9s app casino real money download I don't like to look back on decisions I made in the past and think about how different things might be now if I had taken another path. For instance, I see little point in wondering how my life would have changed if I had attended a different university or not become a journalist. The same applies to economic policies. However, the timing of economic policy, as opposed to its content, is a different matter. In economic policies, timing is as important as, if not more important than, the content. We often see cases where well-designed policy measures fail to produce the desired effects, or even worsen the situation, because they are implemented too late or too early. Conversely, even poorly prepared measures can achieve better-than-expected results when implemented at the right time. Unfortunately, the Bank of Korea’s recent policy actions appear to fall into the former category. In October, the central bank lowered its policy interest rate for the first time in nearly four and a half years. This decision was based on inflation stabilizing, household debt growth slowing due to tightened government macroprudential policies, and risks easing in the foreign exchange market. The central bank also noted that, while the local economy was expected to continue its trend of moderate growth, uncertainties surrounding the growth outlook had heightened due to the delayed recovery in domestic demand. However, the effect of the rate cut on financial and economic conditions was very limited. Of course, market players agreed that the rate cut was better than nothing in the sense that policymakers were finally paying attention to weakening economic conditions. But the decision came too late to achieve its typical effect of encouraging people to invest more in riskier assets, such as equities, and spurring businesses to continue spending — even by increasing borrowing. In fact, most conventional indicators had pointed to the need for a rate cut much earlier in the year. Inflation was declining and poised to fall below the central bank’s 2 percent target, economic growth showed signs of missing expectations, and employment figures were disappointing. While acknowledging that the weakening macroeconomic conditions warranted a policy shift, the central bank refused to lower the interest rate earlier, citing concerns about rising real estate prices in Seoul and the surrounding region, high household debt levels and a volatile dollar-won exchange rate. However, these justifications were far from economically sound. First, real estate prices were not rising rapidly on a national level. Apartment prices were indeed climbing in the Seoul metropolitan area, but housing prices nationwide were largely flat -- or even declining when adjusted for inflation. Its concern over high household debt levels also appeared unfounded. While South Korea’s household debt is high by international standards and poses long-term risks to the financial system, it is not solely the central bank’s responsibility to address this issue. The underlying causes of high household debt include structural factors such as the country’s unique house rental system, underdeveloped banking practices and relatively limited household income sources beyond wages due to the underdeveloped local capital market. The central bank’s concerns about the volatile dollar-won exchange rate were also questionable. While some argue that lower interest rates could trigger capital outflows and weaken the local currency’s value, research shows that interest rates are just one of many factors influencing exchange rates. Eventually, the Bank of Korea decided to cut the policy rate at its October meeting. Yet this significant decision failed to alleviate public concerns or boost the economy as expected. As conditions deteriorated further, the central bank implemented another rate cut in November. It is highly unusual for the central bank to lower interest rates at two consecutive policy meetings in the absence of a crisis, such as the US subprime mortgage crisis or the COVID-19 pandemic. This move was clearly intended to signal to investors and other economic actors that policymakers were committed to supporting the economy. However, the financial markets reacted in an entirely unexpected way. Instead of increasing their holdings of stocks and other won-denominated assets, investors sold them off. Rather than conveying confidence that policymakers could turn the situation around, the successive rate cuts sent the opposite message -- that the economy might be in far worse condition than previously thought. Regrettably, the Bank of Korea’s monetary policy over the past two months will likely be remembered as a textbook example of well-intentioned policy implemented at the wrong time, forcing the entire economy to bear unnecessary costs. To make matters worse, the economy is now falling deeper into chaos due to political instability sparked by the president’s sudden failed attempt to impose martial law. The Bank of Korea may face no choice but to implement a third consecutive rate cut at its next policy meeting if the situation continues to hurt economic sentiment. It would definitely be a scenario the Bank of Korea could not have imagined when it continued to ignore signals from traditional macroeconomic indicators suggesting it was time to take action. The inconvenient truth is that someone will have to bear the cost. Yoo Choon-sik Yoo Choon-sik worked for nearly 30 years at Reuters, including as the chief Korea economics correspondent, and briefly worked as a business strategy consultant. