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Who is Brigitte Macron? - The French first lady making headlines

Who is Brigitte Macron? - The French first lady making headlines

Extra.ie​27-05-2025
Brigitte Macron became a household name overnight after a video of her appearing to push her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron, appeared online.
The video emerged as the couple arrived in Vietnam for the start of a Southeast Asia tour on Sunday.
In the short clip, the first lady of France appears to shove her husband moments before he descended from the private plane.
While she remains relatively blocked from the camera, her husband President Macron, quickly locked eyes with the videographer before the couple descended the steps together. Brigitte Macron has become a household name overnight after a video of her appearing to push her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron, appeared online. Pic: Chesnot/Getty Images
Prior to her role as First Lady, Brigitte worked as a drama teacher at Le Providence, a Catholic school in France. This is where she met her future husband, who was a student at the time. She was 39 while the future President was much younger.
The former teacher was married to banker André-Louis Auzière at the time, with the couple sharing three children, Sébastien, Laurence and Tiphaine.
The pair began an affair when the future president was just 16 years old, with his parents believing he was in fact dating Brigitte's daughter.
French President Emmanuel Macron shoved in face by wife Brigitte in front of world's media 😳 pic.twitter.com/R1pnj4DIL6 — Daily Mail (@DailyMail) May 26, 2025
Once the truth came to light, his parents quickly removed him from the school, however, the pair kept in touch while he was in college.
The pair eventually married in 2007 when he was 29 and she was 54.
Previously discussing their relationship in an interview with CNN, Mr Macron said: 'For me, it's very important for my personal balance to have somebody at home telling you the truth every day.' French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron. Pic: Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
'Access to truth is one of the main challenges. Somebody with her deep convictions and knowing you and loving you for what you are, not for what you represent or your role or your honours. That is very important to me.'
In a previous interview with Elle magazine, Brigitte remarked that she and her husband are 'just like any other couple.'
She said: 'We agree, we disagree. We argue, we stop arguing. It's very fluid.'
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Key points ‘missing' from Netflix doc could prove what really happened to Amy Bradley when she vanished from cruise ship
Key points ‘missing' from Netflix doc could prove what really happened to Amy Bradley when she vanished from cruise ship

The Irish Sun

time2 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Key points ‘missing' from Netflix doc could prove what really happened to Amy Bradley when she vanished from cruise ship

