EXCLUSIVE

A heartbroken family has been told they ‘should be grateful’ to property developers in Malaysia who covered up the discovery of an Adelaide woman’s buried remains. 

Greg Jenkins, 44, has spent the last six years on a quest for justice after his mother Anna Jenkins, 65, went missing while on a trip to the island of Penang in 2017. 

Mr Jenkins said the comment – made this month by a Malaysian High Court judge as she threw out a negligence case against local police he alleges failed to properly investigate – ‘highlights the disrespect’ his family have consistently encountered. 

Mr Jenkins said the judge told his family they should be grateful that construction workers involved the police when his mother was found but he alleges they only did so after he put pressure on them. 

After his mother disappeared, Mr Jenkins, a member of Australia’s Defence Force, got leave from his post in Hawaii. He flew back to his home in Adelaide before making 34 trips to Malaysia at a cost of more than $300,000 in an effort to track her.

His persistence paid off when a construction worker in 2020 replied to a missing persons flyer he posted saying his mother’s body had been found during works on a building site and it had been quietly moved nearby to not disrupt the development. 

The last call Ms Jenkins made from Penang’s main city of Georgetown indicated she was being followed by men after her passport and her family believe she was robbed, murdered and left at the building site – which at that point was still jungle. 

Mr Jenkins has received the backing of SA-Best MLC Frank Pangello who also accompanied him to Malaysia for the recent ruling.

Mr Pangello said the Jenkins family, who just want someone to answer for what happened to Anna, have been repeatedly brushed aside by Malaysian authorities. 

Ms Jenkins had dual citizenship because she had lived in Australia since the early 1970s, raising a family in Adelaide after she married RAAF serviceman Frank Jenkins as a young woman.

‘It’s high time the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, made strong representations to the Malaysian Government about the treatment of the Jenkins family,’ Mr Pangello said.

Her son Greg said none has been held to account after a project manager and landscape contractor who were working on the housing development moved his mother’s remains in a deliberate effort to cover up the body.

‘We have proof they found and reburied mum’s remains,’ Mr Jenkins told Daily Mail Australia.

‘How is tampering with evidence and contaminating a crime scene not a criminal offence in any Commonwealth country?’ he said.

‘Instead the judge absolved them and said we should be thanking them that they brought the police in – which they only did because of the amount of pressure I put on the construction worker.’

‘They at first didn’t do anything and the police refused to go there until we forced their hand because it was getting some local media coverage and I said I would go to the foreign minister.’

A 2023 coronial inquiry into Ms Jenkin’s death was declared an ‘open verdict’ due to a ‘lack of evidence’.

Anna’s daughter and Greg’s sister, Jen Bowen, said she felt authorities ‘did not care’ for her mother and didn’t want to help.

The housing development was aimed at wealthy Chinese buyers – and traditionally they can’t buy a home anywhere that’s had human remains on it.

‘This development cost over $100million to build but the selling price of the luxury villas made it worth more than a billion – so everyone just hushed it all up,’ Mr Jenkins said.

‘They didn’t want word leaking out that dead bodies had been found there as it’s taboo and could have killed off the market for Chinese buyers.

‘So they moved my mother’s bones off to the side to an area which was going to be a water feature in parkland, and wouldn’t be residential land.

‘We found 34 bones from my mother but the police and deputy public prosecutor called the search off. They said the excavation equipment could destroy any more remains which is ridiculous.

‘When I first went to the site the Chief of Police told me we were not allowed to tell the press we were going or post it on social media.

‘The developer has put a lot of money into Penang and they don’t want anything putting that at stake.

‘They are setting the profits of this developer above a kidnapping and murder investigation.’

Mr Jenkins said during his investigations he found out that an Australian passport is worth $100,000USD on the black market in Malaysia as they are used by transnational criminal groups.

‘Someone holding an Australian passport can access 129 countries without a visa, which is very valuable to these people.’

There is no suggestion the construction workers had anything to do with Ms Jenkins’ disappearance, only that her remains where later found at the building site.

Despite the fact Ms Jenkins was an Australian citizen her case has largely gone under the radar at home.

‘If this had been a younger blonde Australian woman there would be outrage.

‘That just crushes my heart, my mother was the most beautiful person.

‘She was a Christian woman who dedicated her life to helping others. She helped the homeless and refugees in Adelaide through her charity work and an Aboriginal group through the church.

‘It’s just indicative of the person she was.’

Mr Jenkins said the Malaysian High Court judge won’t accept an appeal until he pays the legal costs of the defendants – the government, the police, the land developers, the project manager and a landscape worker.

‘They just want me to drop the case but I haven’t let this go for six years and I’m not going to let an unjust system deter us.’

The quest to find Anna and the legal case has cost the family about $600,000 and the Australian government has provided little in the way of help.

‘Anthony Albanese goes out of his way to send a text about David Warner’s missing baggy green, yet there’s been an Australian citizen go missing overseas and we’ve had no assistance at all.’

Embattled Red Bull team principal Christian Horner shared photos of his wife Geri Halliwell to mark Mother’s Day, despite the furore around his sex texts scandal.