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. -- Ed.What drives a cryptocurrency to stand out in today’s competitive market? Is it the technology, community support, or the promise of incredible returns for early investors? The digital currency space continues to evolve with intriguing updates, keeping enthusiasts and investors on their toes. From Binance Coin's steady climb to Algorand’s remarkable Q4 rally, the crypto world is abuzz with possibilities. However, Qubetics ($TICS) is making a name for itself with its game-changing approach to blockchain interoperability and a thrilling presale that’s gaining momentum. This article will explore the latest updates for Qubetics, Binance Coin, and Algorand—three of the best coins to invest in for long-term growth. Qubetics: The Blockchain Game-Changer Solving Interoperability Like Never Before Imagine a blockchain network where multiple systems work seamlessly together without barriers—this is the vision Qubetics is bringing to life. In today’s fragmented blockchain environment, interoperability challenges hinder the full potential of decentralised technologies. Qubetics aims to unify disparate networks into a cohesive Web3 ecosystem , enabling effortless asset transfers, secure data exchange, and smooth cross-chain transactions. This revolutionary feature positions Qubetics as one of the best coins to invest in for long-term success. Developers, enterprises, and users can now collaborate and innovate without constraints, unlocking endless possibilities. Recently, Qubetics hosted an engaging AMA session , where its community received direct insights into the platform’s vision and roadmap. The project’s commitment to transparency and user engagement is unmatched, making it a standout in the crypto space. Binance Coin: Institutional Interest Fuels Market Momentum Binance Coin (BNB) has been turning heads as its value edges closer to $697, driven by increased institutional investments and whale activity. While this trajectory hints at a potential climb to $1,000, sustaining support above $690 is crucial to avoid a dip toward $651. Analysts are keeping a watchful eye, cautioning that BNB’s dependence on the Binance ecosystem may make it vulnerable to regulatory challenges. Despite these hurdles, Binance Coin remains one of the best coins to invest in for long-term stability. Its resilience and strong community backing could pave the way for future growth, although cautious investors are advised to monitor its price action closely. Algorand: Undervalued Gem or a Peak in Sight? Algorand (ALGO) has enjoyed an impressive surge of over 250% in Q4 2024, sparking renewed interest among crypto enthusiasts. Yet, with a current price of $0.37, it remains far below its all-time high of $3.28. Investors are left wondering whether this underperformance signals untapped potential or a looming correction. Looking ahead to 2025, ALGO’s expanding ecosystem and growing adoption suggest it could reach a maximum of $0.89. However, external factors like market sentiment and increased competition could bring the price as low as $0.45. As one of the best coins to invest in for long-term prospects, Algorand presents an intriguing mix of opportunity and caution. The Qubetics presale is creating waves as it advances to Phase 14. With each weekly phase bringing a 10% price hike and a 20% increase slated for the final stage, the current price of $TICS at $0.037 is a steal for early investors. To date, the presale has amassed over $7.8 million, attracted more than 11,800 holders, and sold 377 million tokens. Investors looking for the best coins to invest in for long-term potential should note the projected post-presale price of $0.25. This forecast signals a potential ROI of 563.81%, making now the perfect time to join the action. With the next phase approaching, the excitement surrounding Qubetics is palpable. Don’t miss this chance to become part of a groundbreaking project that’s set to redefine blockchain technology. Conclusion: The Case for Qubetics and Beyond As 2024 unfolds, Qubetics ($TICS), Binance Coin, and Algorand are proving themselves to be the best coins to invest in for long-term growth. Binance Coin continues to attract institutional interest, while Algorand’s undervalued status hints at untapped potential. Yet, Qubetics stands out for its unique approach to interoperability and an electrifying presale opportunity. With its transformative vision and remarkable ROI potential, Qubetics isn’t just another cryptocurrency—it’s a gateway to the future of blockchain innovation. Take the leap today, and secure your place in the next wave of blockchain success with Qubetics. Qubetics: https://qubetics.com Telegram: https://t.me/qubetics Twitter: https://x.com/qubetics Join our WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news, exclusives and videos on WhatsApp _____________ Disclaimer: Analytics Insight does not provide financial advice or guidance. Also note that the cryptocurrencies mentioned/listed on the website could potentially be scams, i.e. designed to induce you to invest financial resources that may be lost forever and not be recoverable once investments are made. You are responsible for conducting your own research (DYOR) before making any investments. Read more here.

