Julian Sands: British actor goes missing while hiking in Californian mountains

Published

2 years ago

January 19, 2023

admin

British actor Julian Sands has gone missing while hiking in Californian mountains.

The 65-year-old star of several Oscar-nominated films disappeared last Friday evening in southern California.

He was reported missing by his wife when he did not return home from hiking on Mount Baldy in the San Gabriel mountains, which has been experiencing freezing temperatues and bad weather conditions in recent days.

Teams have been searching for him since the weekend but avalanche risks and trail conditions meant ground crews were pulled off the mountain on Saturday evening.

Officials have managed to find a car they believe belongs to Mr Sands.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department said in a statement: “We continue to search by helicopter and drones when the weather permits.”

The spokesperson added that additional ground searches would be scheduled when the weather improves and conditions were safer for rescue crews.

Mr Sands, who grew up in Yorkshire, is known for his roles in Arachnophobia, Leaving Las Vegas and Warlock – as well as TV appearances on 24, Smallville and Banshee.

He has lived in Los Angeles since 2020, and most recently played the chief medical officer in the 2021 drama Benediction starring Jack Lowden and Peter Capaldi.

In 2011, he developed a show with John Malkovich for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and starred in the Oscar-nominated English-language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara.

He appeared opposite Helena Bonham Carter in the 1985 James Ivory film A Room with a View.

Over the course of his four-decade career, he has appeared in more than 150 movies and television show.

From 1984 to 1987, he was married to journalist Sarah Sands, who has previously edited the Evening Standard and BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. They have one son together.

Mr Sands also shares two daughters with journalist Evgenia Citkowitz. They married in 1990.

He told the Guardian in 2018 that he was fixated with mountain climbing and being more adventurous as he grew older.

“The truth is, once you have been around long enough and have some experience, confidence and independence, there is a tremendous letting go of the things that are intrusive in your career: ambition, narcissism, jealousy, vanity, insecurity. You can spend a lot of time trying to stay a young actor. It doesn’t allow for emotional maturity. It’s infantilising,” he said.

Friends and fellow actors have been pouring their pleas over social media.

Samuel West, actor in Notting Hill and Van Helsing tweeted: “Please, please let Julian Sands be okay. A friend and an inspiration. Awful news.”

British film producer Cassian Elwes tweeted he was “devastated” that Julian was missing.

He continued: “A very close family friend who was an adventurer in everything he did. I’ve said many prayers.”

Mount Baldy is a 10,000ft peak located northeast of Los Angeles in the Angeles National Forest.

The sheriff’s department said two people died adevnturing in the area in recent weeks, with its search and rescue teams responding to 14 emergency calls.

They also urged hikers to “think twice and heed warnings” following a string of intense winter storms that have brought flooding and major snowfall to California.

Authorities are also understood to be searching for another missing hiker who disappeared in same area where Mr Sands was last seen.

UK

Queen Camilla withdraws from engagements after becoming unwell with chest infection

Published

2 hours ago

November 5, 2024

admin

Queen Camilla withdraws from engagements after becoming unwell with chest infection

The Queen is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week, Buckingham Palace has announced.

A palace spokesperson said Camilla’s doctors “have advised a short period of rest” and added that “with great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week”.

They added the Queen “very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal”.

“She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” they said.

It is understood the Queen is currently resting at home and is under doctor’s supervision.

Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, has stepped in on Camilla’s behalf to attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday.

The Queen has also withdrawn from a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes hosted by the King on the same evening.

Camilla recently returned from an overseas tour of Australia and Samoa. No further details regarding her illness or treatment have been released.

UK

Labour confirms U-turn on proposed ban on smoking and vaping in pub gardens

Published

2 hours ago

November 5, 2024

admin

Labour confirms U-turn on proposed ban on smoking and vaping in pub gardens

A proposed ban on vaping and smoking in pub gardens will not go ahead, the health secretary has confirmed.

Wes Streeting said the Labour government would not press ahead with the idea after it was floated over the summer and caused an outcry within the hospitality industry.

Back in August, Sir Keir Starmer said his government was considering a ban on outdoor smoking in a bid to bring down the 80,000 preventable deaths caused by smoking in the UK each year.

