Latest news with #God-fearing
News18
02-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
ICE chief defends agents' use of masks, decries sanctuary jurisdictions
Boston, Jun 2 (AP) Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons on Monday defended the use of masks by his agents and expressed frustration at sanctuary jurisdictions that he said are hindering the detainment of immigrants who are in the country illegally. Lyons said his agents wear masks because they and their families have been doxxed and 'targeted" with death threats. 'I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is," he said. Lyons made the comments during a press conference at the Boston federal courthouse to announce the completion of a May operation in which nearly 1,500 immigrants were taken into custody across Massachusetts. He was leaving the room when a reporter asked him about the masks. He turned around and returned to the podium to answer it. 'Is that the issue here that we're just upset about the masks?" he asked the room of journalists. 'Or is anyone upset about the fact that ICE officers' families were labelLed terrorists?" As part of last month's operation, authorities in Massachusetts detained 1,461 immigrants living in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Lawrence, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and other communities. ICE said 790 of those immigrants had criminal histories, including the crime of reentering the US after deportation, and that 277 had previously been ordered to be removed from the country by a federal immigration judge. Lyons, who is from Boston, said these operations wouldn't be necessary if 'sanctuary cities would change their policy." There's no legal definition for sanctuary city policies, but they generally limit cooperation by local law enforcement with federal immigration officers. Courts have repeatedly upheld the legality of sanctuary laws. As of Monday, there was a 'Page Not Found" error message in its place. During a March congressional hearing, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and other Democratic mayors defended sanctuary city policies. Brandon Johnson of Chicago said 'mischaracterisations and fearmongering" were obscuring the fact that crime in Chicago is trending down. 'This federal administration is making hard-working, taxpaying, God-fearing residents afraid to live their lives," Wu said. During Monday's press conference, a poster board with mug shots of unnamed immigrants was displayed. A full list of those arrested was not made available, nor was information about the crimes specific individuals are accused of committing. Lyons called them 'dangerous criminals" who are 'terrorising family, friends and our neighbours." White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the key driver of immigration policy in the Trump administration, has said that the administration is setting a goal of 3,000 arrests by ICE each day and that the number could go higher. Lyons said during an interview with Fox & Friends on Sunday that the agency was averaging about 1,600 arrests per day. He said they can and will do more. That marks an increase from previous ICE arrest data that showed that the agency arrested 78,155 people between January 20 and May 19 — an average of 656 arrests per day. Lyons heads an agency at the centre of Trump's mass deportations agenda. Just last week, the agency underwent its second major reorganisation since Trump took office, as the head of the Enforcement and Removal Operations section of ICE retired and the head of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations section transitioned to another role. (AP) AMJ AMJ First Published: June 03, 2025, 01:45 IST
Observer
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Observer
Wes Anderson and his A-list cast dazzle at Cannes
US director Wes Anderson brought his latest A-list cast led by Benicio del Toro to the Cannes film festival on Sunday, ramping up the star power as the competition reaches the halfway mark. Anderson's typically whimsical "The Phoenician Scheme", which also finds roles for Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Kate Winslet's daughter, Mia Threapleton, is in the running for the top prize at Cannes. It tells the story of risk-taking and accident-prone European tycoon Zsa-zsa Korda, played by del Toro, who looks to bequeath his fictional business empire to his estranged God-fearing daughter. Del Toro's character is loosely based on Anderson's Lebanese father-in-law. "He was a completely different sort of person, but he was an engineer and quite alpha," the director told AFP. "His relationship with my wife is probably the DNA of the movie. He told her one day, 'I need to tell you about how my business works because I won't live forever.' But "the way he told her about his business was he opened a closet and started taking out shoeboxes and said, 'This is the project that we are doing in Saudi. This is the project we are doing in Gibraltar," Anderson added. "She came home and she said, 'This is crazy.' So all of that went in the movie," said the maker of such quirky hits as "Asteroid City", "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Darjeeling Limited". With Anderson's film always thick with stars, the film's red-carpet premiere was packed with celebrities, with Edward Norton, Julianne Moore, Benedict Cumberbatch and Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro also in town. - Russian frontrunner - Fellow A-listers Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson were also on the Croisette promenade on Sunday, a day after the premiere of their in-competition film "Die, My Love" by Scottish director Lynne Ramsay. Australia's Nicole Kidman picked up a Kering Women In Motion award, meanwhile, where she lamented the still "incredibly low" number of women directors in the movie business. Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme" is one of 22 films competing for best film in the official Cannes competition which will conclude on Saturday. Critics' favourites from the first week include German-language drama "The Sound of Falling" about inter-generational trauma, and experimental rave road-trip thriller "Sirat". According to an analysis of ratings by film magazine Screen, the frontrunner is a contemplative drama about justice and cruelty in the Soviet Union called "Two Prosecutors" by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa. "Russian society today is different from Soviet society in the 20th century but the essence is the same," the 60-year-old director told AFP earlier this week. "The Phoenician Scheme" was praised by The Hollywood Reporter as a "poignant narrative jigsaw puzzle" while Variety called it "dense but undeniably enjoyable". Scarlett Johansson was not on the red carpet on Sunday, but she will present her directorial debut -- "Eleanor the Great" -- to audiences on Monday. - Nigerian debut - Sunday also saw the premiere of Nigeria's first film in an official slot at Cannes. "My Father's Shadow", the debut feature of newcomer Akinola Davies is set during a 1993 coup, a pivotal moment in Nigeria's recent history, when the military annulled the election and General Sani Abacha eventually took power. "Getting into competition for the first time ever shows that Nigerian cinema has come of age," Prince Baba Agba, a cultural advisor to Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, told AFP. Culture Minister Hannatu Musawa led the large and stylish Nigerian presence on the red carpet for the premiere. —AFP
eNCA
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- eNCA
Wes Anderson and his A-list cast dazzle at Cannes
CANNES - US director Wes Anderson brought his latest A-list cast led by Benicio del Toro to the Cannes film festival on Sunday, ramping up the star power as the competition reaches the halfway mark. Anderson's typically whimsical "The Phoenician Scheme", which also finds roles for Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Kate Winslet's daughter, Mia Threapleton, is in the running for the top prize at Cannes. It tells the story of risk-taking and accident-prone European tycoon Zsa-zsa Korda, played by del Toro, who looks to bequeath his fictional business empire to his estranged God-fearing daughter. Del Toro's character is loosely based on Anderson's Lebanese father-in-law. "He was a completely different sort of person, but he was an engineer and quite alpha," the director told AFP. "His relationship with my wife is probably the DNA of the movie. He told her one day, 'I need to tell you about how my business works because I won't live forever.' But "the way he told her about his business was he opened a closet and started taking out shoeboxes and said, 'This is the project that we are doing in Saudi. This is the project we are doing in Gibraltar," Anderson added. "She came home and she said, 'This is crazy.' So all of that went in the movie," said the maker of such quirky hits as "Asteroid City", "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Darjeeling Limited". With Anderson's film always thick with stars, the film's red-carpet premiere was packed with celebrities, with Edward Norton, Julianne Moore, Benedict Cumberbatch and Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro also in town.
Japan Today
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Wes Anderson and his A-list cast dazzle at Cannes
US film director Wes Anderson and actors Benicio del Toro and Michael Cera arrive for the premiere of 'The Phoenician Scheme' By Adam PLOWRIGHT and Fiachra GIBBONS U.S. director Wes Anderson brought his latest A-list cast led by Benicio del Toro to the Cannes film festival on Sunday, ramping up the star power as the competition reaches the halfway mark. Anderson's typically whimsical "The Phoenician Scheme", which also finds roles for Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Kate Winslet's daughter, Mia Threapleton, is in the running for the top prize at Cannes. It tells the story of risk-taking and accident-prone European tycoon Zsa-zsa Korda, played by del Toro, who looks to bequeath his fictional business empire to his estranged God-fearing daughter. Del Toro's character is loosely based on Anderson's Lebanese father-in-law. "He was a completely different sort of person, but he was an engineer and quite alpha," the director told AFP. "His relationship with my wife is probably the DNA of the movie. He told her one day, 'I need to tell you about how my business works because I won't live forever.' But "the way he told her about his business was he opened a closet and started taking out shoeboxes and said, 'This is the project that we are doing in Saudi. This is the project we are doing in Gibraltar," Anderson added. "She came home and she said, 'This is crazy.' So all of that went in the movie," said the maker of such quirky hits as "Asteroid City", "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Darjeeling Limited". With Anderson's film always thick with stars, the film's red-carpet premiere was packed with celebrities, with Edward Norton, Julianne Moore, Benedict Cumberbatch and Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro also in town. Fellow A-listers Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson were also on the Croisette promenade on Sunday, a day after the premiere of their in-competition film "Die, My Love" by Scottish director Lynne Ramsay. Australia's Nicole Kidman picked up a Kering Women In Motion award, meanwhile, where she lamented the still "incredibly low" number of women directors in the movie business. Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme" is one of 22 films competing for best film in the official Cannes competition which will conclude on Saturday. Critics' favorites from the first week include German-language drama "The Sound of Falling" about inter-generational trauma, and experimental rave road-trip thriller "Sirat". According to an analysis of ratings by film magazine Screen, the frontrunner is a contemplative drama about justice and cruelty in the Soviet Union called "Two Prosecutors" by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa. "Russian society today is different from Soviet society in the 20th century but the essence is the same," the 60-year-old director told AFP earlier this week. "The Phoenician Scheme" was praised by The Hollywood Reporter as a "poignant narrative jigsaw puzzle" while Variety called it "dense but undeniably enjoyable". Scarlett Johansson was not on the red carpet on Sunday, but she will present her directorial debut -- "Eleanor the Great" -- to audiences on Monday. Sunday also saw the premiere of Nigeria's first film in an official slot at Cannes. "My Father's Shadow", the debut feature of newcomer Akinola Davies is set during a 1993 coup, a pivotal moment in Nigeria's recent history, when the military annulled the election and General Sani Abacha eventually took power. "Getting into competition for the first time ever shows that Nigerian cinema has come of age," Prince Baba Agba, a cultural advisor to Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, told AFP. Culture Minister Hannatu Musawa led the large and stylish Nigerian presence on the red carpet for the premiere. © 2025 AFP
Int'l Business Times
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Wes Anderson And His A-list Cast Dazzle At Cannes
US director Wes Anderson brought his latest A-list cast led by Benicio del Toro to the Cannes film festival on Sunday, ramping up the star power as the competition reaches the halfway mark. Anderson's typically whimsical "The Phoenician Scheme", which also finds roles for Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Kate Winslet's daughter, Mia Threapleton, is in the running for the top prize at Cannes. It tells the story of risk-taking and accident-prone European tycoon Zsa-zsa Korda, played by del Toro, who looks to bequeath his fictional business empire to his estranged God-fearing daughter. Del Toro's character is loosely based on Anderson's Lebanese father-in-law. "He was a completely different sort of person, but he was an engineer and quite alpha," the director told AFP. "His relationship with my wife is probably the DNA of the movie. He told her one day, 'I need to tell you about how my business works because I won't live forever.' But "the way he told her about his business was he opened a closet and started taking out shoeboxes and said, 'This is the project that we are doing in Saudi. This is the project we are doing in Gibraltar," Anderson added. "She came home and she said, 'This is crazy.' So all of that went in the movie," said the maker of such quirky hits as "Asteroid City", "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Darjeeling Limited". With Anderson's film always thick with stars, the film's red-carpet premiere was packed with celebrities, with Edward Norton, Julianne Moore, Benedict Cumberbatch and Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro also in town. Fellow A-listers Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson were also on the Croisette promenade on Sunday, a day after the premiere of their in-competition film "Die, My Love" by Scottish director Lynne Ramsay. Australia's Nicole Kidman picked up a Kering Women In Motion award, meanwhile, where she lamented the still "incredibly low" number of women directors in the movie business. Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme" is one of 22 films competing for best film in the official Cannes competition which will conclude on Saturday. Critics' favourites from the first week include German-language drama "The Sound of Falling" about inter-generational trauma, and experimental rave road-trip thriller "Sirat". According to an analysis of ratings by film magazine Screen, the frontrunner is a contemplative drama about justice and cruelty in the Soviet Union called "Two Prosecutors" by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa. "Russian society today is different from Soviet society in the 20th century but the essence is the same," the 60-year-old director told AFP earlier this week. "The Phoenician Scheme" was praised by The Hollywood Reporter as a "poignant narrative jigsaw puzzle" while Variety called it "dense but undeniably enjoyable". Scarlett Johansson was not on the red carpet on Sunday, but she will present her directorial debut -- "Eleanor the Great" -- to audiences on Monday. Sunday also saw the premiere of Nigeria's first film in an official slot at Cannes. "My Father's Shadow", the debut feature of newcomer Akinola Davies is set during a 1993 coup, a pivotal moment in Nigeria's recent history, when the military annulled the election and General Sani Abacha eventually took power. Culture Minister Hannatu Musawa led the large and stylish Nigerian presence on the red carpet for the premiere. US actor Jennifer Lawrence, star of 'Die, My Love', at Cannes AFP British-Nigerian actor Sope Dirisu, "My Father's Shadow" director Akinola Davies and his screenwriter brother Wale at Cannes AFP British actor Mia Threapleton is part of the ensemble cast of 'The Phoenician Scheme' AFP Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson appear in Scottish director Lynne Ramsay's 'Die, My Love' AFP
