the family of the third.

“All our officers are going to recover,” de Blasio said at a press briefing. “This is another example of one of the everyday men and women of the NYPD to protect us and our communities no matter what is happening.”

“Thank God the officers came through safely … This is a moment in our history when we’ve got to support each other. No matter what else is happening around us, we have to be there for each other,” Hizzoner added.

“Thank God it’s a story that ends soon with the officers leaving the hospital to go home to their families.”

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Coronavirus lockdown sex ban could ‘break the chain and help eradicate HIV in UK for good’ – The Sun

THE LOCKDOWN sex ban could “help eradicate HIV” in the UK as more people continue to abstain from sex outside their household.

The government announced a new law on 1 June that makes it illegal for people to leave their households to have sex at the property of another person.

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New research from sexual health clinic 56 Dean Street has revealed that 84 per cent of people are already abstaining from sex outside of their household because of the pandemic, and that many remain apprehensive about the prospect of a casual encounter.

So far in the UK over 39,000 people have died from Covid-19 and the new data suggests that the lockdown is having a huge impact in the fight against HIV.

HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust and 56 Dean Street have now launched a push for more people to get tested for HIV while in lockdown.

The research was compiled from the views of 800 people and found that 8 in 10 are continuing to forgo meeting up for casual sex.

This is while 1 in 5 said they were not sure if this is something they would do again as the coronavirus lockdown enters its third month.

It also found that prior to the coronavirus lockdown 42 per cent of adults would have one sexual partner a month while 35 per cent would have between two and five partners.


Dr Alan McOwan, lead clinician at 56 Dean Street had previously highlighted that the coronavirus lockdown is a great opportunity for people to get tested and said that people were no longer having casual hookups and therefore HIV was no longer being spread.

The research found that 57 per cent of people were no longer meeting up for sex due to the government's guidance on stopping the spread of Covid-19.

This is while six per cent said they were avoiding sex outside their household in order to avoid catching HIV.

The Terrence Higgins Trust has highlighted that time is of the essence when it comes to testing for HIV and said that anyone who hasn’t had sex outside the home since before lockdown will get an accurate test result.

This is due to the fact that it can take up to a month from potential HIV exposure to show up on a test.

What are the symptoms of HIV?

Most infected people experience a short illness, similar to flu, two to six weeks after coming into contact with HIV.

These symptoms, which 80 per cent of infected people experience, are a sign that their body is trying to fight HIV. They include:

  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • Body rash
  • Tiredness
  • Joint and/or muscle pain
  • Swollen glands

After this illness, which normally lasts one to two weeks, HIV sufferers will have no symptoms for up to 10 years – during which time they will look and feel well.

However, the virus will continue to cause progressive damage to a person's immune system.

Only once the immune system is already severely damaged will the person show new symptoms. These include:

  • Weight loss
  • Chronic diarrhoea
  • Night sweats
  • Skin problems
  • Recurrent infections
  • Serious, life-threatening illnesses

Tests can be obtained through the post and if you test positive you will be able to get the treatment you need in order to stop HIV being passed on to others.

Most councils in England offer free HIV kits and 56 Dean Street is also sending them out.

The Terrence Higgins Trust is also filling any gaps across the UK by offering free tests for the next two weeks.

In order to obtain your kit at home you have to fill out a short questionnaire which will determine what test best suits your needs.

A box containing the sample kit will then arrive in 2-3 working days. Once you receive your kit you need to take the test and send it back through the post. 

The results will then be received via text message. 

Pharmacies also sell the kits and they are available to purchase from £15 to £31.

Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, Ian Green said: "This is an incredible opportunity to break the chain on HIV infection and help move us further forward in achieving our goal of ending HIV transmissions in the UK within the next decade. National HIV Testing Week is every November, but we need to act now because this chance won’t wait and won’t come around again.

