Star Wars actor John Boyega has revealed he suffered "consistent" security checks at airports when "hustling and auditioning" in Los Angeles.
The 25-year-old told the Evening Standard magazine: "I'd get cheap flights and stay there for two weeks or whatever. And every time I was getting these random checks. Every. Single. Time."
He added: "When you fly a lot and it happens three or four times there's an element of: 'okay, I'm still not a terrorist'."
"I wish I remembered the airline because I called them out on it, too. Like: This stuff ain't right."
He also shared his thoughts on recent comments by US actor Samuel L Jackson in which he criticised black British talent for taking African-American parts.
"Damn, Sam," Boyega said.
"I love him but he didn't have to go there. I was actually going to send him a message to check that he's cool.
"But look, I get it, I just think there's no end result in black Brits and African Americans going back and forth at each other," Boyega added.
"I rate Sam and he's always showed me love - he's like a big uncle - but, across the planet, the black experience is a layered one and his comments didn't represent that."
Boyega rose to fame after being cast as Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and is now staging a return to theatre after eight years out.
"The rehearsal process is something that you forget about when you do movies all the time," he said.
"On movies you don't really get time to rehearse, so that was a shock to me.
"On the second day, I was thinking to myself: Oi mate, why don't you know these lines? Because on a film you need to be ready to go," he added.
"This feels like a holiday. A really strenuous holiday with some good people."
Boyega will play the lead role in Georg Buchner's Woyzeck at London's Old Vic from 15 May.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Police prepared to shoot terrorist attack drivers
Police may now have to shoot terrorists at the wheel of vehicles to stop them being used in attacks, the national lead for armed policing has said.
Officers were previously told not to shoot drivers of moving vehicles because of the additional dangers it posed, Simon Chesterman said.
But he said the approach had changed in the wake of attacks such as those in Westminster, Nice and Berlin.
He added officers now had ammunition to penetrate doors and windows.
Last month, Khalid Masood killed four people on London's Westminster Bridge when he mounted the pavement in a car and drove into pedestrians.
One of the biggest challenges previously faced by police was the risk of bullets bouncing off the glass of vehicles in such attacks, said Mr Chesterman, of the National Police Chiefs' Council.
'Horrible tactics'
"We've seen some very horrible and different tactics lately involving vehicles and lorries," he said.
"Within our policy, we used to talk about not shooting at a moving vehicle because of the danger we might cause if we fired at a driver.
"But if the vehicle is being used as a weapon in the first place, there aren't many tactics available in relation to stopping it, particularly a very large lorry.
"Driving a vehicle in front of it for example is not going to stop it. So you need to shoot the driver," he said.
Officers were previously told not to shoot drivers of moving vehicles because of the additional dangers it posed, Simon Chesterman said.
But he said the approach had changed in the wake of attacks such as those in Westminster, Nice and Berlin.
He added officers now had ammunition to penetrate doors and windows.
Last month, Khalid Masood killed four people on London's Westminster Bridge when he mounted the pavement in a car and drove into pedestrians.
One of the biggest challenges previously faced by police was the risk of bullets bouncing off the glass of vehicles in such attacks, said Mr Chesterman, of the National Police Chiefs' Council.
'Horrible tactics'
"We've seen some very horrible and different tactics lately involving vehicles and lorries," he said.
"Within our policy, we used to talk about not shooting at a moving vehicle because of the danger we might cause if we fired at a driver.
"But if the vehicle is being used as a weapon in the first place, there aren't many tactics available in relation to stopping it, particularly a very large lorry.
"Driving a vehicle in front of it for example is not going to stop it. So you need to shoot the driver," he said.
London Overground delays at Euston continue after fire
London Overground services from Euston are not expected to fully resume until this afternoon following a fire which closed the station.
National Rail said that while other services were starting to return to normal this morning, Overground trains between the station and Harrow & Wealdstone, in northwest London, would not be running until 1pm.
All trains going in and out of Euston were cancelled on Wednesday afternoon after a cable fire next to the track near South Hampstead caused a power cut.
