Helge B, the key witness in the Madeleine McCann case who tipped off the police about the main suspect, said the Metropolitan police ignored his initial approach and only took him seriously when he contacted them nine years later.&nbsp;

Helge hails from Germany. In 2008, he approached Scotland Yard about Christian Bruckner, the main suspect, and his involvement in a child abduction case. But he heard nothing back from them. In 2017, the publicity of Madeleine's 10th year of disappearance spurred him to approach the Metropolitan police again. However, this time, they acted on the information provided by him.&nbsp;

Helge told the German tabloid Bild that his connection with Bruckner ruined his life. People assumed they were partners in petty crimes back at Praia da Luz, the resort from where Madeleine disappeared in 2007.&nbsp;

After being convicted of people smuggling, Helge came out of prison in Greece in 2017. When he approached the Metropolitan police about the case, two officers came to Athens and met him. Later, they took him to London and questioned him formally. In a statement, Helge said, "I called Scotland Yard in 2008, ringing the Maddie hotline. I told them I know someone who has something to do with it and gave them his name. They noted my details, and my telephone number, but nothing happened. Nothing! They never even rang me back. I thought to myself, I guess they'll be in touch at some point."

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In 2018, the German criminal police contacted him to be a witness in a trial. Subsequently, Bruckner was convicted of raping an elderly American woman in 2005, for which he was imprisoned in Germany. Helge told the cops about a video of the heinous crime reportedly made by Bruckner. He found the tape in 2007 in Bruckner's flat, where he went to steal some diesel with a friend. Helge also mentioned that he had seen other such videos, including one in which Bruckner was molesting a teenage girl tied to a pillar. When he left Portugal, he left the tapes in his caravan and did not know what happened to them.&nbsp;

In 2008, Helge met Brückner again in Órgiva, Spain. Helge tried to avoid talking to him. "It was difficult for me. After all, I knew what he had done and that he was immensely dangerous," he said.&nbsp;

The pair had some beers together. Helge started to talk about Maddie and said, "I don't understand how the little one could have disappeared even without a trace."&nbsp;In response, Brückner, drunk on two or three beers, replied, "She didn't scream."

Madeleine Beth McCann was three when she disappeared on the evening of 3 May 2007 from Praia da Luz, Portugal. The Daily Telegraph described the disappearance as "the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history." Netflix released a documentary about the case, The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, in 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Helge B, the key witness in the Madeleine McCann case who tipped off the police about the main suspect, said the Metropolitan police ignored his initial approach and only took him seriously when he contacted them nine years later.

Helge B, the key witness in the Madeleine McCann case who tipped off the police about the main suspect, said the Metropolitan police ignored his initial approach and only took him seriously when he contacted them nine years later. Helge hails from Germany. In 2008, he approached Scotland Yard about Christian Bruckner, the main suspect, and his involvement in a child abduction case. But he heard nothing back from them. In 2017, the publicity of Madeleine's 10th year of disappearance spurred him to approach the Metropolitan police again. However, this time, they acted on the information provided by him. Helge told the German tabloid Bild that his connection with Bruckner ruined his life. People assumed they were partners in petty crimes back at Praia da Luz, the resort from where Madeleine disappeared in 2007. After being convicted of people smuggling, Helge came out of prison in Greece in 2017. When he approached the Metropolitan police about the case, two officers came to Athens and met him. Later, they took him to London and questioned him formally. In a statement, Helge said, "I called Scotland Yard in 2008, ringing the Maddie hotline. I told them I know someone who has something to do with it and gave them his name. They noted my details, and my telephone number, but nothing happened. Nothing! They never even rang me back. I thought to myself, I guess they'll be in touch at some point." ALSO READ | Australia: Kidnappers caught napping in car as hostages dial police after escaping In 2018, the German criminal police contacted him to be a witness in a trial. Subsequently, Bruckner was convicted of raping an elderly American woman in 2005, for which he was imprisoned in Germany. Helge told the cops about a video of the heinous crime reportedly made by Bruckner. He found the tape in 2007 in Bruckner's flat, where he went to steal some diesel with a friend. Helge also mentioned that he had seen other such videos, including one in which Bruckner was molesting a teenage girl tied to a pillar. When he left Portugal, he left the tapes in his caravan and did not know what happened to them. In 2008, Helge met Brückner again in Órgiva, Spain. Helge tried to avoid talking to him. "It was difficult for me. After all, I knew what he had done and that he was immensely dangerous," he said. The pair had some beers together. Helge started to talk about Maddie and said, "I don't understand how the little one could have disappeared even without a trace." In response, Brückner, drunk on two or three beers, replied, "She didn't scream." Madeleine Beth McCann was three when she disappeared on the evening of 3 May 2007 from Praia da Luz, Portugal. The Daily Telegraph described the disappearance as "the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history." Netflix released a documentary about the case, The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, in 2019. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Madeleine McCann Case: Met police neglected tipoff for nine years, says key witness

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will kick off a day-long conclave on ‘Nine Years of Seva, Sushasan, Garib Kalyan’ (Service, good governance, and welfare of poor) held by Doordarshan on Saturday (May 27).

Anurag Thakur, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, will be the keynote speaker at the conference, which will include panel discussions on three themes: India Surging Ahead, Jan, Jan ka Vishwas (people's confidence), and Yuva Shakti: Galvanising India, as per PTI reports.&nbsp;

Industry leaders Sunil Bharti Mittal, Sangita Reddy, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Ritesh Agarwal, Debjani Ghosh, actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rishab Shetty, sarod exponent Aman Ali Bangash, and athletes Nikhat Zareen, Viren Rasquinha, and Akhil Kumar will take part in the panel discussions.