"It’s estimated that around 7,500 people in the UK are living with undiagnosed HIV, which is bad for their health and means they may unwittingly pass it on. If everyone is able to use their time in lockdown to get tested and know their HIV status, we can ensure something really good comes out of the devastation of the Covid crisis."

Dr McOwan added that now is the time to get tested with fewer people hooking up for sex.

“We didn’t think there would ever be an extended period of abstinence for so many people, but now it’s happened we’re determined to make the most of it.

"Testing yourself for HIV is quick and easy, and postal tests arrive in plain packaging. Visit our Test Now, Stop HIV website to find out all the information and get tested.

"Testing is so important because once you know your status, you can take steps to stay HIV negative with condoms, regular testing and PrEP. Or, if you get a positive diagnosis, you can access the treatment you need to stay well and stop HIV from being passed on."

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Off-duty police officers flout coronavirus social distancing rules to drink cocktails in garden with pals – The Sun

TWO off-duty cops provoked outrage after they were caught flouting social distancing rules during a garden booze-up on the hottest day of the year.

Emily Watson, 22, and Julie Hand, 23, were snapped huddled together in the sunshine clutching cocktails a day after the strict lockdown was eased.

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The best pals, both of Penicuik, Midlothian, were seen sitting side by side on the grass, holding the pink drinks in plastic cups with four other female friends standing behind them.

But a furious member of the public reported the photo — which has since been deleted from Instagram — to police chiefs, who gave the pair “suitable advice”.

A source said: “Both of the girls have been out enforcing these rules and all the while they’re living it up with mates on what would have been Penicuik Gala Day.

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Polls show Biden 11 points ahead of Trump nationally and Texas in play

Joe Biden takes 11 point lead over Donald Trump nationwide as poll shows TEXAS is too close to call with Biden on 43 and Trump on 44

  • Joe Biden has an 11-point lead over President Trump in a new national poll, as state surveys show trouble spots for Trump in Wisconsin, Arizona and Texas 
  • Monmouth University found 52 per cent of American registered voters support Biden, while 41 per cent support Trump 
  • While Texas hasn’t supported a Democrat in 40 years, Biden is supported by 43 per cent of Texans, while Trump has 44 per cent support 
  • Trump, however, still gets higher marks than Biden on the economy in polling from all three states  

Joe Biden has an 11-point lead over President Trump in a new national poll, as state surveys show trouble spots for Trump in Wisconsin, Arizona and even Texas, which is too close to call. 

Monmouth University pollsters talked to registered voters across the nation and found that 52 per cent now support the presumptive Democratic nominee, while 41 per cent support the sitting Republican president. 

Biden has slowly made gains since March, when he essentially locked up the nomination, but also had to get off the campaign trail due to the coronavirus crisis. 

Joe Biden, speaking about the death of George Floyd Tuesday in Philadelphia, has a widening lead in national polling and is performing well against President Trump in some traditionally red states 

President Trump’s handling of the current racial unrest hasn’t been fully baked into polling yet. Instead, Joe Biden’s lead seems to be coming from Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus crisis 

Monmouth’s numbers showed him with 48 per cent support in March, to Trump’s 45 per cent. That grew to 48 per cent in April, while Trump was at 44 per cent. Last month, Biden got to 50 per cent of registered voters, while Trump fell to 51 per cent.  

Voters seem influenced by the belief that Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis will hinder his re-election chances. The most recent racial unrest hasn’t been fully baked in. 

‘The race continues to be largely a referendum on the incumbent. The initial reaction to ongoing racial unrest in the country suggests that most voters feel Trump is not handling the situation well at all,’ said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

Most of the reporting for this particular poll happened before Trump’s controversial move to pose in front of St. John’s church with a Bible Monday afternoon, minutes after protesters were forcibly removed from the area using ‘pepper balls,’ shields, smoke and police on horseback. 

A new Texas poll that dropped Wednesday shows Biden just one point behind Trump in a state that has voted Republican in the presidential election for the past 40 years. 

Forty-four per cent of Texans said they’d vote for Trump, while 43 per cent said Biden, according to a Quinnipiac survey.  