A strange rumor has emerged on social media, with claims that viral internet sensation Hailey Welch, at 22 years old and known for the “Hawk Tuah” clip, has died. To date, no official announcement has been made to authenticate these claims. The claims came in the wake of allegations surrounding her involvement in a crypto scam. A social media user with more than 24,000 followers first broke the news of the alleged death of Welch on X (formerly known as Twitter). The post that went viral was: “Breaking News: Hailey Welch found dead at the age of 22 years old.” Netizens quickly drew attention to the news but, so far, nothing has been confirmed by a reliable source about the demise of Welch. Still, other accounts kept posting that claim the death of the young girl, which creates confusion and worry among Welch’s followers. Welch’s Rise To Fame And Recent Controversy Hailey Welch , or the “Hawk Tuah Girl,” went viral with her viral “Hawk Tuah” clip. The most recent of her exploits in the cryptocurrency world, however, has brought controversy to her name. Welch just launched her much-anticipated memecoin on the Solana blockchain called $HAWK. Within minutes of its release, the coin skyrocketed and reached a market capitalization of $500 million. However, this surge proved short-lived as the coin went tumbling down to $60 million within just 20 minutes. Crypto Scam Allegations The dramatic crash of $HAWK resulted in huge financial losses to its investors, most of whom were Welch’s loyal followers. This led to accusations of a “rug pull” or “pump-and-dump” scheme-a term used to describe fraudulent practices in the cryptocurrency market. In a rug pull, developers of a cryptocurrency project suddenly withdraw all funds, leaving investors with worthless tokens. Understanding ‘Rug Pull’ Scam According to CoinDesk, a rug pull occurs when a cryptocurrency team raises money from investors by selling tokens, then disappears, leaving the raised funds in a scam, with the investors left empty-handed. When $HAWK went belly-up overnight, some people thought that maybe Welch had done this. Here is where the allegations arise from frustrated buyers. The allegations against Welch have not only hurt the investors but also damaged her reputation. As the controversy over the memecoin continues to unfold, Welch’s involvement in the crypto space has been severely criticized. While some fans remain supportive, others are questioning whether her rapid success was built on legitimate business practices or whether it was a deceptive ploy to make quick profits. ALOS READ | Biden Delivers National Address After Bashar Al-Assad Flees Syria: Key TakeawaysCowboys shutting down CeeDee Lamb with 2 games to go over receiver's shoulder issueBukayo Saka is likely to be sidelined until at least March following surgery on his hamstring, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed. Arsenal moved back up to second in the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory over Ipswich at the Emirates – their first fixture without Saka after the England winger tore his right hamstring in a 5-1 win against Crystal Palace last weekend. Prior to Friday’s fixture, Arteta said Saka, 23, would be sidelined for “many weeks”, but speaking in the moments after his side saw out a win that keeps the pressure on leaders Liverpool, Arteta afforded a grizzlier timeframe for his star man. “He has had a procedure and everything went well, but unfortunately he will be out for many, many weeks,” said Arteta. “It will be more than two months. I don’t know exactly how much longer. It will depend on how the scar tissue starts to heal, the first week or so, and the mobility of that. It is very difficult to say. “The replacement of Bukayo is going to be the team. There were moments where it flowed well tonight and moments where you could see there is still work to do. But I am certain that we are going to do that. We have to rely on the team and not the individual.” The length of Saka’s injury will come as a significant blow to Arteta, who is bidding to oversee Arsenal’s first Premier League title in two decades. Capping off 2024 with a W! Thanks for all the support this year Gunners ❤️ pic.twitter.com/5o8qIS6Dzq — Kai Havertz (@kaihavertz29) December 27, 2024 In Saka’s absence, and in the Gunners’ final fixture of 2024, Kai Havertz scored the game’s sole goal midway through the opening period. Gabriel, Havertz and Martin Odegaard all spurned chances to increase Arsenal’s lead in the second period, but their victory takes them back to within six points of leaders Liverpool – having played one match more than the Reds – and a point clear of Chelsea following their Boxing Day defeat to Fulham. Arteta continued: “I am very happy with the victory and the clean sheet and big parts of the game. They are difficult opposition and we are playing so many games. “You see that teams are winning from small margins. Today we could have made that margin bigger but we didn’t and we held our nerve in the last few minutes to defend well. Kai, what position are @Arsenal in? ✌️ #ARSIPS | #FestiveFixtures pic.twitter.com/JAlw7fkzAI — Premier League (@premierleague) December 27, 2024 “We should have scored more. We had big openings in the second half, the big header of Gabriel from one yard, but the team was consistent and conceded nothing and that is something that will always give us the chance to win games.” Arsenal will next be in action against Brentford on New Year’s Day. Ipswich, who remain second from bottom, three points away from safety, host Chelsea on Monday night. Ipswich suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Newcastle in the fixture which preceded their trip to the Emirates, and this marked their fifth loss from six games. “It was a good step back in the right direction for us,” said boss Kieran McKenna. “We didn’t hit our levels against Newcastle. We knew today we had to be resilient and we did that.”