The Red Bull boss, 50, had been cleared of allegations of ‘coercive behaviour’, but has been fighting for his future after flirtatious text messages apparently exchanged between him and the female complainant were divulged to 149 F1 figures.

Halliwell, the former Spice Girl, has been in attendance at both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prixs to show her support to her husband amid the controversy.

Horner shared two photos of Geri featuring the couple’s seven-year-old son Monty, as well as another snap with his own mother Sara.

‘Happy Mother’s Day – So appreciative of the mums in our family for everything they do,’ Horner wrote. ‘We’re always grateful, today and every day.’

Horner, who has won 13 world championships since heading the team as a 31-year-old in 2005, had previously thanked his ‘very supportive wife’ for her backing during the accusations.

Halliwell and Horner mixed in social circles before they struck up a romance, having first met each other at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2009.

‘[Geri] was a guest of [former CEO of the Formula One Group] Bernie Ecclestone’s in Monaco one year and came down the pit lane,’ Horner previously told The Telegraph. ‘I remember [McLaren boss] Ron Dennis was standing next to me and Eddie Jordan was there as well.

‘She gave Ron a kiss on the cheek, and she gave Eddie a kiss on the cheek. So I thought, ‘OK, I’m on for a kiss on the cheek here!’ And I went to give her one and she shoved her hand out at me.’

Their relationship, however, got off to a rocky start, coming under fire after the Red Bull chief left his long-term partner Beverley Allen six months after she gave birth to their daughter Olivia.

While the couple took a short break to see if Horner could rescue his relationship with the mother of his child, just nine months later he announced his engagement to Ginger Spice in an advertisement in the The Times in 2014.

It said: ‘The engagement is announced between Christian, son of Mr and Mrs G.M. Horner and Geraldine, daughter of the late Mr L.F. Halliwell and Mrs A Parkinson.’

The former Spice Girl and Red Bull boss tied the knot at St Mary’s Church in Woburn, Bedfordshire, in 2015.

Halliwell’s A-line lace bridal gown was designed by British designer Phillipa Lepley.

Bluebell, whom she had with screenwriter Sacha Gervasi in 2005, also attended the wedding.

Guests included Geri’s former Spice Girls co-star Emma Bunton, radio presenter and singer Myleene Klass, and TV presenter Amanda Holden.

Christian’s parents were reportedly left devastated when the sporting professional left Ms Allen to be with the chart-topping star and therefore chose not to see the duo tie the knot.

A source close to the couple previously said: ‘Geri and Christian are disappointed that his parents aren’t coming.’

Halliwell had last year recalled the lonely experience of being a single mum to her daughter Bluebell, comparing it to raising her son Monty with Horner.

The singer, shares Bluebell 17, with her screenwriter ex Gervasi. They split prior to her birth.

Halliwell said she needed ‘broad shoulders’ to raise Bluebell as a single parent and later struggled when ‘learning how to be a team.’

Geri told Giovanna: ‘I’ve experienced both and I can tell you that, yeah I had my mom to help me with Blue. So I’m very grateful. And her granddad is gorgeous so it was a fantastic role model for her.

‘He takes her to football, which is amazing and I think you know, they both have their blessings and challenges.

‘Being a single parent, mother you don’t have to answer to anyone, but it’s all on you. And that can be quite stressful and you have to be responsible. All the responsibilities are on you in every way.

‘Broad shoulders are needed and sometimes it’s lonely. So I’ve experienced that. And then, you know, having the blessing of having a lovely husband or partner, which I’ve experienced. That’s amazing.

‘So it’s not all on you, but then you’ve got to compromise, we might have, you know, we’re all different in the way we think things should be done. So learning to be a team, which has been a challenge for me.’

Halliwell staged another public show of unity with Horner as she watched his team charge to victory with another one-two finish in Jeddah yesterday.

Although Horner and Halliwell were seen cosying up again in front of the cameras, insiders claim that the leaked texts scandal ‘has been tough on her’.

Earlier this week, Horner’s accuser was suspended on full pay as a direct result of Red Bull’s inquiry because she was reportedly ‘dishonest’ when giving evidence.

As the spotlight continues to glare on Horner and Halliwell, a source close to the couple told The Sun: ‘It’s been tough but Geri has been a rock for Christian through all this and he has spoken out about how much that means to him.

‘There was no question of her staying away from Saudi – that would have sent entirely the wrong message.’

Horner also faced reporters in a press conference on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s race and admitted that the scandal had taken its toll on his family, while fending off questions on the woman at the centre of it.

He also said his wife had been ‘hugely supportive’ but admitted the scandal had been ‘very trying’ on his family.

‘It’s obviously been a very trying period,’ he said. ‘I’m married and have three children. And when that intrusion includes your children and the scrutiny that is placed upon your marriage.

‘I’m very fortunate that I have a beautiful family and very supportive wife. Of course, It’s very trying, it’s very challenging. When there’s children involved, parents, families, it’s not pretty.’

He added that the grievance had been ‘dealt with in the most professional manner’ by Red Bull’s parent company GmbH, which had appointed one of the top ‘KCs in the land’.