Arizona, which has already elected one Democratic senator and polling suggests will elect another in November, is another state that’s in play for Biden. 

A Fox News poll out Wednesday showed Biden with an 4 point lead. 

He receives 46 per cent of support in Arizona, to Trump’s 42 per cent, with the survey’s margin of error at plus-or-minus 3 per cent.    

Incumbent Sen. Martha McSally, who’s a Republican, gets just 37 per cent support compared to her Democratic rival, former astronaut Mark Kelly, who sits at 50 per cent support, in the same Fox News poll. 

In Wisconsin, a traditionally blue state Trump won over Hillary Clinton in 2016, a Fox News poll shows Biden 9 points ahead. 

He receives 49 per cent of the vote to Trump’s 40 per cent.  

Polling in both Arizona and Texas showed that Trump still had a solid edge when voters were asked who would be better at handling the economy. 

In Texas, 54 per cent of voters said Trump, while 40 per cent said Biden. 

In Arizona, 48 per cent said Trump, while 41 per cent said Biden. 

In Wisconsin, Trump still had a lead when voters were asked about the economy, but it was tighter – with 47 per cent saying Trump and 44 per cent suggesting Biden would be best.  

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Keith Ellison: 5 Things To Know About AG Who Brought Charges Against 4 Cops In George Floyd Case

After a week of protests over the shocking death of George Floyd, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that all four officers involved in the fatal arrest will face charges. Here’s what you need to know.

“We’re here today because George Floyd is not here. He should be here. He should be alive, but he’s not,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on June 3 when announcing that all four officers in George Floyd’s death would face charges. Initially, only Derek Chauvin, 44, — the now-fired Minneapolis Police Department officer who knelt on the back of George’s neck during the fatal arrest – faced third-degree murder charges. Ellison announced that officers Thomas Lane, 37, J. Alexander Kueng, 26, and Tou Thao, 34, would be charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Ellison also said that he will be bumping up charges against Derek to murder in the second-degree, and second-degree manslaughter. “I strongly believe that these developments are in the interests of justice for Mr. Floyd, his family, our community, and our state.” Attorney General Ellison will oversee the prosecution of these officers, so here’s the scoop on this former Democratic congressman.

1. He’s a Detroit native. Keith Maurice Ellison, 56, was raised in Detroit, Michigan by his parents – a psychiatrist and a social worker. He is the third of five sons (four of which grew up to be lawyers, while the other became a doctor.) He graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990, per his official bio. After graduating, he worked three years as a law firm, where he specialized in civil rights, employment, and criminal defense law.

2. He served in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019. Keith is a former Congressman. After Martin Olav Sabo, a Democrat who was elected to the House in 1978 (and was re-elected thirteen times), announced he was stepping down, Ellison stepped up. Keith was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2002 (and re-elected in 2004.) He decided to run for Sabo’s seat. He won the primary, defeating even Mike Erlandson, who Sabo had endorsed. Ellison would go on to win the seat with 56% of the vote. He served as the Representative from Minnesota’s 5th congressional district until he announced he would not seek reelection in 2018. He served his term until 2019, and Ilhan Omar was elected as his replacement.

3. He has made history. Even though Islam is a religion that’s centuries old, it took until 2006 for America to send a Muslim to Congress. Though he was raised Catholic, Keith converted to Islam when he was 19. His victory over Republican Alan Fine made him the first-ever Muslim the House of Representatives, per NBC News.

Keith stepped away from Congress so he could run for Attorney General in Minnesota. He defeated Republican Doug Wardlow in the 2018 general election by more than 100,00 votes, according to the Washington Post. This made him the first Muslim person to be elected to a statewide office in America, and the first African-American elected to a statewide office in Minnesota.