The disruption affected commuters hoping to travel on Midland, Virgin and Southern services to destinations including Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.
According to National Rail, a few services were able to leave the station - the UK's fifth busiest - before it was closed again due to poor lighting.
In a statement, it said engineers worked through to night to restore power but that further work still needs to be carried out.
It said: "Train services are returning to normal on the West Coast main line today after Network Rail engineers restored power overnight to London Euston and its signals - the railway's traffic lights - following a cable fire at South Hampstead yesterday.
"While our engineers have restored power to Euston, they have yet to replace the 100-metre stretch of fire-destroyed, 11,000-volt cable at South Hampstead. They will do this job overnight tonight."
Passengers are advised to check for the latest information before they travel.
National Rail said that while other services were starting to return to normal this morning, Overground trains between the station and Harrow & Wealdstone, in northwest London, would not be running until 1pm.
All trains going in and out of Euston were cancelled on Wednesday afternoon after a cable fire next to the track near South Hampstead caused a power cut.
The disruption affected commuters hoping to travel on Midland, Virgin and Southern services to destinations including Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.
According to National Rail, a few services were able to leave the station - the UK's fifth busiest - before it was closed again due to poor lighting.
In a statement, it said engineers worked through to night to restore power but that further work still needs to be carried out.
It said: "Train services are returning to normal on the West Coast main line today after Network Rail engineers restored power overnight to London Euston and its signals - the railway's traffic lights - following a cable fire at South Hampstead yesterday.
"While our engineers have restored power to Euston, they have yet to replace the 100-metre stretch of fire-destroyed, 11,000-volt cable at South Hampstead. They will do this job overnight tonight."
Passengers are advised to check for the latest information before they travel.
Theresa May may agree to televised Q&A - but no debate
Theresa May could agree to a televised question-and-answer session with voters after ruling out a head-to-head election debate with other party leaders.
The Prime Minister has been accused by rivals of running scared and trying to avoid scrutiny after she rejected the idea of TV debates, saying she preferred to get "out and about" meeting voters.
She is now understood to be open to the idea of a televised Q&A session after ITV confirmed it would be holding a leaders' debate even though she was refusing to take part.
A Sky Data poll suggests that 64% of Britons believe there should be televised debates between party leaders during the General Election campaign.
Only 31% of those surveyed thought no such events should take place between now and polling day on 8 June - while 5% said they were unsure.
After telling the Commons on Wednesday she was proud of what the Conservatives had achieved in government, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn asked: "If Theresa May is so proud of her record, why won't she debate it?
"She cannot be allowed to run away from her duty to democracy and refuse to let the British people hear the arguments directly."
When asked by Sky News after a campaign event in Bolton whether she would reconsider taking part in televised debates, Mrs May said: "I'm going to be campaigning out and around every community in the country."
Downing Street sources later told Sky News that Mrs May was considering a number of TV programme formats, but reiterated that there would be no head-to-head debates.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron told Sky News he was "very disappointed" that Mrs May was unwilling to attend any TV debate.
He said: "It seems to me she feels she has got everything to lose by going on television and debating myself and others."
Both Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party have called on broadcasters who hold TV debates to "empty chair" Theresa May if she declines their invitations.
During Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, the SNP's leader in the Commons, Angus Robertson, asked: "If the Prime Minister is so confident of her hard-Brexit, pro-austerity, anti-immigration case, why won't she debate opposition leaders?"
Although a mainstay of US presidential elections for decades, the first live TV debates during a UK general election were only held in 2010.
The Prime Minister has been accused by rivals of running scared and trying to avoid scrutiny after she rejected the idea of TV debates, saying she preferred to get "out and about" meeting voters.
She is now understood to be open to the idea of a televised Q&A session after ITV confirmed it would be holding a leaders' debate even though she was refusing to take part.
A Sky Data poll suggests that 64% of Britons believe there should be televised debates between party leaders during the General Election campaign.
Only 31% of those surveyed thought no such events should take place between now and polling day on 8 June - while 5% said they were unsure.
