Police to launch fresh searches in Portugal this week for Madeleine McCann who disappeared in 2007 on family holiday
Police are set to conduct new searches this week for British toddler Madeleine McCann who disappeared while on a family holiday more than 18 years ago.
A German prosecutor has requested police begin a "broad range" of searches in the southern Portuguese area of Lagos where she was last seen alive in 2007.
Portuguese police will take charge - with the assistance of their German counterparts - and will scour the coastal and popular holiday location from Tuesday.
German investigators had named Christian Brueckner as a suspect.
He has lived in Portugal, including in the Praia da Luz area where the then-three-year-old was last seen, but he had never been charged. He has denied any involvement.
Brueckner is currently in jail for raping a 72-year-old woman.
The last time searches were carried out in relation to Madeleine was two years ago when investigators scoured a reservoir in Silves, not far from the Lagos region.
Portuguese Police conducted a three-day search of the Barragem do Arade reservoir and took away pieces of material to be examined further.
Christian Wolters, a German prosecutor for the city of Braunschweig, at the time said the items will be evaluated in the coming days and weeks.
"Whether individual items actually have a connection to the Madeleine McCann case cannot yet be said. The investigations conducted here in Braunschweig against the 46-year-old suspect are expected to continue for a long time," he said.
Police brought in sniffer dogs, heavy machinery and pickaxes to dig up and comb the reservoir after receiving "certain tips" relating to the case.
The reservoir is about 50 kilometres from where Madeleine vanished.
She was asleep in a room with her twin brothers at the Praia da Luz resort.
Her parents Gerry and Kate McCann went to dinner and returned to find she had vanished.
They marked the 18-year disappearance in May, saying "the years appear to be passing even more quickly" and vowing to leave "no stone unturned" to find their child.
"No matter how near or far she is, she continues to be right here with us, every day, but especially on her special day," they said in a statement.
"We continue to 'celebrate' her as the very beautiful and unique person she is.
"We miss her."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Cologne starts biggest bomb disposal since World War II
The largest bomb-related evacuation since 1945 has begun in the German city of Cologne after the discovery of three US World War II bombs. More than 20,000 residents have been evacuated from part of Cologne's city centre as specialists prepared to defuse the bombs that were unearthed earlier this week Even 80 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs dropped during wartime air raids are frequently found in Germany. Authorities on Wednesday started evacuating about 20,500 residents from an area within a 1000m radius of the bombs, which were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. They were found in the Deutz district, just across the Rhine River from Cologne's historic centre. As well as homes, the area includes 58 hotels, nine schools, several museums and office buildings and the Messe/Deutz train station. It also includes three bridges across the Rhine - among them the heavily used Hohenzollern railway bridge, which leads into Cologne's central station and is being shut during the defusal work itself. Shipping on the Rhine will also be suspended. National rail operator Deutsche Bahn said it's expecting "considerable restrictions in local and long-distance transport in North Rhine-Westphalia" due to disposal. In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 1500 to 2000 unexploded bombs from WWII are found every year. About 200 of these are larger devices, such as those found in Cologne, said Kai Kulschewski, the city's head of explosive ordnance disposal. Like many of Germany's major cities, Cologne was heavily bombed during WWII. with DPA The largest bomb-related evacuation since 1945 has begun in the German city of Cologne after the discovery of three US World War II bombs. More than 20,000 residents have been evacuated from part of Cologne's city centre as specialists prepared to defuse the bombs that were unearthed earlier this week Even 80 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs dropped during wartime air raids are frequently found in Germany. Authorities on Wednesday started evacuating about 20,500 residents from an area within a 1000m radius of the bombs, which were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. They were found in the Deutz district, just across the Rhine River from Cologne's historic centre. As well as homes, the area includes 58 hotels, nine schools, several museums and office buildings and the Messe/Deutz train station. It also includes three bridges across the Rhine - among them the heavily used Hohenzollern railway bridge, which leads into Cologne's central station and is being shut during the defusal work itself. Shipping on the Rhine will also be suspended. National rail operator Deutsche Bahn said it's expecting "considerable restrictions in local and long-distance transport in North