 

He was accused of misconduct, but the claims “could not be sustained.” During the campaign for Attorney General, Karen Monahan, an ex-girlfriend of Keith’s, accused him of dragging her off a bed by her feet while screaming obscenities at her. She claimed she had footage of the incident. Keith denied the allegations. The state’s Democratic party launched an investigation, and according to NBC News, a draft of the report noted that her “shifting rationale for refusing to produce the video footage, including that it was lost, was on a USB drive in storage and that it would be too embarrassing and traumatic to release it.” Because of this refusal to produce the evidence, the case was dropped.

One of his children is following him into the family business. Keith was married to his former wife, Kim, for more than 20 years before they filed for legal separation in 2010. They have four children together, including Jeremiah Ellison. He was elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 2017, per CBS News.

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Witness sees hammer fight between two groups of NYC looters

A Soho resident, who is also a woman of color, is speaking out about looters in her neighborhood after she witnessed two groups fighting each other with hammers over stolen property and using cardboard signs to pretend they were part of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

Bethany Johnson, who lives near Greene and Prince Streets, said she witnessed the violent altercation between two opposing groups of looters close to her apartment Tuesday afternoon after one group tried to steal looted property from the other.

“Please, please know that the ones looting are not protesting,” Johnson implored in a Facebook video before speaking with The Post.

“Now they’re beating one another. This has nothing to do with the movement and it’s making a mockery of the black lives matter movement when they do things like go down the street when they see the police, grab a piece of cardboard and right BLM on it.”

Johnson said she witnessed a “hammer fight between two groups of thieves” warring over a bag stuffed with luxury Jimmy Choo bracelets after one group tried to steal the loot from the other, the woman said.

“One group had a car, one group was on foot, so the group in the car thought they could steal from the group on foot, the group on foot chased them and they both had hammers, they both had crow bars and they were fighting each other over a bag of Jimmy Choo bracelets,” Johnson said.

“The guy in the Mercedes got out and grabbed the bag and [the other group] weren’t having it so they came back with the hammer and started beating on the windshield of the Mercedes.”

She added to The Post the looters had been stashing their booty all around Soho, including in the bushes and crevices around buildings, and then returning to pick it up in the daylight hours.

When police responded, Johnson watched as the young men, described as “teenagers,” picked up cardboard signs on the street and scrawled BLM on them in an attempt to appear as if they were part of the demonstrations.

“I am friggin’ tired of it,” the woman huffed, saying she’s been respecting the police and the curfews.

“This had nothing to do with the protests, this had nothing to do with anything except them wanting to steal from one another.”

At a certain point, Johnson inserted herself into the fracas and barked at the saboteurs to go home, leading her to get maced.

“You are not a protestor, you are not welcome, keep it moving,” the woman yelled, causing the teens to mace her and accuse her of being “white.”

Later Tuesday, Johnson witnessed looters trying to break into the Apple store on Prince Street, and shot video of the incident.

The NYPD did not immediately return a request for comment seeking further information on Johnson’s accounts.

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WHO has good news and bad news about second coronavirus wave

A top World Health Organization official had good news and bad news Wednesday — warning that there was a “definite threat” of another coronavirus outbreak but adding that the world would be better prepared this time around.

“We still have neither a vaccine nor a cure for Covid-19,” Hans Kluge, the WHO’s European director, said during a news conference conducted in Russian to reach people in countries where many speak the language, from Russia to Armenia and Israel, Russia Today reported.

“The second wave is not inevitable. But an increasing number of nations are lifting restrictions, and there is a definite threat of a repeat outbreak of the Covid-19 infection. If those outbreaks are not isolated, a second wave may come and it may be very destructive,” Kluge said.

The good news, he added, was that the world was now in a better position to deal with coronavirus after the first outbreak.

“We better understand the virus, which measures work, how we must prepare,” Kluge said.

The initial pandemic, which broke out in China in late 2019, has to date killed more than 380,000 across the world, including more than 105,000 in the US.

Experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, initially predicted it could take up to 18 months to develop an effective vaccine.