A booklet detailing the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the previous nine years will be released.

<h2>New parliament row</h2>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that the newly built parliament building would be inaugurated&nbsp;on Sunday (May 28).&nbsp;Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and invited him to the inauguration of the new parliament building.

As per&nbsp;a Lok Sabha release, the new parliament building in the national capital has been completed and "symbolises the spirit of self-reliance in India"

"The lack of space was being experienced in the current building as per the present requirements. In both the Houses, there was also&nbsp;a lack of convenient arrangements for the sitting of MPs which was affecting the efficiency of the members," the release said.

The current Parliament building was erected in 1927, making it about 100 years old.

The Centre has invited all present members of both houses of Parliament, as well as ministers, secretaries, chief ministers, and administrators of Union Territories for the inauguration.

<h2>Opposition plans boycott</h2>

However, as many as 20 parties have voiced their intention to boycott the event, including the Congress, CPI, AAP, and Trinamool Congress.

In a joint statement, the opposition parties said, “The inauguration of a new parliament building is a momentous occasion. Despite our belief that the government is threatening democracy, and our disapproval of the autocratic manner in which the new parliament was built, we were open to sinking our differences and marking this occasion. However, Prime Minister Modi’s decision to inaugurate the new parliament building himself, completely sidelining President Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response."

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will kick off a day-long conclave on ‘Nine Years of Seva, Sushasan, Garib Kalyan’ (Service, good governance, and welfare of poor) held by Doordarshan on Saturday (May 27).

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will kick off a day-long conclave on ‘Nine Years of Seva, Sushasan, Garib Kalyan’ (Service, good governance, and welfare of poor) held by Doordarshan on Saturday (May 27). Anurag Thakur, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, will be the keynote speaker at the conference, which will include panel discussions on three themes: India Surging Ahead, Jan, Jan ka Vishwas (people's confidence), and Yuva Shakti: Galvanising India, as per PTI reports. Industry leaders Sunil Bharti Mittal, Sangita Reddy, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Ritesh Agarwal, Debjani Ghosh, actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rishab Shetty, sarod exponent Aman Ali Bangash, and athletes Nikhat Zareen, Viren Rasquinha, and Akhil Kumar will take part in the panel discussions. A booklet detailing the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the previous nine years will be released. New parliament row Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that the newly built parliament building would be inaugurated on Sunday (May 28). Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and invited him to the inauguration of the new parliament building. As per a Lok Sabha release, the new parliament building in the national capital has been completed and "symbolises the spirit of self-reliance in India" "The lack of space was being experienced in the current building as per the present requirements. In both the Houses, there was also a lack of convenient arrangements for the sitting of MPs which was affecting the efficiency of the members," the release said. The current Parliament building was erected in 1927, making it about 100 years old. The Centre has invited all present members of both houses of Parliament, as well as ministers, secretaries, chief ministers, and administrators of Union Territories for the inauguration. Opposition plans boycott However, as many as 20 parties have voiced their intention to boycott the event, including the Congress, CPI, AAP, and Trinamool Congress. In a joint statement, the opposition parties said, “The inauguration of a new parliament building is a momentous occasion. Despite our belief that the government is threatening democracy, and our disapproval of the autocratic manner in which the new parliament was built, we were open to sinking our differences and marking this occasion. However, Prime Minister Modi’s decision to inaugurate the new parliament building himself, completely sidelining President Murmu, is not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

India: Home minister Amit Shah to kick off day-long conclave on 9 years of Modi govt

Polling booths opened in Lebanon on Sunday for the country's first parliamentary election in nine years, a period marked by stretches of political paralysis and war in neighbouring Syria.

Voting is scheduled to last from 7 am&nbsp(0400 GMT) until 7 pm&nbsp(1600 GMT), with unofficial results expected to start coming in overnight and a formal tally announced in the coming days.

Whatever the result, a new coalition government including most of the major parties is likely to be formed after the election, analysts have said.

Getting a new government in place quickly would reassure investors of Lebanon's economic stability after donors pledged $11 billion in soft loans for a capital investment programme last month, in return for fiscal and other reforms.

Lebanese are closely watching the performance of Sunni Muslim Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's Future Movement party and that of the Iran-backed, Shi'ite Hezbollah group and its allies.

Despite some acts of violence and intimidation connected to the election in recent weeks, no major incidents were reported in the immediate run-up to voting.

Lebanese are closely watching the performance of Sunni Muslim Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's Future Movement party

Polling booths opened in Lebanon on Sunday for the country's first parliamentary election in nine years, a period marked by stretches of political paralysis and war in neighbouring Syria. Voting is scheduled to last from 7 am (0400 GMT) until 7 pm (1600 GMT), with unofficial results expected to start coming in overnight and a formal tally announced in the coming days. Whatever the result, a new coalition government including most of the major parties is likely to be formed after the election, analysts have said. Getting a new government in place quickly would reassure investors of Lebanon's economic stability after donors pledged $11 billion in soft loans for a capital investment programme last month, in return for fiscal and other reforms. Lebanese are closely watching the performance of Sunni Muslim Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri's Future Movement party and that of the Iran-backed, Shi'ite Hezbollah group and its allies. Despite some acts of violence and intimidation connected to the election in recent weeks, no major incidents were reported in the immediate run-up to voting.

Polls open in Lebanon's first general election in nine years

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