IMPORTANT details left out of the Netflix documentary about missing American Amy Lynn Bradley could prove how she vanished on a cruise ship almost 30 years ago, an expert has claimed. Amy was 23 when she disappeared from the Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas on March 21, 1998, during a family trip. 5 Netflix series Amy Bradley is Missing has been a huge hit with true crime fans Credit: Netflix 5 The 23-year-old was last seen on the balcony of the cabin she shared with her family Credit: Netflix 5 Author James Renner has been researching the case for his new book Credit: James Renner The case has left the true crime community scratching their heads for years, and the three-part series is one of the most-watched on the streaming service. Wannabe lawyer and true crime fan Kim Kardashian is even said to have been courted to help try and crack the case, according to TMZ, amid conspiracy theories that Amy was sex-trafficked. But author and YouTuber James Renner, who has done extensive research on the case and is set to release a new book next year, believes there could be a simpler answer. In an exclusive chat with The U.S. Sun, he said, "I think it's very interesting when you look at the facts of the case, such a small detail that doesn't seem to mean anything, but it might mean everything. "They make a big point of saying that the balcony door was ajar in the morning, but they also suggest that Amy then left the room without telling anybody. "But if you've ever been on a cruise ship, you know that there are warning plaques in your room that say, 'Do not open the cabin door when the balcony doors open.' Because the hallway is pressurized. "So, if you open that cabin door, it creates a wind tunnel. And it often causes the cabin door to slam shut. "In fact, some people have lost fingers because it slammed shut so hard. "You cannot quietly leave a cabin room with the balcony door open. It would've woken everybody up." During his research for the book, Renner says he spoke to cruise staff who were briefed about what the FBI found in the cabin when they dusted it for prints. The FBI appeal for information on the Amy Lynn Bradley case - a Virginia woman who disappeared 20 years ago He alleged, "On the railing, they found Amy's palm prints, and on the glass door, they found her footprints. "So it appears that she was sitting on the balcony with her feet against the glass. "So it's possible that she kicked off. And when she kicked off, the door opened a little bit. "I think it's possible she sat on the railing. I think what we might be looking at here is what the French call 'l'appel du vide' which we call 'call of the void.' "I think it's possible. She had a really rough night. She'd been drinking. She had a very big decision to make when she got home from that cruise ship. "And that was, does she live her life out in the open as a gay woman? Which is how she identified to everybody. "She didn't identify as bi, she identified as gay and lesbian. "So does she live that life and risk disappointing her parents and not having that close relationship? Or does she live a lie and turn her back on who she really is? So all that's going on in her mind. I think she's sitting on that balcony thinking, 'What if?' and by pushing off she causes action." Author James Renner "I think she's sitting there out on that balcony. When you're in places like that, just like when you're standing on the edge of a cliff, there is that voice inside you sometimes. that comes up and says, 'What if?' "I think she's sitting on that balcony thinking, 'What if?' and by pushing off she causes action." Renner explained that once you're overboard on a cruise ship, there is only about a 20 per cent chance you're going to survive being in the rough waters long enough to be pulled out. "So, I think that's what happened. I think it's likely she went overboard earlier when they were further from the port." He said he will discuss his theory in full in his book, A Cruise to Nowhere, which will be released next summer. He said, "I talk about some stories where eyewitness testimony was faulty, and it's because memory doesn't work like it does on TV and film, where you see this flashback in technicolor. "Every time we access a memory, we rewrite it a little bit. "These people have the best intentions. They want to help this family. But you know, they're coming at it backwards, they've been shown the picture of Amy, and then it matches up with this memory in their mind.' On the theory that Amy was kidnapped and sex-trafficked, Renner claims there is no verified account of a caucasian woman being abducted and trafficked in the Caribbean. I do think that if Amy had lived, she'd probably be with her partner Molly." Author James Renner "This would be a first, which is very unlikely," he said. "It's just not worth the trouble. A white woman is gonna stand out in Grenada, and it's not worth the risk for the people that do this. "They have plenty of women from the Dominican Republic, from Columbia, from these poor countries, that can go there and make more money than their family could in a year working a couple of weeks for these brothels." Renner met with the Bradley family while researching his book several months ago, but he alleges they cut contact with him after an initial meeting. "I came to care for the Bradley family quite a bit. Iva [Amy's mom] is the type of person that loves hard," he said. "I met with them about a year ago and was invited to their house, and had lunch with them." He claims that before he arrived, Iva told him anyone who is invited into their home was considered family, a comment he did not take lightly and he was hoping to build a relationship with them. "Unfortunately, once they learned that I knew that Amy was gay and that I had spoken to her partners, that was the last contact I had with them," he claims. The U.S. Sun has reached out to Amy's family for comment, but did not hear back. Top theories relating to Amy Bradley's disappearance From suicide to sex-trafficking, there have been many theories about what happened to the 23-year-old. Sex-trafficking/Abduction - this is the most prominent theory, as alleged witnesses have come forward to claim they have seen her with suspicious men in the Caribbean. A photograph of a woman with strikingly similar features was also posted on a sex worker website and featured in the Netflix doc. - this is the most prominent theory, as alleged witnesses have come forward to claim they have seen her with suspicious men in the Caribbean. A photograph of a woman with strikingly similar features was also posted on a sex worker website and featured in the Netflix doc. Suicide - Amy was allegedly struggling with stress after coming out as a gay woman to her family, and they found it difficult to accept. She was reportedly drinking and chain-smoking in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. She was also last seen in her family's cabin smoking on the balcony, and there is no proof she ever left. - Amy was allegedly struggling with stress after coming out as a gay woman to her family, and they found it difficult to accept. She was reportedly drinking and chain-smoking in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. She was also last seen in her family's cabin smoking on the balcony, and there is no proof she ever left. Accidental Overboard - Amy was under the influence of alcohol when she was on the balcony after a night of partying in the ship's nightclub. She may have climbed up while intoxicated and fallen overboard. However, this is considered the least likely theory due to the height of the balcony and Amy's reported fear of heights. - Amy was under the influence of alcohol when she was on the balcony after a night of partying in the ship's nightclub. She may have climbed up while intoxicated and fallen overboard. However, this is considered the least likely theory due to the height of the balcony and Amy's reported fear of heights. Voluntary Departure - It has also been suggested that Amy may have intentionally left the ship to start a new life after revealing her sexuality to her family. The documentary explores this theory as a mystery internet user with an IP address linked to Barbados would often spend minutes on pages of the website created by her family every year on Christmas and Thanksgiving. "It's very sad. I do think that if Amy had lived, she'd probably be with her partner Molly, and I hope she would've had the support of her family." Asked what drew him to the case, Renner said he likes unsolved mysteries that are "giant puzzle boxes." "It could be that they walked away to start a new life. It could be they committed suicide. It could be they were abducted. It could be they were murdered. So everything's on the table. "And those cases intrigue me because they're very rare. And, you know, one of the reasons they're still like that is because they haven't been properly investigated. "So what I like to do is just chip away at some of those other theories and see what's left. "And for me, I've narrowed [it] down, what happened to Amy Bradley ... to the point where I don't believe she ever came off that balcony. "I think it's highly likely that she is responsible for whatever took place there." Renner also previously spoke to The U.S. Sun about the now-debunked theory that Amy was taken from the ship and sex-trafficked by a bass player called Alister Douglas, known then by his nickname "Yellow". He took the same journey as Amy on the Rhapsody of the Seas and tracked Douglas down in Grenada, where the now-reverend granted him a brief interview. Douglas claimed the case had turned his life upside down, and he was still receiving hate from trolls online despite being ruled out by the FBI on more than one occasion. Tearing up, he admitted, "I've lost so many opportunities because of this," explaining that people Google his name and believe he had something to do with Amy going missing. "My inbox, my Facebook, people have been writing me horrible stuff for years." 5 Amy Bradley disappeared 27 years ago while on vacation with her parents and brother Credit: Netflix