But Swiss drugmaker Novartis will start producing a genetic coronavirus vaccine this month under a deal with Massachusetts researchers.

AveXis, Novartis’ gene-therapy arm, agreed to manufacture the vaccine being developed by Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Production will start in time for clinical trials that are scheduled to begin in the second half of this year, according to a Thursday announcement.

And President Trump has asserted that a vaccine would be developed and ready for use by the end of 2020 under an ambitious effort he dubbed “Operation Warp Speed.”

“We’re getting ready so that when we get the good word that we have the vaccine, we have the formula, we have what we need, we’re ready to go, as opposed to taking years to gear up,” he said when announcing the effort last month.

“We’re gearing up. It’s risky. It’s expensive, but we’ll be saving massive amounts of time, we’ll be saving years if we do this properly,” the president added.

Trump has also bashed the WHO for its handling of the outbreak, particularly its purported kowtowing to China, and said the US was suspending relations with the organization.

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Brother tells looters ‘don’t disrespect the name of George Floyd’ by destroying their hometowns – The Sun

GEORGE Floyd's brother has pleaded with looters to stop as destroying their hometowns "disrespects his name and legacy".

Speaking after the decision was made to charge all four officers involved in the arrest death, Terrence Floyd addressed the widespread looting and protests.

"Don't do it in the name of George Floyd," he said during a press conference, "you're disrespecting his legacy. If you want to chant peacefully you can do so. But don't do it in the name of George Floyd."

Terrence also met with NYPD Police Commissioner to "begin conversations".

His comments came shortly after the news Minnesota’s Attorney General will escalate charges against Derek Chauvin and charge the three other officers with aiding and abetting murder, according to the Star Tribute.

Keith Ellison took the action just days after Gov Tim Walz asked the Attorney General to take over the prosecution, which had been led by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.



Family attorney Benjamin Crump tweeted the reaction of Floyd's relatives, who said: "This is a bittersweet moment.

"We are deeply gratified that @AGEllison took decisive action, arresting & charging ALL the officers involved in #GeorgeFloyd's death & upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin to felony second-degree murder."

On Wednesday, Crump spoke at the site where Floyd was “tortured to death” during his arrest in Minneapolis.

“They are just as guilty for the death as Chauvin," Crump said, regarding the other three officers present.

He accused fired officers Thomas Lane, J.A. Keung and Tou Thao of all “participating” in the death of Floyd, who was pinned down to the sidewalk for more than eight minutes.

Crump made his comments to press as it emerged the Minnesota Attorney General's office has finished its initial review of evidence.

"They all participated," Crump continued as he urged the AG's office to deliver justice.

"Do your job," he said. "Because all the world is watching."




Terrence has previously directed comments towards the looters, demanding on Monday: "I'm not here messing up my community. So what the hell y'all doing?"

Terrence encouraged protesters to "do this another way" — by voting out those who are currently in leadership.

"Let's switch it up, y'all. Do this peacefully, please," he pleaded with the crowd. "My brother moved here from Houston and I used to talk to him on the phone, he loved it here."

"I highly doubt — no, I know — he would not want y'all to be doing this," Terrence told protesters at the vigil, adding those who are violently protesting need to "relax."

"Stop looting, don’t stop protesting," he told the crowd.




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Madeleine McCann parents say ‘we will never give up hope of finding her alive… but we need to find peace’ – The Sun

KATE and Gerry McCann tonight promised they will “never give up hope” of finding Maddie alive as police identified a new prime suspect in a bombshell development.

In a brief statement, the heartbroken mum and dad said all they want is to "uncover the truth" and "bring those responsible to justice".


Kate and Gerry have been searching for their missing little girl for 13 years after she vanished during a family holiday to Praia du Luz in Portugal.

Detectives tonight revealed a German prisoner has been identified as a new suspect in Maddie's disappearance.

A statement from Madeleine's parents, read by Det Chief Insp Mark Cranwell, said: "We welcome the appeal today regarding the disappearance of our daughter Madeleine.

