People News Roundup: Star Terry Jones dies aged 77; Weinstein must tread carefully in rape trail, experts and more

Following is a summary of current people news briefs.

Monty Python star Terry Jones dies aged 77

Terry Jones, one of the British Monty Python comedy team and director of religious satire "Life of Brian", has died at the age of 77 after a long battle with dementia, his family said on Wednesday. Born in Wales in 1942, Jones was also an author, historian, and poet. He had been diagnosed in 2015 with a rare form of dementia, FTD.

Weinstein must tread carefully in rape trial defense, experts say

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein will face the challenge of defending himself in his rape trial as he tries to undermine his accusers' credibility without appearing callous to jurors, according to several legal experts. Still, if Weinstein's defense team can persuade the jury that the accusers engaged in consensual sexual activity to gain an edge in the entertainment industry, that could result in an acquittal or hung jury, other experts said. All 12 jurors must agree in order for prosecutors to secure a conviction.

Meghan Markle's father defends his reputation in new UK documentary

The estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has sought to defend his reputation in a new documentary to be broadcast on Wednesday but said he fears he will never speak to his daughter or her husband, Britain's Prince Harry, again. Thomas Markle, 75, has already accused his daughter of "cheapening" the British royal family in part of an interview released on Sunday, a day after Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry and his wife would no longer be working members of the monarchy.

Don't cry for me Portugal - Injured Madonna cancels second show in Lisbon

Pop legend Madonna has canceled another show in Portugal's capital Lisbon, the city that inspired her newest album, Madame X, as she struggles to cope with pain from "ongoing injuries", her tour promoter said on Wednesday. Promoter Everything Is New issued a statement on Facebook apologizing to fans and thanking them for the "well-wishes for Madonna's recovery".

Duchess Kate embarks on UK tour for childhood survey

Britain's Duchess Kate, the wife of Prince William, embarked on a short tour of the country to launch a survey on people's views on bringing up children, as the royals carry on with official duties in the wake of the rift over Prince Harry. The Duchess of Cambridge, as she is officially known, started the "5 big questions on the under 5s" initiative in Birmingham in central England on Tuesday and visited Cardiff on Wednesday. She was later due to visit a women's prison in Surrey, south of the British capital.

British rocker Ozzy Osbourne reveals Parkinson's diagnosis

British rocker Ozzy Osbourne, who last year postponed a world tour due to health issues, disclosed in an interview broadcast on Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Osbourne, 71, said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that he received the diagnosis in February 2019 after he fell at home and had to have neck surgery. He also recently suffered from pneumonia, flu complications and infections in his hand.

(With inputs from agencies.)