Nagasaki hopes atomic bombing will be the last on Earth as it marks anniversary
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time6 hours ago

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The United States launched the Nagasaki attack on August 9, 1945, killing 70,000 by the end of that year, three days after the bombing of Hiroshima that killed 140,000. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, ending the Second World War and the country's nearly half-century of aggression across Asia. About 2,600 people, including representatives from more than 90 countries, attended a memorial event at Nagasaki Peace Park, where mayor Shiro Suzuki and prime minister Shigeru Ishiba spoke, among other guests. At 11:02am, the exact time when the plutonium bomb exploded above Nagasaki, participants observed a moment of silence as a bell rang. Dozens of doves, a symbol of peace, were released after a speech by Mr Suzuki, whose parents are survivors of the attack. He said the city's memories of the bombing are 'a common heritage and should be passed down for generations' in and outside Japan. 'The existential crisis of humanity has become imminent to each and every one of us living on Earth,' Mr Suzuki said. 'In order to make Nagasaki the last atomic bombing site now and forever, we will go hand-in-hand with global citizens and devote our utmost efforts toward the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realisation of everlasting world peace.' Survivors and their families gathered Saturday in rainy weather at Peace Park and nearby Hypocentre Park, located below the bomb's exact detonation spot, hours before the official ceremony. 'I simply seek a world without war,' said Koichi Kawano, an 85-year-old survivor who laid flowers at the Hypocenter monument decorated with colourful paper cranes and other offerings. Some others prayed at churches in Nagasaki, home to Catholic converts who went deep underground during centuries of violent persecution in Japan's feudal era. The twin bells at Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed in the bombing, also rang together again after one of the bells that had gone missing following the attack was restored by volunteers. Despite their pain from wounds, discrimination and illnesses from radiation, survivors have publicly committed to a shared goal of abolishing nuclear weapons. But they worry about the world moving in the opposite direction. Ageing survivors and their supporters in Nagasaki now put their hopes of achieving nuclear weapons abolition in the hands of younger people, telling them the attack is not distant history, but an issue that remains relevant to their future. 'There are only two things I long for: the abolition of nuclear weapons and prohibition of war,' survivor Fumi Takeshita said. 'I only see a world where nuclear weapons are never used and everyone can live in peace.' In hopes of passing on the lessons of history, Ms Takeshita visits schools to share her experience with children. 'When you grow up and remember what you learned today, please think what each of you can do to prevent war,' Ms Takeshita, 83, told students during a school visit earlier this week. Teruko Yokoyama, an 83-year-old member of a Nagasaki organisation supporting survivors, said she feels the absence of those she has worked, which fuels her strong desire to document the lives of remaining survivors. The number of survivors has fallen to 99,130, about a quarter of the original number, with their average age exceeding 86. Survivors worry about fading memories, as the youngest of the survivors were too young to recall the attack clearly. 'We must keep records of the atomic bombing damages of the survivors and their lifetime story,' said Ms Yokoyama, whose two sisters died after suffering illnesses linked to radiation. Her organisation has started to digitalise the narratives of survivors for viewing on YouTube and other social media platforms with the help of a new generation. 'There are younger people who are beginning to take action,' Ms Yokoyama said. 'So I think we don't have to get depressed yet.' Nagasaki hosted a 'peace forum' on Friday where survivors shared their stories with more than 300 young people from around the country. Seiichiro Mise, a 90-year-old survivor, said he is handing seeds of 'flowers of peace' to the younger generation in hopes of seeing them bloom. Survivors are frustrated by a growing nuclear threat and support among international leaders for developing or possessing nuclear weapons for deterrence. They criticise the Japanese government's refusal to sign or even participate in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons because Japan, as an American ally, needs US nuclear possession as deterrence. In Mr Ishiba's speech, the prime minister reiterated Japan's pursuit of a nuclear-free world and pledged to promote dialogue and cooperation between countries with nuclear weapons and non-nuclear states at the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons review conference scheduled for April and May 2026 in New York City. Mr Ishiba, however, did not mention the nuclear weapons ban treaty. Nagasaki invited representatives from all countries to attend the ceremony Saturday. China notably notified the city it would not be present without providing a reason. The ceremony last year stirred controversy due to the absence of the US ambassador and other Western envoys in response to the Japanese city's refusal to invite Israel.

Patrick Geoghegan: From Gaza to Ukraine, Daniel O'Connell's torch of freedom still shines in hours of darkness
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