After fielding a barrage of questions of the topic, he called for the invasion into his private life to cease and attention turned towards racing.

‘The intrusion on my family is now enough,’ he said. ‘We need to move forward. It’s time now to focus on why we’re here, which is to go Formula One racing.’

Friends of the star claimed last week that it it would ‘break her heart’ to end her marriage to Christian — the man she sees as the ‘Prince Charming’ she has longed for since she was a little girl.

It’s believed that the scandal put the couple’s marriage ‘in question for the first time’.

Friends close to Halliwell, who stood by her husband of nine years resolutely throughout the internal probe, revealed she had ‘the meltdown to end all meltdowns over the leaks’.

The mother-of-two has been left ‘feeling humiliated’ after the messages were spread ‘so widely out there’, a friend added.

Hundreds of intimate WhatsApp exchanges purportedly between Horner and the colleague were released via an anonymous email account.

Halliwell had told friends that she was ‘relieved and elated’ that the claims against her partner had finally been dropped.

Friends of the Spice Girl told the Mail she thought the scandal had ‘finally gone away’ but have warned the appearance of the intimate messages – to which there are 79 screenshots – could ‘destroy’ her.

One said: ‘All along Christian promised there was nothing in it.’

Another said he now fears for how the star, who has been left mortified at the embarrassing fall out, will be able to comprehend such a public humiliation.

He said: ‘Geri has been living in this happy, happy bubble for so many years now, she thought she had her prince and her knight in shining armour but now this.

‘She thought that it had all gone away, she was delighted and over the moon when she learned Christian had been cleared.

‘Geri was pilloried when she got together with Christian because he had just had another baby with another woman but she has worked hard to rid that image of herself and Christian, and in particular that she is a homewrecker.

‘Now it has all come crashing down. The tears stopped when the judgment came in on Wednesday, now they absolutely will have started again.

‘This will destroy her. All along Christian promised there was nothing in it.’

By Valeria Garcia for Dailymail.Com

Published: 3:18 PM EST, March 7, 2024 | Updated: 3:18 PM EST, March 7, 2024

Drake has paid tribute to a mother and daughter who were tragically struck and killed by a car after attending his concert in St. Louis, Missouri, earlier this month.

The rapper, 37, honored the lives of Laticha Bracero, 42, and her daughter Alyssa Cordova, 21, during his show in Buffalo, New York on Wednesday night.

He gave an impassioned speech, encouraging fans to “be grateful for your life” and “show love” to those around them – whether they are a familiar face or a stranger.

Shortly afterwards, Drake donated $25,000 to a cancer survivor who was waving a sign in the stands.

“You never know what someone else’s reality is going to be when they walk out of this building,” Drake told the audience, according to footage obtained by TMZ.

He continued: ‘So for this moment, let’s bring us all together, all 18,000 people. TGo to someone you don’t know and look him or her in the eye, and I want you to prove that you are grateful for your life.”

“I want you to take five seconds out of your day to make someone else’s day. Just show them some love because you never know what will come next.

“Just show some love tonight in Buffalo, New York.”

When people started following his directions and giving each other hugs and handshakes, Drake became even more inspired and shouted from the stage, “That’s what I want to see.”

He then walked back and forth on stage, trying to encourage fans to all follow suit and show each other a loving gesture.

“I appreciate the gesture you did for me. I think one of the most important things in life is the idea that you have two choices: you can wake up every day and be a piece of shit, or you can wake up every day and be a decent human being. . So I appreciate you all,” he told the fans.

Bracero, 42, and Cordova, 21, were both killed in the early morning of Feb. 14 when the driver of a speeding car struck them shortly after they left the concert.

Police say 22-year-old Monte Henderson was speeding through an intersection at more than 75 miles per hour when he allegedly caused the tragedy.

Two other teenage girls and a 61-year-old woman were also hospitalized after the crash.

Henderson survived and was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of armed criminal action.

However, Judge Annette Llewellyn overlooked a probable cause statement stating he is a danger to the community, allowing him to be released on $20,000 bail this week, according to STL Today.

HEnderson’s bail sparked outrage online after shocking footage of the crash went viral.

Court records showed he was released two days later after posting 10 percent of his $200,000 bail.

“Rest in peace to that young mother and her child,” Drake shared, before taking note of a female fan holding up a sign saying they were cancer survivors.

‘I have this plate in front of me. I have this sign in front of me and it means a lot,” the five-time Grammy winner said.

‘This sign here. I’m sure you can read it on the screen, but if you can’t, it says, “I beat stage 4 cancer just in time to see Drake #godsplan.”

A visibly emotional Drake told the crowd that “everything happens for a reason” and then announced he would gift the woman $25,000.

So tonight I’d like to give you $25,000,” he told her, drawing thunderous applause from the audience.

He kept his word and according WVIB in Buffalothe woman did indeed receive the money.

Drake has repeatedly awarded $25,000 to lucky fans in tribute to his 2018 music video God’s Plan, in which he does just that.