"We would like to thank the police officers involved for their continued efforts in the search for Madeleine.

"All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice.

"We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive, but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know as we need to find peace."

Met Police have not named the man, 43, who is described as white with short blond hair, possibly fair, and about 6ft tall with a slim build.

The German national is known to have been in and around the town on the Algarve coast at the time Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007.

A half-hour phone call was made to his Portuguese mobile phone around an hour before Madeleine is believed to have gone missing.

The suspect, who is in prison in Germany for an unrelated matter, has been linked to an early 1980s camper van – with a white upper body and yellow skirting, registered in Portugal – which was pictured in the Algarve in 2007.


Kate and Gerry have staged a ceaseless campaign to find their daughter since the day their "perfect nuclear family" was hit by "horror".

The couple had left Maddie, 3, with her twin siblings Sean and Amelie, asleep in their holiday apartment while they had dinner at a tapas restaurant with pals just just a one minute walk away.

Doing regular checks on the children, Gerry found nothing amiss when he looked in on the youngsters just after 9pm.

But when his wife returned at about 10pm she discovered three-year-old Madeleine was missing – and the family's life changed forever.

She vanished shortly before her fourth birthday and would have turned 17 last month.

The mum and dad – both doctors – have poured their into efforts finding her.

But so far they have been fruitless despite a huge UK police operation worth around £11.75million.

Over the years the McCann family have launched numerous public appeals and won high-profile backers, all to no avail.

In 2017, ten years since Maddie vanished, the McCanns said they had been forced to adjust to a "new normality" of being a family-of-four with their twins.

The parents said their focus was on giving the two children "a very normal, happy and fulfilling life".


Scotland Yard have said the new suspect was driving the camper van in the Praia da Luz area.

The suspect is believed to have been living in it for days or weeks before and after Maddie vanished on May 3.

He has also been linked to a 1993 Jaguar XJR6 with a German number plate seen in Praia da Luz and surrounding areas in 2006 and 2007.

The day after Madeleine went missing, the suspect got the car re-registered in Germany under someone else's name, although it is believed the vehicle was still in Portugal.

Both vehicles have been seized by German police.

Cops also took the "really unusual" step of releasing two mobile phone numbers as part of the appeal.

The first, (+351) 912 730 680, is believed to have been used by the suspect and received a call from another Portuguese mobile, (+351) 916 510 683, while in the Praia da Luz area, starting at 7.32pm and ending at 8.02pm on the night Maddie vanished.

The caller, who is not thought to have been in the Praia da Luz area, is not being treated as a suspect, but is said to be a "key witness" in the case.

Mr Cranwell said: "Some people will know the man we are describing today, the suspect in our investigation. I'm appealing to you directly.

"You may know, you may be aware of some of the things he has done. He may have confided in you about the disappearance of Madeleine.

"More than 13 years have passed and your loyalties may have changed.

"This individual is in prison and we are conscious that some people may have been concerned about contacting police in the past. Now is the time to come forward.

"I'm appealing to you to contact us, or the German authorities or the Portuguese authorities.

"I should be very, very clear on this – while this male is a suspect, we retain an open mind as to his involvement."

The suspect is known to have been linked to the Praia da Luz area between 1995 and 2007, with some short spells in Germany, and is described as having a "transient lifestyle", living in his camper van for days at a time.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen the camper van in or around Praia da Luz on the night Madeleine went missing, the days before or weeks after.

Detectives also want to speak with anyone who saw the van together with the Jaguar, or individually, during the spring and summer of 2007.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said the investigation into the suspect had seen Met detectives sent to Portugal and Germany.

He added: "This is a significant development, which is why we've made the decision to take this significant step of making a public appeal on some information that we would not normally talk about in our major investigations."

Scotland Yard tonight launched a joint appeal with the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany BKA and the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria.

It includes a £20,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the person responsible of Madeleine's disappearance.

The Met's investigation has identified more than 600 people as being potentially linked to the case.

