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‘What a fool’: fellow actors criticise William Shatner’s space flight

The Star Trek actor William Shatner’s recent historic space flight saw him boldly go where some fellow actors refuse to follow, as the nonagenarian was labelled a “fool” for taking part in his record-breaking jaunt.

Dame Joan Collins, who once appeared in an episode of the science fiction series, and the Succession star Brian Cox, are both unimpressed by Shatner, at 90, becoming the oldest person to travel into space when earlier this month he flew in a rocket built by the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

It follows comments from the Duke of Cambridge criticising space tourism, and which forced Shatner to justify the trip, saying it was a “baby step” to getting “polluting industries … off of Earth”.

Appearing on The Jonathan Ross Show on ITV, Collins said: “It’s amazing isn’t it? What a fool. Who wants to do that? No, absolutely not. Did you see Bill Shatner?

“He was in the air and they were turning him upside down. Let’s take care of this planet first before we start going off.”

Collins appeared in an episode of the original series of Star Trek, playing a character called Edith Keeler who Captain Kirk, played by Shantner, falls in love with but then allows to die.

Asked if he would visit space, fellow show guest Cox replied: “No, absolutely not. I think it’s ridiculous. I remember watching [Sir Richard] Branson and Bezos going up for their 11 minutes or whatever …

“No, we do not need more spaceships. We’ve got enough crap flying around up there. We do not need any more.”

Shatner took off from the west Texas desert onboard the Blue Origin suborbital capsule, with his flight lasting 10 minutes. The crew got to experience a short period of weightlessness as they climbed to a maximum altitude just above 60 miles (100km). From there they were able to see the curvature of the Earth through the capsule’s windows.

In tears, he added: “What you have just given me is the most profound experience. I’m so filled with emotion about what just happened. I hope I never recover from this. I hope I can retain what I feel now. I don’t want to lose it.”

After the flight, Prince William criticised the space race and burgeoning space tourism industry ahead of his inaugural Earthshot prize awards.

He said: “We need some of the world’s greatest brains and minds fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live.”

Shatner, in an interview with the US TV show Entertainment Tonight, responded: “He’s a lovely Englishman. He’s going to be king of England one day. He’s a lovely, gentle, educated man, but he’s got the wrong idea.

“The idea here is not to go, ‘Yeah, look at me. I’m in space’. No, I would tell the prince, and I hope the prince gets this message, this is a baby step of getting industry, all those polluting industries … off of Earth.”

Shatner was joined on the flight by Audrey Powers, a Blue Origin vice-president, Chris Boshuizen, who co founded the Earth imaging satellite company Planet, and Glen de Vries, an executive with the French healthcare software corporation Dassault Systèmes.

They were given a couple of days training, though the rocket and capsule system, known as New Shepard, is fully automatic.

Shatner was previously criticised by his Star Trek co-star George Takei, a longtime foe, who told the Page Six website: “He’s boldly going where other people have gone before.”

Bezos, who has sold $100m (£72m) of tickets for future rides and aims to dominate the fledgling space tourism industry, was onboard the maiden crewed flight of his own spaceship in July.

Shatner took the title of oldest space traveller from Wally Funk, an 82-year-old former test pilot who flew with Bezos.

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Gov Nwifuru congratulates Mbata on emergence as Ohanaeze president General

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru has congratulated the newly elected President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Senator Mbata.

Nwifuru said with the experiences Senator Mbata has garnered in various theatres, taking the organisation to yet another level of growth is indubitable.

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday, by his Chief Press Secretary, Dr Monday Uzor and made available to journalists in Abakaliki.

The Governor says, “Sen Mbata your emergence is a testament to your outstanding leadership qualities, dedication, and the confidence reposed in you by our people.

“This pivotal role offers an opportunity to unite and advance the interests of our ethnic group, promoting our rich cultural heritage, values, and aspirations.

“I am confident that under your able leadership, you will continue to serve as a beacon of progress, fostering unity, development, and a stronger sense of identity among the Igbo people”.

