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American actor Lance Reddick, best known for his role in The Wire, has died aged 60.

A spokesperson said he “passed away suddenly this morning from natural causes”.

They added: “Lance will be greatly missed. Please respect his family’s privacy at this time.”

Reddick was best known for his role in the crime drama The Wire, which ran for five seasons between 2002 and 2008.

The show was set in Baltimore, Reddick’s hometown, and he played police lieutenant Cedric Daniels, who was agonisingly trapped in the messy politics of the Baltimore police department.

Reddick appeared in all 60 episodes alongside stars including Dominic West, Idris Elba, Wendell Pierce and Michael K Williams.

Pierce said Reddick’s death was “sudden, unexpected, sharp, painful grief for our artistic family” and praised him as a “man of great strength and grace”.

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More recently, Reddick starred in the John Wick movie franchise alongside star Keanu Reeves. He played hotel concierge Charon in all four movies, with the last one due for UK release next week.

Lance Reddick, Keanu Reeves, and Adrianne Palicki arrive at the LA screening of John Wick in 2014
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Lance Reddick, Keanu Reeves, and Adrianne Palicki arrive at the LA screening of John Wick in 2014

He was often put in a suit or a crisp uniform in his acting roles, playing tall, taciturn, and elegant men of distinction.

“I’m an artist at heart. I feel that I’m very good at what I do. When I went to drama school, I knew I was at least as talented as other students, but because I was a Black man and I wasn’t pretty, I knew I would have to work my butt off to be the best that I would be, and to be noticed,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2009.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Reddick was a Yale University drama school graduate who enjoyed a taste of stardom after school by landing guest or recurring roles on CSI: Miami and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as appearing in several movies including The Siege and Great Expectations.

Among his upcoming projects include 20th Century’s remake of White Men Can’t Jump and Shirley – Netflix’s biopic of former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.

In 2021, Reddick earned a SAG Award nomination for his role in Regina King’s film One Night in Miami.

It was also in 2021 that his co-star in The Wire, Michael K Williams, was found dead at the age of 54. New York City’s medical examiner later ruled he had died of acute drug intoxication.

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Boeing facing fresh probe after employees ‘falsely claim tests had been completed’

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Boeing facing fresh probe after employees 'falsely claim tests had been completed'

Federal air safety regulators have opened a fresh investigation into the Boeing 787 Dreamliner – after the firm said several employees had committed “misconduct” by falsely claiming tests had been completed.

The probe will look into whether Boeing completed inspections to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings of certain 787 Dreamliner planes join the fuselage, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

The investigation will also look at “whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records”, the US federal government agency added.

The FAA said Boeing is “reinspecting all 787 airplanes still within the production system and must also create a plan to address the in-service fleet” while the investigation is taking place.

Boeing shares were down 1.5% at $177.03 late on Monday afternoon.

‘Several people not performing required test’

In an email from 29 April, Scott Stocker, who leads Boeing’s 787 program, said that an employee saw what appeared to be an irregularity in a required 787 conformance test.

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Mr Stocker wrote that after receiving the report “we quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed”.

In the email, addressed to employees in South Carolina where the 787 is assembled, Mr Stocker said Boeing promptly informed the FAA about what it had learned and said it is taking serious corrective action with “multiple” employees.

He added that “our engineering team has assessed that this misconduct did not create an immediate safety of flight issue”.

‘They are putting out defective airplanes’

It comes weeks after a Congressional investigation in April heard evidence on the safety culture and manufacturing standards at Boeing.

Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer at the company, told members of a Senate subcommittee that Boeing was taking shortcuts to bolster production levels that could lead to jetliners breaking apart.

He said of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which has more than 1,000 in use across airlines globally including at British Airways, that excessive force was used to jam together sections of fuselage.

He claimed the extra force could compromise the carbon-composite material used for the plane’s frame.

They are putting out defective airplanes,” he concluded, while adding that he was threatened when he raised concerns about the issue.

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Boeing quality engineer Sam Salehpour testifies during the Senate homeland security subcommittee hearing. Pic: AP
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Boeing quality engineer Sam Salehpour testifies during the Senate homeland security subcommittee hearing. Pic: AP

The engineer said he studied Boeing’s own data and concluded that the company is “taking manufacturing shortcuts on the 787 programme that could significantly reduce the airplanes’ safety and the life cycle”.

Boeing denied his claims surrounding both the Dreamliner’s structural integrity and that factory workers jumped on sections of fuselage to force them to align.

Two Boeing engineering executives said this week that its testing and inspections regimes have found no signs of fatigue or cracking in the composite panels, saying they were almost impervious to fatigue.

Boeing has been grappling with a months-long safety crisis since a panel blew out of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane mid-flight in January.

The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into the mid-air emergency.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said four key bolts appeared to be missing from the plane.

Boeing has said it believes required documents detailing the removal of the bolts were never created.

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US soldier detained in Russia, officials say

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US soldier detained in Russia, officials say

A US soldier was detained in Russia over the weekend while on a private trip, according to officials.

The soldier, who hasn’t been named, has been accused of stealing from a woman, Sky News’ US partner network, NBC News, reported, citing four US officials.

The White House is aware of reports of an American soldier being detained in Russia, national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday.

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The soldier was arrested in the port city of Vladivostok on 2 May, “on charges of criminal misconduct,” US army spokesperson Cynthia O Smith said.

He had reportedly been stationed in South Korea and travelled to Russia for a personal trip and not on official duty, according to the US officials.

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“The Russian Federation notified the US Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” Ms Smith said.

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“The army notified his family and the US Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia.

“Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.”

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Pennsylvania: Man’s gun fails to fire after trying to shoot pastor during church sermon

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Pennsylvania: Man's gun fails to fire after trying to shoot pastor during church sermon

A man who tried to shoot a pastor during his service at a church was wrestled to the floor after his gun failed to fire, according to police.

Bernard J. Polite, 26, said “God made me do it” and planned to “wait to be arrested”, court documents reveal, when he entered the Pennsylvania church just after 1pm on Sunday.

Glenn Germany, who was giving a sermon being live streamed from Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church, told WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh that Polite smiled at him just before he pointed the gun.

He ducked out of the way as someone from the congregation tackled Polite, before he helped to wrest the gun away and keep him down until officers arrived.

“I am feeling grateful that I woke up this morning and that I am here, it could have gone an opposite direction,” Mr Germany said on Monday.

“But God has intervened and I am grateful for him.”

Polite was not known at the church, officials said, and court filings say he wandered over to the church after hearing music coming from there.

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The body of a shooting victim was found in a home near the church in North Braddock, where Polite had been shortly before going to the church, county police said.

The county medical examiner’s office identified the body as Derek Polite, 56, of North Braddock, but did not confirm any specific relation to Bernard Polite.

Polite faces numerous charges, including aggravated assault and attempted homicide, and is in custody without bail.

State police said they don’t know if Polite has a lawyer, and county court records do not list one.

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In a Facebook post on Monday, the church said Pastor Glenn is “doing fine” and “he says he is doing great and blessed to be alive”.

“He sends his love to everyone and he thanks you all for your prayers and concerns,” it adds.

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