Detectives were tipped off about the German national, already known to cops, following the appeal on the tenth anniversary of her disappearance.

German police are treating the case as a murder investigation but the Met's Operation Grange, launched in 2013, has always considered the case a missing person inquiry.

TIMELINE OF MADDIE'S DISAPPEARANCE

  • 28 April 2007 The McCanns go on holiday at the Ocean Club complex in Praia da Luz.
  • 3 May 2007 Madeleine disappears between 9.30pm and 10pm while her parents are out for dinner at a nearby tapas restaurant.
  • 4 May 2007 Portuguese police investigation begins, the McCanns make an impassioned appeal for information – with Kate holding Madeleine's favourite toy, Cuddle Cat.
  • 7 September 2007 During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both suspects in their daughter's disappearance.
  • 29 November 2007 Local pizza shop owner George Brook told British media he saw a "vicious looking" man and woman dragging a little blonde girl towards the marina at 6am. He said Portugese police ignored his report.
  • 6 May 2009 After the McCann's appear on the Oprah Winfrey show, several witnesses come forward to say they had seen an "ugly" man with dark hair watching the McCann's apartment in the days leading up to Madeleine's disappearance.
  • 6 August 2009 Police say they are looking for a "Victoria Beckham" lookalike in connection with Maddie's disappearance.
  • 13 May 2011 Then prime minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.
  • 9 March 2012 Portuguese police in Porto launch a review of the original investigation.
  • 26 April 2012 Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.
  • 15 June 2013 The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.
  • 14 October 2013 Police release an e-fit of a man seen by witnesses carrying a small blonde child near the McCann's resort. The man was white with brown hair.
  • 24 October 2013 Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.
  • 19 March 2014 British Police reveal they are looking for a man with tanned skin and unkempt long brown hair after a man of that description sexually abused five young girls in their beds between 2004 and 2010.
  • 28 October 2015 The number of police officers devoted to the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance is reduced from 29 to four.
  • 3 April 2016 Theresa May, then home secretary, grants Scotland Yard £95,000 in extra funding to continue the search for Madeleine.
  • 12 March 2017 The Home Office gives police £85,000 to extend the search for Madeleine – known as Operation Grange – for a further six months. It takes the total spent on the investigation to beyond £11m.
  • 2 May 2017 A secret Home Office report reveals Gerry and Kate McCann claimed they were treated badly by Portuguese police from the start of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance – and they fell out with UK authorities too and later did not share with police information gathered by their own private investigators.
  • 13 November 2018 Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine have received a further £150,000 in government funding.
  • 4 May 2019 German child killer, Martin Ney,who matches an e-fit of man seen shortly after she vanished is named as a suspect in the case.
  • 2 June 2019 Scotland Yard granted a further £300,000 for the investigation

Kate and Gerry are both from close-knit working-class Catholic families and have found solace through their relatives and their faith in the years since Madeleine's disappearance.

Gerry is from Glasgow and his wife from Liverpool, and they met while working as junior doctors at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow.

Kate stopped working as a GP after her daughter went missing to focus on campaign work and her two other children, twins Amelie and Sean, aged just two when Madeleine disappeared.

She poured her energies into charity work, including as an ambassador for the Missing People charity, before returning to work in another area of medicine.

Gerry is a professor of cardiac imaging at the University of Leicester and a consultant cardiologist.

He has been open about his mental health struggles since the night Madeleine went missing.

Over the years, the McCanns have built up a close bond with the Portuguese town where they last saw Maddie.

The couple were regular visitors to the church of Our Lady of Light in Praia da Luz after she vanished as they prayed for her return.

It has since been revealed that villagers in Praia da Luz have prayed for Madeleine every Sunday since.

In a letter written in 2017, Kate thanked local friends and supporters "for being strong enough.

She also thanked them for being brave enough to keep Madeleine and the family in their "prayers and hearts".