While assuring greater collaboration with the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Governor Nwifuru asserted “Please be assured of my administration’s support as we work collaboratively to uplift our communities and address the challenges facing our people”

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Tinubu approves ban on homosexuality in Nigeria’s military

Nigeria’s military personnel have been banned from engaging in homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, cross-dressing, and other acts deemed contrary to the ethics of the country’s armed forces.

The nation’s military personnel were also barred from body piercing, tattooing, disorderly behaviour and drunkenness on or off duty.

The fresh directive is contained in Section 26 of the revised Harmonised Armed Forces Terms and Conditions of Service signed by President Bola Tinubu on December 16, 2024, a copy sighted by DAILY POST’S correspondent at the weekend.

Also, the condition of service prohibited military personnel from joining secret cults and owning private businesses.

“An officer must not engage in homosexuality, lesbianism, or bestiality.

“He/she is not to belong to or engage in activities of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Trans, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual or Agender, Two-Spirit, LGBTQIA2S+, group and cross-dressing, amongst others.
“An officer must not engage in body piercing and tattooing of any part of his body. An officer shall not engage in any form of disorderly behaviour, brawl, or any action of public disgrace. An officer must not at any time be drunk, whether on or off duty.”

The condition of service also forbids the involvement of officers in amorous relationships with subordinates or their spouses.

The military personnel are obligated to pay financial dues, including vehicle licenses and insurance, on time, while they are prohibited from joining secret societies or political parties.

“An officer shall pay all just financial obligations in a proper and timely manner, especially those imposed by law and mutual contract. It is a very serious offence for an officer to be apprehended for failure to license or insure his vehicle and other legal financial obligations. In the same vein, the issuance of a dud cheque constitutes an offence.

“An officer shall not hold membership in any secret society or political party. He shall not participate, in any way, in activities concerned with such societies or parties, even in observatory capacities.

“For the avoidance of doubt, since cultural or purely traditional religious societies are not normally secret by membership or in the conduct of their affairs, they are ipso facto expelled from belonging to secret societies.”

“An officer shall not engage in private business. He shall not use or be allowed to use government property, his name, position, and connection in any way with commercial enterprises outside employment or activity with or without compensation, which interfere or has the tendency of interfering with his official duty or which may be reasonably expected to bring discredit to the Service,” the document stated.
Meanwhile, the document did not spell out punishments or disciplinary measures against any personnel who violates the rules.

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Kano Emirship tussle: Bayero rejects Appeal Court judgement, heads for Supreme Court

Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero has rejected the judgement of the Appeal Court which nullified a Federal High Court order that removed Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano.

Bayero on Sunday said he is heading to Supreme Court to challenge the appeal court verdict.

Speaking to newsmen at the Nasarawa Palace of the 15th Emir Of Kano, the Sarkin Dawaki Babba, Aminu Babba DanAgundi, who filed the suit that was struck out by the Appeal Court, said, “Sanusi did not even understand that he has completely lost out in the whole of the cases at hand.

“That is why I expressed regrets over remarks by the 16th Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, using the Mosque pillar to propagate something that was not true and did not happen at the Appeal Court.

“We initially went to Federal High Court seeking the nullification of the repeal law by the State Assembly, which we felt was done haphazardly.”

DanAgundi further warned Sanusi to stop parading himself as the Emir of Kano.

“The position of Muhammadu Sanusi II that he emerged victorious was wrong, the court said that the Federal High Court has no legal right to hear issues with regards to chieftaincy affairs. But what we went to court for was different.

“We were not arguing on the powers of State Assembly to enact of repeal laws, what we were asking was lack of fair hearing on the 15th Emir Aminu Ado Bayero, that he was removed without given him chance to protect himself.

“The State Assembly didn’t follow the right procedures in repealing the laws,” he added.

He asked the Police and the DSS to stop Sanusi from allegedly moving around with thugs, accusing the Emir of plotting to disrupt peace in Kano.

According to him, Sanusi will not claim victory until the Supreme Court judgement has been given.

“The Attorney General and Speaker of the Kano State Assembly went to court seeking to stop Bayero from parading himself as Emir, but the Appeal Court rejected that position and said that Bayero was not given fair hearing.

“By this it clearly shows that Bayero is still the Emir of Kano.”