After telling the Commons on Wednesday she was proud of what the Conservatives had achieved in government, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn asked: "If Theresa May is so proud of her record, why won't she debate it?
"She cannot be allowed to run away from her duty to democracy and refuse to let the British people hear the arguments directly."
When asked by Sky News after a campaign event in Bolton whether she would reconsider taking part in televised debates, Mrs May said: "I'm going to be campaigning out and around every community in the country."
Downing Street sources later told Sky News that Mrs May was considering a number of TV programme formats, but reiterated that there would be no head-to-head debates.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron told Sky News he was "very disappointed" that Mrs May was unwilling to attend any TV debate.
He said: "It seems to me she feels she has got everything to lose by going on television and debating myself and others."
Both Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party have called on broadcasters who hold TV debates to "empty chair" Theresa May if she declines their invitations.
During Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, the SNP's leader in the Commons, Angus Robertson, asked: "If the Prime Minister is so confident of her hard-Brexit, pro-austerity, anti-immigration case, why won't she debate opposition leaders?"
Although a mainstay of US presidential elections for decades, the first live TV debates during a UK general election were only held in 2010.
New Australian citizens to need better English language skills
Australia has announced plans for tougher rules for anyone wanting to become a citizen, including the need to show allegiance to "Australian values".
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said basic English would also no longer be enough and that applicants would need to show four years of permanent residency - up from a single year at present.
"Australian citizenship should be honoured, cherished. It's a privilege," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Canberra.
"What we are doing is strengthening our multicultural society and strengthening our values."
He added: "I reckon if we went out today and said to Australians, 'do you think you could become an Australian citizen without being able to speak English?' they'd say: 'You're kidding. Surely you'd have to be able to speak English'."
Applicants will also need to show what they have done to integrate and how they have contributed to Australian society.
A government statement said examples included being employed, joining a community organisation, and having children enrolled at school.
Until June, the public will be able to add their own ideas on how Australian values might be tested, before the proposals go before parliament.
Mr Turnbull said the current multiple-choice questionnaire - which examines an applicant's knowledge of Australian laws and national symbols, for example - could not judge whether someone accepted "Australian values".
He said: "If we believe that respect for women and children and saying no to violence... is an Australian value, and it is, then why should that not be made a key part, a fundamental part, a very prominent part, of our process to be an Australian citizen?
"Why should the test simply be a checklist of civic questions?
"This is not about administration. This is about allegiance and commitment to Australian values."
Earlier this week, Mr Turnbull said a temporary work visa popular with foreigners would be abolished.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten said he thought it was "reasonable to look for English proficiency" and to "have some period of waiting time before you become an Australian citizen".
But Shen Narayanasamy, from activist group GetUp, said the new test "accuses all immigrants... of not adhering with some confected notion of Australian values".
She added: "The announcement implicitly accuses people who want to live in Australia of being more likely to abuse their wife, not learn English, and engage in crime."
Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party which wants zero net immigration, said Mr Turnbull was "finally acting on the suggestions I made to him about the citizenship test".
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said basic English would also no longer be enough and that applicants would need to show four years of permanent residency - up from a single year at present.
"Australian citizenship should be honoured, cherished. It's a privilege," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Canberra.
"What we are doing is strengthening our multicultural society and strengthening our values."
He added: "I reckon if we went out today and said to Australians, 'do you think you could become an Australian citizen without being able to speak English?' they'd say: 'You're kidding. Surely you'd have to be able to speak English'."
Applicants will also need to show what they have done to integrate and how they have contributed to Australian society.
A government statement said examples included being employed, joining a community organisation, and having children enrolled at school.
Until June, the public will be able to add their own ideas on how Australian values might be tested, before the proposals go before parliament.
Mr Turnbull said the current multiple-choice questionnaire - which examines an applicant's knowledge of Australian laws and national symbols, for example - could not judge whether someone accepted "Australian values".
He said: "If we believe that respect for women and children and saying no to violence... is an Australian value, and it is, then why should that not be made a key part, a fundamental part, a very prominent part, of our process to be an Australian citizen?
"Why should the test simply be a checklist of civic questions?