Speaking to the BBC on the 10-year anniversary of her daughter's disappearance, Kate said they have tried to be as "open" as they can with Maddie's siblings.

She said: "We have told them about things and that people are writing things that are simply just untrue and they need to be aware of that."

Madeleine's parents admitted they have been shocked by hurtful online abuse.

They said they had seen "the worst and the best of human nature" since the campaign to find their daughter thrust them into the spotlight.

Previously, Kate has blasted the "misinformation, half-truths and downright lies" that had circulated around her daughter's case.

But her husband has insisted that overall they had "been overwhelmingly seeing the better side of human nature" and received "fantastic support".

Last Christmas, a message on the official Find Madeleine Facebook page, said "nothing has changed".

As they faced their 13th Christmas without their daughter, the McCanns added: "We love her, we miss her, we hope as always.

"The search for Madeleine goes on with unwavering commitment."

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Saudi teen granted asylum in Canada speaks out on George Floyd death

EXCLUSIVE: Saudi teen granted asylum in Canada speaks out on George Floyd death and reveals she now has a black boyfriend and declares Black Lives matter protests ‘basic human rights’

  • Rahaf Mohammed made headlines when she fled from her family last year
  • After a week in limbo she was granted entry to Canada where she has resettled
  • Over the weekend she said, ‘Black Lives Matter isn’t a political stance,’ as she weighed in on protests taking place across the US and also in Toronto
  • The 20-year-old also revealed her love for her black boyfriend

A Saudi teenager who was granted asylum in Canada has revealed she has a black boyfriend as she spoke out about the Black Lives Matter protests that have rocked the U.S. over the past week.

Rahaf Mohammed made International headlines last year after she barricaded herself in a hotel room in Thailand to avoid being sent back to Saudi Arabia.

After a week in limbo, Ms Mohammed was handed over to the US refugee agency and resettled in Canada. She has spent the past year enjoying the freedom in her new home and raising awareness for the plight of women in her conservative homeland.

She took to social media over the weekend as protests – some of which erupted into violence – rocked cities across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis police custody.

In a recent social media post Rahaf Mohammed shared her love for her boyfriend: ‘Je t’aime mon amour’ (I love you my dear)

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, an 18-year-old Saudi woman who fled her family, speaks at the COSTI Corvetti Education Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada January 15

Ms Mohammed revealed that she is in a relationship with a black man, but explained that wasn’t the reason she was speaking up about the protests.

‘Black lives matter isn’t a political stance!’ she said.

‘It’s basic human rights. I have a black partner but that is not the reason i choose to speak up about the injustice towards black people, it’s always about human rights. Black lives matter today, tomorrow and always.’

Ms Mohammed also shared a photo of herself in an embrace with her partner in a post on Snapchat.

Rioters start fires outside the White House to protest George Floyd’s death. Ms Mohammed wrote: ‘Black lives matter isn’t a political stance!’

‘Je t’aime mon amour,’ she wrote in a caption alongside the picture. In another caption in Arabic, Ms Mohammed said she was grateful that he had come into her life.

Ms Mohammed also recently spoke out about the struggle of Saudi women as the UK and other nations went into lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus.

‘Since y’all forced to be at home, just imagine their lives,’ she wrote in response to a tweet that said many Saudi women have lived their entire life in quarantine.

‘They’re not allowed to go to the hospital, supermarket, visit friends, the mall, parks, or even just walk outside their homes?’ The tweet added.

Ms Mohammed’s plight made headlines around the world in January 2019 as she posted on social media about being barricaded in her hotel room at the international airport in Bangkok, Thailand (pictured)

Ms Mohammed left her family while visiting Kuwait and flew to Bangkok in January last year.

When she was denied entry into Thailand, she barricaded herself in an airport hotel room to avoid deportation and appealed for help on Twitter, quickly amassing a large following. She said she feared for her life, but her family have denied abusing her.

In a press conference after he arrived in Canada, Ms Mohammed said she wanted to work in support of freedom for women around the world.

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