Rhine-Westphalia" due to disposal. In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 1500 to 2000 unexploded bombs from WWII are found every year. About 200 of these are larger devices, such as those found in Cologne, said Kai Kulschewski, the city's head of explosive ordnance disposal. Like many of Germany's major cities, Cologne was heavily bombed during WWII. with DPA The largest bomb-related evacuation since 1945 has begun in the German city of Cologne after the discovery of three US World War II bombs. More than 20,000 residents have been evacuated from part of Cologne's city centre as specialists prepared to defuse the bombs that were unearthed earlier this week Even 80 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs dropped during wartime air raids are frequently found in Germany. Authorities on Wednesday started evacuating about 20,500 residents from an area within a 1000m radius of the bombs, which were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. They were found in the Deutz district, just across the Rhine River from Cologne's historic centre. As well as homes, the area includes 58 hotels, nine schools, several museums and office buildings and the Messe/Deutz train station. It also includes three bridges across the Rhine - among them the heavily used Hohenzollern railway bridge, which leads into Cologne's central station and is being shut during the defusal work itself. Shipping on the Rhine will also be suspended. National rail operator Deutsche Bahn said it's expecting "considerable restrictions in local and long-distance transport in North Rhine-Westphalia" due to disposal. In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 1500 to 2000 unexploded bombs from WWII are found every year. About 200 of these are larger devices, such as those found in Cologne, said Kai Kulschewski, the city's head of explosive ordnance disposal. Like many of Germany's major cities, Cologne was heavily bombed during WWII. with DPA The largest bomb-related evacuation since 1945 has begun in the German city of Cologne after the discovery of three US World War II bombs. More than 20,000 residents have been evacuated from part of Cologne's city centre as specialists prepared to defuse the bombs that were unearthed earlier this week Even 80 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs dropped during wartime air raids are frequently found in Germany. Authorities on Wednesday started evacuating about 20,500 residents from an area within a 1000m radius of the bombs, which were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. They were found in the Deutz district, just across the Rhine River from Cologne's historic centre. As well as homes, the area includes 58 hotels, nine schools, several museums and office buildings and the Messe/Deutz train station. It also includes three bridges across the Rhine - among them the heavily used Hohenzollern railway bridge, which leads into Cologne's central station and is being shut during the defusal work itself. Shipping on the Rhine will also be suspended. National rail operator Deutsche Bahn said it's expecting "considerable restrictions in local and long-distance transport in North Rhine-Westphalia" due to disposal. In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 1500 to 2000 unexploded bombs from WWII are found every year. About 200 of these are larger devices, such as those found in Cologne, said Kai Kulschewski, the city's head of explosive ordnance disposal. Like many of Germany's major cities, Cologne was heavily bombed during WWII. with DPA
Mercury
9 hours ago
- Mercury
‘Law made to look like an arse': Keir Starmer's X post slammed for hypocrisy
Author Douglas Murray discusses UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's thoughts on small boat crossings in Britain. The number of people claiming asylum in the UK in 2024 was the highest since records began. 'Keir Starmer says, you know, in a tweet, 'I'm angry', in order to try to placate the actual, real anger of the British public,' Mr Murray told Sky News host Rita Panahi. 'The migration just keeps going up, up, and up endlessly. 'What's the point in even pretending you have borders? 'If Starmer actually wants to demonstrate that he feels angry about this … he should start the force deportation of the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who have broken into the UK illegally.'
Sky News AU
9 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Law made to look like an arse': Keir Starmer's X post slammed for hypocrisy
Author Douglas Murray discusses UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's thoughts on small boat crossings in Britain. The number of people claiming asylum in the UK in 2024 was the highest since records began. 'Keir Starmer says, you know, in a tweet, 'I'm angry', in order to try to placate the actual, real anger of the British public,' Mr Murray told Sky News host Rita Panahi. 'The migration just keeps going up, up, and up endlessly. 'What's the point in even pretending you have borders? 'If Starmer actually wants to demonstrate that he feels angry about this … he should start the force deportation of the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who have broken into the UK illegally.'