In what is believed to be his largest donation to date, Drake gave a cancer survivor, who had only recently undergone chemotherapy treatments, $100,000 during his concert in Nashville earlier this month.

The Prince of Wales said he ‘really appreciates everyone’s kindness’ as he spoke out for the first time since the shock news that the King has been diagnosed with cancer.

It came as William arrived at a gala dinner was in support of London’s Air Ambulance Charity tonight – of which the Prince is a patron.

The day has been particularly busy day for the Prince – who is now the monarchy’s most prominent public figure – as he handed out more than 50 honours on behalf of the King. The monarch is recuperating at Sandringham following his first cancer treatment and Kate is at home following abdominal surgery. 

And to take William’s mind off the royal family’s woes there was some A-list Hollywood glitter, in the form of global superstar Tom Cruise.

The presence of the Top Gun star was particularly appropriate given that the gala is to support the London Air Ambulance, of which Cruise is, remarkably, an existing supporter. The Prince of Wales – who served as an air ambulance pilot in East Anglia – has been patron of the organisation since 2020.

Looking smart in a black velvet dinner jacket and bow tie, he arrived at Ruffles new London hotspot, Raffles London in Horseguards Avenue, at 7.20pm.

Meeting outside the venue, the Prince could be seen shaking hands with the Hollywood star – before they posed up for pictures together and were heard complimenting each others outfits. 

The Black and White gala raised more than £1million last year, and the charity hopes that the event will help them to replace two aging helicopters by September.

Tonight guests will have a live performance from Grammy-award winner Sister Sledge and get the chance to get their hands on exclusive high-quality prizes in an auction.

Just inside the venue, William could be seen chatting with the ‘We Are Family’ hit group, with Cruise laughing loudly as they joked at the entrance.

He was introduced to by reality star Mark-Francis Vandelli, a charity committee member, to some of the VIP guests including Sister Sledge.

He then turned and said: ‘This is Tom Cruise, needs no introduction.’

The two men, who have met before, greeted each other warmly and also stood side by side for photos smiling, joking at each other’s tuxedos.

William, who wore Top Gun themed slippers to the premier of Maverick two years ago, looked down at his feet and turned to Tom and said: ‘I haven’t got my Top Gun slippers on.’

Hollywood star Tom laughed as Wills headed into another room.

One member of Sister Sledge told the Prince that she was praying for his father. William smiled and thanked her.

Co-host for the evening, presenter Tania Bryer, made a point of telling the audience, after William had made his way to his seat, that all their ’best wishes’ were being sent to His Majesty.

The audience clapped and there were calls of ‘hear hear’ as William smiled and encouraged his table – including Cruise – to sit down.

It will be hosted by CNBC broadcaster Tania Bryer and Made in Chelsea and Celebs Go Dating star Mark-Francis Vandelli.

Speaking before the event, Jonathan Jenkins, CEO of London’s Air Ambulance Charity, said: ‘HRH Prince William truly understands our work and knows that every second counts in an emergency. 

‘We know that with his help as well as the continued support of the public, our crews can reach those who need them most – serving the people of London 24 hours a day, every day of the year. 

‘We’re thrilled he will be joining us at our 2024 gala event.’ 

The Prince of Wales, who was wearing an RAF uniform, chatted warmly with recipients including Patricia Spruce earlier today, who was made an MBE for her work recruiting foreign medics for the NHS. 

Ms Spruce revealed afterwards that she had asked William about his wife. Taking to LinkedIn, she wrote: ‘Prince William said that Katherine had two Filipino nurses looking after her and they were amazing and kind.’ 

Ellen White, who was also made an MBE, said she gave her ‘best wishes’ for Kate and the King. Asked how William responded, she said: ‘He really appreciated it. So yeah, it was something that obviously I wanted to send my best wishes.’

Lipreader Jeremy Freeman, who analysed the exchange for MailOnline, revealed it ended with William saying William, ‘Well it was lovely to see you again’, before White responded, ‘Thank you, please wish your Dad well’.

Charles has postponed all public-facing duties, but is continuing with behind-the-scenes work on his red boxes of state papers.

And today Downing Street took the unusual step of confirming details about Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s weekly audience with the King, following an agreement with Buckingham Palace, and said it would be held later over the phone.

William was last seen outside The London Clinic on January 18 after visiting his wife, who returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor on Monday and is set to be out of the public eye until at least Easter. 

Prince Harry arrived in London yesterday and had a ‘brief meeting’ with Charles at Clarence House, but sources close to William have made it clear he has ‘no plans’ to see his estranged brother. 

William will appear at a charity gala tonight, where he is expected to speak about his father’s charity diagnosis for the first time. He may also thank wellwishers and discuss what the Royal Family have been through in recent days. 

However, the heir to the throne will not talk about his brother Harry, with one royal expert calling their relationship ‘completely broken’. 

The King’s cancer treatment as an outpatient started earlier this week, and he returned, with the Queen, to his Sandringham home in Norfolk yesterday after seeing his son the Duke of Sussex, who had flown back to the UK from California.

William may step in to represent his father at any public events, but no engagements are scheduled at the moment and the royal palaces will make arrangements if the need arises. 