"This is not about administration. This is about allegiance and commitment to Australian values."
Earlier this week, Mr Turnbull said a temporary work visa popular with foreigners would be abolished.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten said he thought it was "reasonable to look for English proficiency" and to "have some period of waiting time before you become an Australian citizen".
But Shen Narayanasamy, from activist group GetUp, said the new test "accuses all immigrants... of not adhering with some confected notion of Australian values".
She added: "The announcement implicitly accuses people who want to live in Australia of being more likely to abuse their wife, not learn English, and engage in crime."
Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party which wants zero net immigration, said Mr Turnbull was "finally acting on the suggestions I made to him about the citizenship test".
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May trade blows as election campaigns begin
Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have been trading blows out on the stump within hours of MPs voting for a General Election on 8 June.
The Prime Minister, campaigning to win a Brexit mandate, has claimed anything other than a Tory victory would mean a "coalition of chaos".
And the Labour leader, launching a Donald Trump-style insurgency campaign, has vowed to take on the establishment and says he will not "play by the rules" in the election.
Mr Corbyn is also pledging to target the rich, claiming he will "put the interests of the majority first" and stand up for people held by a rigged economic system.
The opening salvos from the party leaders came as it emerged that while the Prime Minister is refusing to appear in head-to-head TV debates with her rivals, she may agree to other formats.
:: Majority of Britons want TV election debates - Sky Data poll
Downing Street is considering proposals from broadcasters, including Sky News, which could see the Prime Minister being interviewed in front of a live studio audience.
In her first campaign visit, to a Labour marginal in Bolton, the Prime Minister told an invited audience: "There's a very clear choice at this election.
"It's a choice between strong and stable leadership under the Conservatives, or weak and unstable coalition of chaos led by Jeremy Corbyn."
The Prime Minister, campaigning to win a Brexit mandate, has claimed anything other than a Tory victory would mean a "coalition of chaos".
And the Labour leader, launching a Donald Trump-style insurgency campaign, has vowed to take on the establishment and says he will not "play by the rules" in the election.
Mr Corbyn is also pledging to target the rich, claiming he will "put the interests of the majority first" and stand up for people held by a rigged economic system.
The opening salvos from the party leaders came as it emerged that while the Prime Minister is refusing to appear in head-to-head TV debates with her rivals, she may agree to other formats.
:: Majority of Britons want TV election debates - Sky Data poll
Downing Street is considering proposals from broadcasters, including Sky News, which could see the Prime Minister being interviewed in front of a live studio audience.
In her first campaign visit, to a Labour marginal in Bolton, the Prime Minister told an invited audience: "There's a very clear choice at this election.
"It's a choice between strong and stable leadership under the Conservatives, or weak and unstable coalition of chaos led by Jeremy Corbyn."
Nigerian Spy Cheif Suspended
In a related development, the President has ordered a full-scale investigation into the discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, over which the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has made a claim.
The investigation is also to enquire into the circumstances in which the NIA came into possession of the funds, how and by whose or which authority the funds were made available to the NIA, and to establish whether or not there has been a breach of the law or security procedure in obtaining custody and use of the funds.
The President has also directed the suspension of the Director General of the NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, pending the outcome of the investigation.
A three-man Committee comprising the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the National Security Adviser, headed by the Vice President, is to conduct both investigations.
The Committee is to submit its report to the President within 14 days.
The most senior Permanent Secretary in the SGF's office, and the most senior officer in the NIA, are to act, respectively, during the period of investigation.
The investigation is also to enquire into the circumstances in which the NIA came into possession of the funds, how and by whose or which authority the funds were made available to the NIA, and to establish whether or not there has been a breach of the law or security procedure in obtaining custody and use of the funds.
The President has also directed the suspension of the Director General of the NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, pending the outcome of the investigation.
A three-man Committee comprising the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the National Security Adviser, headed by the Vice President, is to conduct both investigations.
The Committee is to submit its report to the President within 14 days.
The most senior Permanent Secretary in the SGF's office, and the most senior officer in the NIA, are to act, respectively, during the period of investigation.
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