The ban would have covered smoking in outdoor restaurants and outside sports venues, hospitals, nightclubs, and in some small parks.

But speaking to Sky News this morning, Mr Streeting confirmed the U-turn and said: “We’re not going ahead or not proposing to go ahead with a [smoking] ban on outdoor hospitality.”

Politics latest: Badenoch assembles shadow cabinet

He said the policy idea was a “leak of government discussion” over the summer and promoted a “really good debate about whether or not it would be proportionate” when taking into account the public health benefits, but also the potential downsides.

“I think people know the UK hospitality sector has taken a battering in recent years,” he added.

“And we don’t want to add to their pressure – so we’re not proposing to go ahead with an outdoor hospitality ban at this time.”

However, Mr Streeting did say that the smoking ban would be extended to some outdoor spaces, including schools, hospitals and children’s playgrounds.

It comes as the government today introduces a “groundbreaking” bill that aims to create the “first-ever smoke-free generation”.

The Tobacco and Vapes bill, which was first introduced by Rishi Sunak but was dropped due to the general election, will prevent anyone who was born on or after 1 January 2009 from buying tobacco.

The ban will effectively raise the legal age for buying cigarettes in England by one year every year, until it applies to the whole population.

The policy to create a “smoke-free generation” was seen as a defining one of Mr Sunak‘s premiership and caused controversy within Tory ranks, particularly the more libertarian wing of the party.

The bill will also create limits on the sale and marketing of vapes to children, while separate environmental legislation will be introduced to ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes by next summer.

The health secretary said “clamping down on the scourge of youth vaping” with licensing, tougher enforcement and a ban on the marketing of vapes to children and young people was “happily, an area of broad cross-party consensus”.

“I first proposed the generational ban for children, when I was the shadow health secretary,” he said.

“To my delight and surprise, Rishi Sunak took it up as prime minister and Conservative leader.

“I hope that cross-party support will sustain a new leader of the Conservative Party, but we’ll find out in the coming weeks.”

UK

Powys crash: Safety system ‘blocked’ before fatal train collision

Published

2 hours ago

November 5, 2024

admin

Powys crash: Safety system 'blocked' before fatal train collision

A safety system was “blocked” during a fatal train crash in Powys, an initial investigation has found.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published its initial findings into last month’s collision, in which one person died.

David Tudor Evans, 66, was described as a “lovely guy, full of life and enjoyment”.

A further 15 people were taken to hospital for treatment after the crash near Talerddig, police said.

The collision – at around 7.26pm on 21 October – involved the 6.31pm Transport for Wales service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 7.09pm Transport for Wales service from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.

The RAIB said the units were fitted with wheel slide protection systems – described as being similar to anti-lock braking systems in cars – and an automatic sanding system.

Sand is discharged automatically via hoses when a wheel slide is detected during braking – creating more friction at the wheel-rail interface.

The on-train data recorder shows the wheel slide started during braking and was also present after the driver made an emergency brake demand.

An inspection of the sanding system fitted to Aberystwyth-bound train 1J25 showed the leading vehicle’s sanding hoses were blocked.

The RAIB says they were apparently unable to discharge sand.

The ongoing investigation is also looking at the speed at which the trains were travelling when they collided.

Initial enquiries suggest the westbound train was travelling at a speed of between 15mph and 24mph, while the eastbound train was travelling at a speed of 6mph.

The RAIB says its investigation will look at the sequence of events which led to the crash.

As part of the probe, the agency will look at factors including the actions of those involved, the level of wheel-rail adhesion, and the behaviour of both trains during and after the crash.

In a joint statement, Transport for Wales and Network Rail said they have “fully cooperated” with the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.

“As investigations are currently still ongoing, we’ll continue to work together with investigators to understand what happened and await the full conclusion and recommendations of the investigation,” a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said safety was the “main priority” for both companies and they had “carried out enhanced checks to the trains and the railway line”.

“At this early stage of the investigation, it’s fundamental that we await the findings of the full report and show sensitivity towards our customers, colleagues, the local community and the families of those affected by the incident,” they added.