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‘Once’ Oscar winner and Irish musician Glen Hansard dies in motorcycle crash

By CNN

DUBLIN (AP) — Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, who won an Academy Award for the 2007 film “Once,” died in a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin early Wednesday, his management said. He was 56.

ATC Management told broadcaster RTE Hansard’s family was “deeply shocked and heartbroken” by his death.

Irish police said a man in his 50s died in single vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan on the western outskirts of the Irish capital before 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The man, who they did not name, was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Hansard combined acting and a musical career. He played a member of a Dublin soul band in the hit 1991 movie “The Commitments” and won an Oscar in 2008 for the song “Falling Slowly” from the indie musical “Once,” in which he starred alongside Markéta Irglová.

He was long-serving front man for rock band The Frames, half of rock duo The Swell Season and released solo albums including “Didn’t He Ramble,” which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2016.

Hansard started out as a busker on the streets of Dublin, and he became famous for leading the Christmas Eve charity busk outside Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre, where members of the public gathered to see famous Irish musicians perform.

Former Irish president Michael D. Higgins said Hansard was a “wonderful musician and performer” who had a gift for storytelling who “also placed great emphasis throughout his life to the importance of tackling the problems of society, including regular work in drawing attention to the problem of homelessness.”

At the funeral of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in 2023, Hansard performed a rousing version of The Pogues’ song “Fairytale Of New York” with Irish singer Lisa O’Neill that had the congregation dancing in the aisles of the church.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Glen Hansard.”

“A talented musician and actor who made a significant contribution to Ireland’s cultural landscape over many years,” Martin posted on X.

Hansard is survived by his wife, Maire Saaritsa, and their 3-year-old son, Christy.

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Alaska Airlines flight forced to lockdown cockpit over passenger threats

By CNN
(CNN) — An Alaska Airlines flight leaving from Miami International Airport was forced to delay its departure Sunday evening and enter emergency protocols after “threats” from passengers, according to air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN.An investigation found there was no credible threat, the sheriff’s office said, according to CNN affiliate WFOR. However, passengers were forced to deplane out of an abundance of caution and the flight was delayed.Two passengers were removed from the plane, according to WFOR, and were later rebooked on another flight.In the air traffic control audio, a pilot of Alaska Airlines flight 305, from Miami to Seattle, can be heard telling controllers about a disturbance aboard while taxiing.“We have set the parking brake, and we have a customer disturbance on board right now, with threats coming from customers,” a pilot can be heard saying, according to air traffic control audio provided by ATC.com.“We want to go into a lockdown protocol. We are shutting down our engine, and the parking brake is set,” the pilot then said.A controller responds, “Alright, copy.”“The flight attendants have received threats from customers on board the aircraft,” the pilot responds.“Do you need us to contact law enforcement?” the controller says. “Absolutely,” the pilot responds.The controller then tells pilots to return to the gate, and “we’re going to have law enforcement standing by.”Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Airport District deputies responded to the gate where the plane returned, according to WBFS.CNN has reached out to Alaska Airlines, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Aviation Administration.The Miami International Airport directed us to the airline and sheriff’s office.Once the aircraft was cleared, passengers were permitted to reboard and the flight continued without further incident, it said.According to Flightradar24, the flight was scheduled to depart at 6:29 p.m. on Sunday night, however it returned to the gate minutes later. It departed at around 8:45 p.m., according to WFOR.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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