Meanwhile, Prince Harry flew 5,000 miles from California yesterday to see his father for 45 minutes following the King’s shock cancer diagnosis.

But while Harry’s transatlantic dash raised hopes he will continue to heal wounds with his family, there hasn’t been ‘any sign’ of a reunion between the two royal brothers.

BBC Royal Correspondent Daniela Relph said the chances of a reconciliation between William and Harry remains unlikely given their ongoing feud.

‘It’s a sibling relationship that still looks incredibly broken. We don’t know if either side has reached out in any way, if there has been any attempt to find a truce. As things stand there doesn’t seem to be any sign of that,’ she told Radio 4.

‘You have to read that as a sign of the state of their relationship, nothing in the diary we’re told for them to meet up while Harry’s in the UK.

‘It also means Harry won’t be visiting his sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who has been unwell, someone he was once very close to.’

The Duke of Sussex was one of the first family members seen to visit Charles after his shock diagnosis was made public.

Another visit by Harry to his father has not been ruled out, according to The Telegraph, but it is understood the Duke will not be making a visit to his older brother while staying in London.

Royal biographer Robert Hardman told Radio 4 that it is common for feuding families to ‘come together’ during tough times.

Mr Hardman said: ‘In times of crisis families do come together, and I think everyone will be happy to see that.

‘I think there is a sort of sense of business as usual going on and that’s very much a message that the palace is trying to put out, but if along the way we can see some bridges being built, then that’s got to be a good thing.’ 

While William returned to public duties today – after having decided to ‘clear his diary’ in order to support the Princess of Wales during and after her operation last month – he is not expected to pick up full-time royal duties quite yet.

This evening, he will attend the London Air Ambulance annual fundraising gala in central London. He has been the charity’s patron since 2020.

The dinner is being held in support of the charity’s largest ever fundraiser, hoping to produce £15million to replace its helicopter fleet.

After today, William has no further duties scheduled this week and will be with Kate and the children again next week during their half-term holiday.

Princess Anne will also be back in action today after conducting four engagements yesterday, with three today scheduled across Berkshire, London and Oxfordshire.

A source said: ‘The Prince has always made clear that his priority is to support his wife and family for the time being – and he did not put a timescale on that.

‘He will make a return to duties on Wednesday but you should not expect to see him again for a bit after that.’

It is understood that his team at Kensington Palace are speaking to their opposite numbers at Buckingham Palace about which public engagements William could potentially attend in his father’s place.

They are likely to be along the lines of further investitures and, perhaps, leading the family at events such as the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey early next month.

But with His Majesty insisting on keeping his hand firmly on the tiller of State business during his treatment, it is highly unlikely that the future king will be required to take over any constitutional matters.

It is understood that William, 41, has his father’s ‘100 per cent’ backing in returning at his own pace.

A source said: ‘The King adores Catherine and thinks she is doing a wonderful job. He understands that family comes first.’

The King has been spending an increasing amount of time at Windsor Castle since his accession, often staying over on Sunday evenings, affording him more time with his son and young grandchildren to whom he is growing ever closer. 

William, who now lives in Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Estate, a short walk from the castle, also often uses rooms in the historic royal residence for meetings.

The Princess of Wales was unexpectedly admitted to hospital last month for what has been described only as ‘abdominal surgery’.

She spent two weeks in The London Clinic, where the King also underwent his prostate operation, and she is unlikely to start undertaking royal duties again until after Easter. 

Aides said at the time that her husband had cancelled all his forthcoming engagements to be by her side and support their children Prince George, ten, Princess Charlotte, eight and five-year-old Prince Louis.

While they did not put a timeline on it, sources suggested the Prince would remain at Windsor with them for ‘several weeks’.

William has always made clear that, at this stage in his life, his duty to his family comes ahead of his public role.

However, it is unheard of to have three senior members of the Royal Family out of action at one time, particularly now the King is likely to be away for longer than planned, meaning working royals will be thin on the ground.

And this means there will, inevitably, be more pressure on the future king to step up.

Harry met with his father for the first time in 18 months yesterday – for just 45 minutes – following the King’s shock cancer diagnosis.

Hours after Charles called him personally to break the news, the Duke of Sussex had boarded a plane to London from the US to see him.

But their meeting, at the monarch’s Clarence House residence, lasted less than an hour.

The King, looking remarkably fresh-faced and cheerful despite starting treatment for his unspecified cancer in hospital on Monday, left shortly afterwards by helicopter for Sandringham, his Norfolk estate, with his loyal wife, Queen Camilla.

The Mail understands he is ‘doing well’ and is on ‘very good form’.

William is now completely estranged from Harry following several years of vicious attacks against the monarchy, as well as himself and his wife personally.

Sources made clear that William’s focus is, as it has been for the last few weeks, on the Princess of Wales, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, and their three children in Windsor.

A source previously told the Mail that the future king respects his father’s decision to ‘keep the door ajar’ for Harry, but that is ‘not an option for him personally for the time being.’

