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Obituaries

Obituaries
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Obituaries. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Peter Cullen attends an event in New York n October 2023. Photo: AP
Fame and celebrity

Peter Cullen, voice of Optimus Prime and Eeyore, dies at 85

In his role as the Autobot leader in the Transformers cartoon, Cullen struck a nerve with his authoritative baritone.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

‘Butcher of Bosnia’ Ratko Mladic dies in The Hague prison

Art

Yayoi Kusama, Japanese artist famous for pumpkins and polka dots, dies aged 97

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Fame and celebrity

Tim Curry, famed for Rocky Horror Picture Show, dead at 80

The UK actor appeared in numerous films, often as an over-the-top villain, and was nominated three times for a Tony Award.

Tim Curry famously commanded attention as the mad scientist Dr Frank N. Furter in cult classic oddball musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Photo: 20th Century via TNS
Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton, US country music legend and cultural icon, dies at 80

Prolific songwriter of ‘Jolene’ and other hits transcended generations, genres and politics over a six-decade career.

United States

‘Heroes’ star Hayden Panettiere dies aged 36, father confirms

Panettiere’s role as a cheerleader with superpowers in “Heroes” propelled her to fame in 2006.

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Zhu Rongji

How Zhu Rongji’s economic legacy endures in China after former premier’s death

Remembered as a candid, decisive leader, the former Chinese premier championed entrepreneurship, welcomed foreign expertise and brought urgency to economic policymaking.

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Former US president Bill Clinton (right) and former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji appear at a press conference in April 1999. Photo: AFP
Zhu Rongji

Video | Remembering Zhu Rongji

Zhu had a major role in reshaping China’s economy, first as vice-premier and then as premier.

China’s Communist Party

Obituary | Zhu Rongji: leading China’s transformation through ‘minefield or abyss’

China’s bold economic tsar who drove sweeping SOE reforms and secured WTO entry has died aged 97.

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Zhu Rongji

Zhu Rongji, China’s chief engineer of economic reform, dies aged 97

Zhu, who rose to become premier, spearheaded China’s entry into the World Trade Organization.

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Zhu Rongji, who was premier of China from 1998 to 2003, has died aged 97. Photo: Robert Ng
Fame and celebrity

Sopranos actor Vincent Pastore, known for playing mobsters, dies at 80

Pastore, who played Salvatore ‘Big Pussy’ Bonpensiero on the show, also appeared in films including Goodfellas and Awakenings, both in 1990.

Vincent Pastore attends The Sopranos 25th anniversary celebration in New York in 2024. The actor died on Saturday at the age of 80. Photo: AP
Italy

Franco Baresi, the ‘Johan Cruyff of defenders’, dies aged 66

Iconic captain spent entire 20-year career with AC Milan, and earned his place among the game’s all-time greats.

Books and literature

Obituary | Asia mourns Japanese mystery novelist Keigo Higashino, who died at 68

Fans took to social media to mourn the death of Higashino, who published more than 100 books.

Fame and celebrity

Bill Oddie, wildlife champion and Goodies star, dies at 85

The British comic actor built a beloved second career as a bird expert, conservationist and nature presenter.

Bill Oddie with a Peregrine falcon in 2004. Photo: PA via AP
English Premier League

Kevin Keegan, ex-Liverpool, England star and Newcastle manager, dies aged 75

Two-time Ballon d’Or winner, regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, was diagnosed with stage four cancer in January.

Kevin Keegan gets a shot in against Queen Park Rangers in an English First Division match in 1974. Keegan won three league titles and the European Cup in six seasons at Anfield. Photo: AP
Celebrity Families

All you need to know about MJ, the Kardashian-Jenner matriarch who passed away

Popularly known as MJ, the former model was a crowd favourite in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and frequently popped up in her family’s Instagram posts.

Hollywood

Sam Neill, known for roles in Jurassic Park and The Piano, dead at 78

The New Zealand actor’s death was ‘sudden and unexpected’, his family says.

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Lindsey Graham

US senator and Trump ally Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after sudden illness

‘He’s a tough one to lose,’ Trump said on Sunday, calling the war hawk ‘one of the greatest people I have known’.

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US Senator Lindsey Graham in Kyiv, Ukraine on Friday. On Sunday, Graham’s office confirmed he had died after a sudden illness. Photo: AP
Qatar

Obituary | Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who raised Qatar’s global profile, dies at 74

The former ruler turned Qatar from a backwater into an international crossroads in less than a generation.

Fame and celebrity

Penelope Keith, star of classic British sitcom The Good Life, dead at 86

Bafta-winning Penelope Keith was a household name through her decades-spanning comedic roles on television, in film, radio and theatre.

Music

Legendary American music mogul Clive Davis dead at 94

‘The man with the golden ear’ leaves behind a profound legacy spanning rock, pop and hip-hop.

Clive Davis at the pre-Grammy gala in Beverly Hills, California in 2024. Photo: Reuters
Cuba

Ramiro Valdes, key figure of Cuban revolution and Castro ally, dead at 94

The architect of Cuba’s state security apparatus and former vice-president was one of the final veterans of the 1956 rebel uprising.

Ramiro Valdes in Havana in 2024. Photo: Reuters
Art

Britain’s David Hockney, a giant of contemporary art, dies aged 88

A major artist of the 20th and 21st centuries, he continued painting, experimenting and exhibiting right up until his death.

Thailand

Thailand observes 15 days of mourning for ‘Princess Bha’, who died aged 47

The eldest daughter of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn had been in a coma since 2022, after she collapsed from a heart condition.

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France

Formidable French first lady Bernadette Chirac dies at 93

She weathered husband Jacques Chirac’s notorious womanising and became a political power in her own right.

France’s former first lady Bernadette Chirac waves during a campaign event in Villepinte, north of Paris, in March 2012. Photo: AP
Fame and celebrity

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso actor Anthony Head dies aged 72

Head was best known as monster-hunting librarian Rupert Giles in the cult US supernatural television series.

The cast of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. From left to right: Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anthony Head and Charisma Carpenter. Photo: 20th Television
Iran

‘Persepolis’ author Marjane Satrapi dies ‘of sadness’ aged 56

The renowned graphic novel and film adaptation recount her early life and struggles in the shadow of the 1979 Iranian revolution.

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Music

Sonny Rollins, legendary saxophone colossus, dead at 95

Rollins’ marathon, hard-blowing solos earned him a reputation as the greatest jazz saxophone improviser.

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