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Obituaries

Obituaries
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Obituaries. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Francis Buchholz of the Scorpions performs in London in 1989. Photo: TNS
Music

Former Scorpions bassist Francis Buchholz dies at 71

His time with the legendary German rock band was marked by hits like ‘Winds of Change’ and ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’.

Valentino Garavani

Valentino, fashion designer to the jet set, stars and royalty, dead at 93

Malaysia

Missing Malaysian actress Nadia Kesuma dies of heart attack in Saudi

Japan

Nie Weiping, Chinese Go master known for victory over Japanese rival, dies at 73

The win catapulted him to national icon status and sparked a fever for the board game across China.

Chinese Go player Nie Weiping, who inspired legions of players, has died at the age of 73. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong economy

‘One of a kind’: tributes pour in for David Webb, Hong Kong’s ‘voice of integrity’

Financial and civic leaders remember former activist investor, hailed for his fearless pursuit of corporate transparency and accountability.

Art

Scott Adams, Dilbert cartoonist and Trump fan, dead at 68

Ex-wife shares a final message from the artist, whose comic strip lampooned office life and whose career flagged after a racist rant.

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Asian cinema: Korean films

Korean film icon Ahn Sung-ki remembered: 5 of his best films

Known affectionately as ‘The Nation’s Actor’, South Korea’s Ahn Sung-ki starred in more than 100 feature films during his long career.

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Ahn Sung-ki poses on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 26th Busan International Film Festival in 2021. Photo: AFP
History

Anne Frank’s stepsister, Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, dies at 96

Schloss co-founded the Anne Frank Trust UK foundation in 1990 to pass on the memory of the Holocaust to young people and combat prejudice.

US Politics

Tatiana Schlossberg, journalist and JFK’s granddaughter, dead at 35

Schlossberg, who wrote about her battle with cancer, was critical of her relative Robert F Kennedy Jnr, the US health secretary.

Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia dies after prolonged illness

Despite her ill health, 80-year-old Zia, a dominant figure in Dhaka’s turbulent power struggles, had vowed to run in next year’s election.

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Bangladesh’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia at a Dhaka rally in 2016. Photo: AFP
Music

The Cure guitarist and keyboard player Perry Bamonte dies aged 65

Bamonte, who became a full member of The Cure in 1990, was initially part of the British Goth rock band’s road crew from 1984.

Perry Bamonte of The Cure performs at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, California in May 2023. Bamonte has died aged 65, the British band said on Friday. Photo: Getty Images North America / AFP
Singapore

Former Singapore lawyer and human rights activist M Ravi dies

The 56-year-old was a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community and supported the abolition of the death penalty in the city state.

Fame and celebrity

Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella dies in US car crash

The 55-year-old gaming pioneer was one of two people who died in a crash on a scenic road north of Los Angeles.

Britain

Chris Rea, UK singer of ‘Driving Home for Christmas’, dead at 74

After a career spanning five decades and 40 million records sold, the Middlesbrough-born musician died in hospital following a short illness.

British musician Chris Rea performs on stage in Basel, Switzerland in 2017. The singer died on Monday at the age of 74. Photo: EPA
Fame and celebrity

In memoriam: 29 beloved celebrities we lost in 2025

We remember stars from the worlds of Hollywood, TV, music, fashion and more, from Jane Goodall to Giorgio Armani and Hulk Hogan.

Ozzy Osbourne, Diane Keaton, and Robert Redford are just three of the celebrities we lost this year. Photos: EPA, TNS, AFP
Racism and other prejudice

Christine Choy, who made documentary on racist killing of Vincent Chin, dies at 73

The indie filmmaker brought attention to the 1982 slaying, a galvanising moment in the fight against anti-Asian hate in the US.

Britain

Sophie Kinsella, Shopaholic author, dies at 55 from brain cancer

The celebrated British author wrote over 30 books, and leaves behind a legacy of humour and relatability.

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Hong Kong society

Robert Ho, Hong Kong journalist, philanthropist and devout Buddhist, dies at 93

Grandson of Robert Ho Tung died peacefully on November 30, notice on Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation’s website says.

Robert Ho has died at the age of 93. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Hong Kong

Renowned British photographer Martin Parr dies at 73

The celebrated photographer documented everything from beach life to global consumerism across a decades-spanning career.

Architecture and design

Frank Gehry, the most celebrated architect of his time, dies at 96

His masterpieces include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Berlin’s DZ Bank Building.

Cinema

Oscar-winning UK playwright Tom Stoppard dies aged 88

His work ranges from plays like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead to the film Shakespeare in Love, which scooped seven Academy Awards.

British playwright Tom Stoppard arrives for the world premiere of “Anna Karenina” in London in September 2012. Photo: AP
Richard Branson

Joan Branson, wife of British billionaire Richard Branson, dies at 80

The Virgin Atlantic founder called his spouse his best friend, rock, and his guiding light in a social media post about her death.

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Richard Branson and his wife, Joan, attend an event in Beverly Hills in February 2016. Photo: TNS
Americas and the Caribbean

Jimmy Cliff, reggae icon and ‘cultural giant’, dies at 81

The Jamaican singer, along with Bob Marley, popularised reggae, ska and rocksteady. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Fashion

Paul Costelloe, personal designer to Princess Diana, dies at 80

The Irish designer worked with the British royal from 1983 until her death in Paris in 1997.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong toy tycoon Lam Leung-tim, creator of iconic rubber duck, dead at 105

Lam’s family reveals he died on November 10, announces that memorial ceremony will be held on Monday in his ancestral hometown of Foshan.

Hong Kong toy tycoon Lam Leung-tim with his iconic rubber ducks in 2017. Photo: Nora Tam
United States

US disability rights activist and author Alice Wong dies at 51

The daughter of Hong Kong immigrants, Wong fought for a world where people with disabilities could have full autonomy over their lives.

Alice Wong (right) speaks with Yomi Young during the activist’s 50th birthday party in San Francisco in March. Photo: Sandy Ho via AP
Science

James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA’s double helix shape, dead at 97

His efforts won him a Nobel Prize, but Watson drew condemnation near the end of his life for saying black people were less intelligent.

Science

Lead scientist of China’s thorium reactor project died working on the computer

Death of nuclear physicist Xu Hongjie came just weeks before the project he led achieved a breakthrough in fourth-generation nuclear power.

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