The day of family drama comes after Buckingham Palace announced on Monday night that the 75-year-old monarch had begun immediate treatment after doctors discovered an ‘issue of concern’ while he was undergoing surgery last month for an enlarged prostate, which is itself benign.

Subsequent diagnostic tests identified a form of cancer, which has not been specified by royal aides, but has been confirmed not to be prostate cancer, one of the biggest killers of men in the UK.

As a result the King has postponed all his public commitments, although he continues to very much work behind the scenes on his state and constitutional duties.

The Mail revealed yesterday that his condition had been caught at an ‘early stage’ and his prognosis is positive.

His Majesty is said to be ‘looking forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible’.

He rang all close family members personally to break the news to them, including Harry, who was last in the UK for his father’s coronation last May.

However it is not believed that father and son actually met on that occasion, meaning the last time they would have seen each other in person was at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September 2022.

They have, however, spoken on the phone, with sources close to Harry seemingly leaking details of a a telephone call he had with his father on his 75th birthday last November and how his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, had recorded a video of them singing happy birthday to the grandfather they have barely met.

The King is known to have been deeply hurt by his youngest son’s many attacks on the family since he and wife Meghan acrimoniously quit as working royals and moved to North America, including their series of tell-all television interviews and documentary series, as well as Harry’s memoir, Spare.

Sources say while the King is exhausted by the drama and wants to focus on his role as monarch, he has insisted on never closing the door on his youngest son.

It is not clear whether he invited Harry to visit him or whether it was the prince’s decision to come, but on Monday night he was seen boarding a a flight in Los Angeles.

He arrived at Heathrow airport’s Windsor VIP suite, which is used by the royal family, where he was greeted by two royal Range Rovers, at least three plain clothed Metropolitan Police royalty protection officers and two police escort cars.

Harry is currently taking legal action against the Home Office for withdrawing his taxpayer funded British police protection when he left the UK, arguing that he and has family do not feel safe in this country without it.

Dressed in a black jacket over what appeared to be a casual black t-shirt, Harry sped through the main gates to Clarence House, having swept past the monarch’s official London residence, Buckingham Palace, at 2.45pm, head was turned firmly to one side.

The King and Queen – whom Harry has recently accused of being ‘dangerous’ and ‘a villain’, much to his father’s anger – were already inside, having taken up residence there on Monday in order for the King to attend hospital.

Royal aides have refused to discuss the meeting at all, although it is understood that fact that it even happened is being seen as a cause for ‘optimism’.

Some believe that the fact that Harry flew to London so quickly and that his father saw him immediately could even suggest the start of a ‘thaw’.

But there was no hiding the fact that it lasted just three quarters of an hour, with the same cars sweeping out with Harry apparently inside, although hidden from view, at 3.32pm.

It is unclear whether he plans to stay in the country or return immediately to California where his wife, Meghan, remained. His spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. He has previously stayed at an undisclosed hotel and is unlikely to be offered royal accommodation.

Clearly Charles and Camilla had their bags already packed to leave, as just six minutes later, at 3.38pm, they drove out of the gates too.

The King, looking smart in a suit and patterned tie, looked remarkably healthy and waved and smiled warmly to well-wishers, as did Queen Camilla.

A few minutes later the monarch’s distinctive burgundy helicopter could be seen taking off from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, arriving at Sandringham at 4.20pm.

The Mail understands that it was always the King’s plan to return to his Norfolk estate to recuperate and work quietly, as soon as his first treatment was over.

Yesterday – February 6 – marks the day that his grandfather, King George VI, died at Sandringham House of lung cancer in 1952 and his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, acceded the throne.

Sources have said that the King appears to be in great spirits, and ‘if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t suspect there was anything wrong with him’.

He is said to be ‘up and about’, keeping up with the red boxes of official paperwork required of him as head of state.

It is understood His Majesty plans to return to London when treatment is required or if he has important official business, including meetings with the Prime Minister.

However his return to Sandringham yesterday suggests that at least their first normal Wednesday conversation will take place by phone.

His treatment will be interspersed with periods of rest recuperation at one of his country residences including Sandringham, Highgrove in Gloucestershire and Windsor.

It is likely that he will also revert to a Covid-style way of working with more telephone meetings and video calls in order to minimise public contact and protect his health during the early stages of medical intervention.

The Prime Minister yesterday said he was ‘shocked and sad’ at the King’s cancer diagnosis, but insisted ministers would ‘crack on’ with the business of government.

Rishi Sunak, who was informed of the news before it was made public on Monday evening, said he remained ‘in regular contact’ with the monarch ‘and will continue to communicate with him as normal’.

Alec Baldwin expressed his gratitude to his wife Hilaria when he wished her a happy 40th birthday on social media on Saturday.

Hilaria loyally supported Alec during the 2021 shooting response during rehearsals for his upcoming western Rust.

Cameraman Halyna Hutchins was killed when a Colt .45 was used as a prop. Alec, who was holding the gun when it went off, has denied pulling the trigger.

Now, two years after the tragedy, Alec shared a photo of his wife of 11 years wearing a black and white jacket, forest green top and black leather leggings from a date night.

“Today is the birthday of the woman who is the blessing that brought about all my other blessings,” the Babylon actor wrote.

