Headlines this weekend:
HAMILTON WINS: Young Briton Lewis Hamilton won his second Formula 1 race having taken pole position at the seventh round Grand Prix at the Indianapolis track in the United States. Three cars exited the race in the first lap. Hamilton’s McClaren teammate Alonso came a creditable second.
Hamilton is the first Briton to win the American Grand Prix for 23 years.
New misery for McCann family
The Portuguese police have gone on record saying that important evidence may have been destroyed by those attempting to help in the first crucial hours following Madeleine McCann’s disappearance from her holiday apartment on May 3. The statement confirmed what many have thought could well be the case.
Gerry and Kate McCann were on holiday with Madeleine, her two siblings and several other people when Madeleine disappeared from the bedroom in which all three children slept. There have been no positive sightings of Madeleine for the past 45 days.
During the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance the police have confirmed that DNA was recovered from the holiday home of a stranger, but Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa has said “The presence of so many people – especially in the room where the little girl slept with her brother and sister could have at least complicated the work of the forensic team.”
Gerry and Kate McCann said that the comments are very unhelpful and are dismayed at the remarks.
ALAN JOHNSTON: Hamas and the Army of Islam are sending out conflicting reports concerning the safety of Alan Johnston.
Reports early on Sunday from Hamas suggested that kidnapped Johnston would be released within hours.Johnston’s captors have stated that unless their demands are met they will kill him; Johnston was captured on March 12.
The Army of Islam, Johnston’s captors, deny ever having come to any agreement whereby the BBC journalist would be released. Their threat was aired in a video sent to Al Jazeera, an Arabic news channel.
GAZA: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has formed a new government after the takeover of Gaza by rival faction Hamas.
DIANA: Earl Spencer, brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, has spoken of his pleasure that (generally) Diana is remembered with affection 10 years on from her death; she was a glamorous humanitarian. Earl Spencer went on to say that it was very difficult to lose a sibling – even 10 years on.
BLAIR: The good: The Sunday Times reports that Tony Blair is preparing to do a compromise deal over the EU charter .The bad: There are claims in Sunday newspapers that Prime Minister Blair took Britain into Iraq, even though he knew there was no post-war plan for the country. The ugly: The Independent’s front page shows a harrowing photograph of Baha Mousa and alleges that there is fresh evidence over the killing of the Iraqi by British troops. The Independent claims that the photograph will haunt Tony Blair. The sad: Delays in taking injured troops out of Iraq are allegedly longer than during the Vietnam war.
A GOOD WEEKEND FOR WEDDINGS: Singer Rod Stewart and footballers Steven Gerrard, Michael Carrick and Gary Neville all married their long-time partners.
KATE McCANN: newspaper reports allege that Kate McCann, mother of missing Madeleine, is considering giving up her job as a General Practitioner in the UK to fight child trafficking. There are no new leads on the whereabouts of Madeleine who has been missing since May 3.