“I love you, Hilaria, and I am more grateful to you than anything I have ever known. Congratulations.’

The podcaster was pictured wearing black ankle boots and styled her ginger hair straight in loose layers with bangs.

‘You are the sweetest husband!!!! ’ wrote one fan.

Katie Couric, who turns 67 on January 7, wrote: Happy birthday my guy (Capricorn emoji) ’

Hilaria shared a selfie of her and Alec as they stood by a door in preparation for their romantic evening. The Departed star looked relaxed in gray trousers, a black jacket and sneakers.

The yoga instructor shared a video of stretching exercises to mark the end of the past decade.

‘Decided to round out my thirties with some stretching exercises. I do these every day. My love to you ’ she wrote to her fans as she demonstrated cat-cow stretches and pigeon poses.

“Good night 39,” she said in a voiceover of the video.

“Thanks body for this wild ride. We have done so much, made some people,” she said, referring to her seven children with the Tár actor.

As the evening wore on, Alec shared a photo of them cuddled together during her birthday dinner at swanky Japanese restaurant BondST.

They are parents to Carmen, 10, Rafael, eight, Leonardo, seven, Romeo, five, Eduardo, three, Maria, almost three, and Ilaria, almost 16 months.

Alec has an older daughter, Ireland, 28, from his marriage to actress Kim Basinger, 70, and is a grandfather to her daughter, Holland, 10 months.

‘Congratulations!!!! @hilariabaldwin,” Ireland wrote. Thank you for all the siblings, kindness and being the ultimate life partner for my dad!!”

The founder of Yoga Vida said that over the past decade she had “broken several bones and felt such joy and tremendous pain. Experiencing love through the light and the storms.’ After thanking her body, she said, “I’m looking forward to what comes next.”

• The Duchess walked behind seniors during the traditional Christmas Day service

By Iwan Stone and Ephraim Hardcastle

Published: 8:28 PM EST, December 26, 2023 | Updated: 8:28 PM EST, December 26, 2023

A council has come under fire for ‘political correctness gone mad’ after banning childcare workers from receiving Christmas presents from grateful families.

The new policy is part of a new broad crackdown in the city of Yarra, Melbourne, to help stop bribery and kickbacks to staff, and came into effect this week.

‘It’s political correctness gone mad. If they want to fix governments, go fix the real problems,” said Adam Promnitz, co-founder of Yarra Residents Collective. 3AW Melbourne.

‘Don’t punish the lowest-paid employees.

Mr Promnitz said the blanket ban on council staff and workplaces was “madness” and that common sense should prevail.

‘It’s a new low. The people who care for our children have no decision-making power.

“Childcare educators: they don’t make planning decisions, they’re not the ones awarding $10 million contractors to developers.

‘All we want is to thank our teachers with a small token of appreciation.’

Mr Promnitz said the council will take all gifts received by childcare workers and donate them to charities on behalf of the donors.

He posted on the Yarra Resident Collective Facebook page that giving a gift to a teacher is part of an Australian Christmas tradition and helps teach children values.

‘She [the council] are really the grinches who stole Christmas.”

Yarra City Council CEO Sue Wilkinson told Daily Mail Australia the council is grateful their staff is held in such high regard and knows some parents are disappointed with their position.

“We are extremely proud of all our employees who have done fantastic work for our community all year,” she said.

“Many of our employees have regulatory and compliance responsibilities and the policy is designed to protect our employees from risks surrounding alleged corruption or impropriety.

‘We want our community to be confident that all our employees will act with integrity at all times and that is why a consistent approach is taken across all our employees.

“While we are humbled by the kindness and support of our community, we unfortunately cannot accept gifts, even if they are well-intentioned.”

Ms Wilkinson confirmed that all gifts received by staff will be donated to charities in the Yarra area.

The gifts policy was changed after Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission published the final report of its five-year investigation into local government earlier this year.

They discovered that developer John Woodman had given suburban councilors hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for project support.

As a result, the watchdog for municipalities, the Inspectorate for Local Government, has issued advice to municipalities on how they should come up with better policies.

Yarra city councilor Stephen Jolly said this The age While he supported a stricter policy for councillors, he believed banning Christmas presents for childcare workers was “ridiculous and heavy-handed.”

Mr Jolly is seeking to have the decision reversed and has taken the matter to the council’s chief administrative officer.

“It’s a collective punishment,” he said.

‘How is giving a mince pie at Christmas to a childcare or nursery teacher, who has the lowest pay and has looked after your child all year, bribery or possibly corruption?

3AW radio personality Tom Elliott said the council’s move isn’t too surprising as they have appointed a person to ‘look after flags and they have a waste tax’.

But he also wondered how giving a Christmas gift to a childcare worker could ever be interpreted as something sinister.

“On what grounds can a gift to the kindergarten teacher be considered bribery?” he said.

‘What? Do you get more plasticine than the other children? Can you play baby Jesus in the Christmas play?’

When the nominations for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards were announced in November, The war and the treaty did not wait anxiously to hear their names; they were just trying to catch a plane.

“We were so used to being overlooked year after year, and we just didn’t pay attention to it,” Michael Trotter Jr.one half of the soulful husband-wife duo, told exclusively We weekly in a recent interview.

As we discussed The War and Treaty’s partnership with George Dickel – and the launch of Dickel Bourbon, 18 years old — Michael said that he and his wife and bandmate, Tanya Trotter (née Blount), only learned that they had secured two nominations when his phone blew up. “We were in the airport and my phone was going crazy,” he remembers. “I’m like, ‘What’s happening?’ And I looked down and saw all these congratulations. I opened one and it’s about two Grammy nominations. And I immediately burst into tears.”

Michael said he not only expressed joy at being nominated – he also cried because it was a humbling moment.

“My tears weren’t just tears of joy,” he explained. “It was a mix of [joy and], ‘I can’t believe I was so self-centered that I was actually just put off by the fact that I wasn’t nominated the year before or the year before that.’ And I had to be brought back under control and realize, ‘Listen, it’s not about awards. It’s not about accolades. It’s not about the Grammys. It’s literally about being a servant. And this is the answer to your service.’”

Since its founding in the mid-2010s, The War and Treaty has changed the perception of what country and Americana music could be – and who can make it. The duo released their debut album on a major label, The lover’s game, in March. “Blank Page,” a track from the LP, received a nomination for Best Americana Roots Song at the upcoming Grammys, and the duo is also nominated for Best New Artist. They share this last category with fellow nominees Jelly Roll, Ice Spice, Gracie Abrams, Fred Again, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan And Victoria Monet.

“Someone somewhere said, ‘Hey, you know what? War and Treaty did something this year that deserved a certain kind of recognition,” noted a very grateful Michael. “And to be nominated alongside Jelly Roll, I will say that’s just another testimony in itself.”

Although Michael noted that The War and Treaty and Jelly Roll “are both considered part of the country music genre,” neither act seems to be “the poster child for the [genre].” That in itself, he notes, is a triumph.

“This whole best new artist category is just filled with artists who have conquered stories,” he adds. ‘Ice Spice, Coco Jones, you name it, and they’re there. And Noah. And so I’m really excited about the Grammys.”

Michael and Tanya speak with such warmth and comfort in their voices that their collaboration with George Dickel to celebrate the launch of the limited edition Dickel Bourbon Aged 18 Years is a perfect fit.

The War and Treaty performed at the historic Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. in Tennessee as part of the launch, and even previewed a new song from their upcoming album. Tanya – who appeared in Sister Act 2: Back in the habit and released her solo album, Natural thingshortly afterwards – described the evening as ‘amazing’.

“Cascade Hollow, it reminds me of growing up and visiting my grandparents in the Carolinas,” she said Us. “And you get the feeling of what it’s all about and the family atmosphere they have. We all enjoyed the tasting [Dickel Bourbon Aged 18 Years] For the first time. It was really magical.”

“It also felt like we were coming together to celebrate the birth of something special and something very unique,” ​​Michael added. “And I will say I’ve been a fan of the brand, but this moment and this particular tasting that Tanya and I had before we performed, it got me excited, man. I see George Dickel, 18 years old, in many different stages of life and I can celebrate that.”

He added: “Tanya looked absolutely fantastic, as always.”

This was a banner year for The War and Treaty, who won Duo/Group of the Year at the 2023 Americana Music Honors & Awards. They were also nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards, Duo of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, and their song “That’s How Love Is Made” earned them a Duo/Group Video of the Year nomination. at the CMT Music Awards.

Amid all that success, The War and Treaty remains centered, grateful and positive. “Life is a balance,” Tanya said Us. “You have to be able to combine the good with the bad. And it sounds so simple, but we [as a people] We really spend our energy doing more bad things because we spend too much time on the internet. Or we don’t spend enough time with people who are positive. Or maybe people don’t celebrate all the good things that happen. So we kind of made it our goal to celebrate every milestone in our lives.”

She explains that the philosophy extends to working with George Dickel. “It was important for us to continue to emphasize that this is a celebration,” she said Us. “This is George Dickel 18, it’s limited. Not everyone can get it, things like that. And that’s a parallel with life, because a lot of people won’t understand why you’re happy.

“A lot of people won’t understand why you’re celebrating because they get so bogged down in the complexity of what life can bring,” Tanya continued. “But life is a balance between celebration and sorrow, between life and death, between being born and dying. It is the constant attempt to find your balance, being happy and being depressed. You can’t always be happy, and you can’t always be depressed.”

“I will say additionally that for me, I have learned how not to compare setbacks,” Michael added. “And what I mean by that is you hear a lot of people say, ‘Well, there’s always someone who’s worse off.’ Well, that’s no way to celebrate. What we can celebrate, however, are our victories. What we can celebrate are the moments when we didn’t give up. And what we can do is remind each other that there are victories. Yes, there are losses, but there are victories.

Michael concluded by emphasizing the importance of keeping “togetherness” at the forefront. “We must always be reminded of the flourishing spirit of humanity,” he said. “And that’s something we can’t afford to lose.”