The South Carolina women's basketball team has been defeated for the first time since March 31, 2023. The No. 1 Gamecocks fell Sunday in Los Angeles as Lauren Betts posted a double-double effort to lead No. 5 UCLA to a 77-62 triumph. The Gamecocks (5-1) suffered their first defeat after 43 consecutive victories, dating back to the loss to Iowa 77-73 in the NCAA Tournament semifinals. South Carolina defeated Iowa last season for the national championship. Betts finished with 11 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks to power the Bruins (5-0) to a historic victory. UCLA also got 15 points from Londynn Jones on 5-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, 13 points from Elina Aarnisalo and 11 each from Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jacquez. It's the first time UCLA has beaten South Carolina since 1981. The Bruins lost twice to the Gamecocks in the 2022-23 season, including in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Te-Hina Paopao had 18 points for South Carolina on 4-of-4 3-point shooting, while Tessa Johnson had 14 points. UCLA won the rebounding battle 41-34, marking the second time this season the Gamecocks have been outrebounded. South Carolina also got outscored in the paint 26-18. It's rare that a Dawn Staley-coached team -- units that typically revolve around dominant centers from A'ja Wilson to Aaliyah Boston to Kamilla Cardoso -- gets beat in the paint and on the glass, but with 6-foot-7 Betts, UCLA had the recipe to outmuscle the Gamecocks in those areas of the game. South Carolina never led after UCLA began the game with an 18-5 run, capped off by back-to-back 3-pointers from Jones. The Gamecocks cut the deficit to nine points in the second quarter, but the Bruins responded with a 17-5 run and entered halftime ahead by 21 points. Aarnisalo scored seven points during that run. From there, the Gamecocks never got within single digits of the lead in the second half. It's the first time in 21 tries that UCLA has beaten an AP-ranked No. 1 team. And it's the first time South Carolina lost a true road game since 2021, a streak of 33 games. The schedule doesn't get any easier for South Carolina. While UCLA faces UT Martin next on Friday, the Gamecocks play No. 8 Iowa State on Thursday. --Field Level Media

Viewers of 'I'm A Celebrity' were less than impressed, with some threatening to turn off their TVs altogether after Sunday night's episode threw up yet another trial for Dean. Presenters Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly provided updates from the jungle's last day, including Dean and Coleen's trial participation, along with Coleen sharing a story about meeting Donald Trump with her husband, Wayne Rooney. However, the audiences spirits dampened, learning that Dean was selected once again for a challenge. Following the announcement by Ant and Dec in the camp, viewers were hardly surprised but certainly annoyed at the outcome. Outraged reactions poured out over social media, with comments such as: "At which point do the producers stop someone getting voted from doing trials every day in a row like this can't last until the end ... #ImACeleb," while someone else expressed their exasperation by saying: "FFS STOP VOTING FOR DEAN ITS GETTING BORING NOW! #ImACeleb." Another disappointed fan suggested: "Do you think if we all just stop watching Dean one night, that they'll finally get the point?" reports the Express . Another added: "So bored of Dean doing the trials and getting all the camera time now.. he's not entertaining." A viewer quipped: "Show to be renamed to 'Dean is a celeb get everyone else out of here' #imaceleb," and yet another voiced their concern, adding: "Is this a fix because it gets a reaction on social media? Really beyond boring. Such a great cast, and all we see is Dean. What a shame #imacelebrity2024 #imaceleb." Earlier this evening, Coleen and Dean faced the Absolute Carnage challenge, which involved Coleen being enclosed in the back of a vehicle surrounded by stars, where the objective was to utilise tools - located at the front of the car - to unlock several fastenings. In her compartment, Coleen encountered cockroaches, crickets, enormous mealworms, and rats, whilst Dean contended with fish guts doused over him as he sought out various implements to aid Coleen trapped behind. With 12 minutes on the clock to secure as many as possible, they triumphed in winning nine stars for their campmates. Post-trial, the presenting duo Ant and Dec commented to Coleen: "You were very calm, very quiet, you just got on with it." In response, she said: "Yeah that is my way of coping, silence, the silent treatment," while Dean shared that he believed he had conquered his aversion to fish guts, particularly after withdrawing from an earlier trial due to having fish guts dumped on his head. *I'm A Celebrity airs every day at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.NEW YORK — A federal judge is signaling Rudy Giuliani’s contempt hearing next Friday might not end so well for the former New York City mayor and onetime personal lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump as two Georgia election poll workers try to collect a $148 million defamation award they won against him. Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan issued an order Friday in which he was dismissive of what he described as attempts by Giuliani and his lawyer to dodge providing information to the election workers’ lawyers. And he said the litigants should be ready at the contempt hearing to explain why he should not grant a request by lawyers for the two election workers that he make adverse inferences from evidence in the case that would put Giuliani’s Palm Beach, Fla., condominium in danger of being surrendered to satisfy the defamation award. The judge also said he might rule on the contempt request at the hearing. Giuliani has maintained the Palm Beach property is his personal residence and should be shielded from the judgment. He faces a Jan. 16 trial before Liman over the disposition of his Florida residence and World Series rings. Lawyers for the election workers filed the contempt request after saying Giuliani had failed to turn over a lease to his Manhattan apartment, a Mercedes, various watches and jewelry, a signed Joe DiMaggio shirt and other baseball momentos. The judge ordered Giuliani to turn over the items in October. A request for comment was sent to a lawyer for Giuliani, who was supposed to be deposed Friday. In October, Liman ordered Giuliani to turn over many of his prized possessions to the poll workers. Giuliani’s lawyers have predicted Giuliani will eventually win custody of the items on appeal. The contempt hearing follows a contentious November hearing in which Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, became angry at the judge and said Liman was treating him unfairly. Giuliani was found liable last year for defaming the two Georgia poll workers by falsely accusing them of tampering with ballots during the 2020 presidential election. The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani falsely claimed they sneaked in ballots in suitcases, counted ballots multiple times and tampered with voting machines.At least 65 million tune in for Netflix NFL Christmas Day games. NBA holiday ratings also skyrocket

People Who Narrowly Escaped Being Killed Are Sharing Their Terrifying Stories (And How They Managed To Survive)'Can't take chances': cops get broad knife-search power

NEW YORK — Greg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster, died from cancer, according to a statement from family released by CBS on Friday. He was 78. "He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten," his wife, Marcy Gumbel, and daughter Michelle Gumbel said in a statement. In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA Tournament since 1997 because of what he said at the time were family health issues. Greg Gumbel, left, watches April 3, 2011, as then-Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun talks to Butler head coach Brad Stevens, right, prior to taping a television interview for the men's NCAA Final Four college basketball championship game in Houston. Gumbel was the studio host for CBS since returning to the network from NBC in 1998. He signed an extension with CBS last year that allowed him to continue hosting college basketball while stepping back from NFL announcing duties. In 2001, he announced Super Bowl XXXV for CBS, becoming the first Black announcer in the U.S. to call play-by-play of a major sports championship. David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described Greg Gumbel as breaking barriers and setting standards for others during his years as a voice for fans in sports, including in the NFL and March Madness. "A tremendous broadcaster and gifted storyteller, Greg led one of the most remarkable and groundbreaking sports broadcasting careers of all time," said Berson. Dallas Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders, left, and running back Michael Irvin (88) share the Vince Lombardi trophy Jan. 28, 1996, as NBC commentator Greg Gumbel interviews the two after Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, Ariz. Gumbel had two stints at CBS, leaving the network for NBC when it lost football in 1994 and returning when it regained the contract in 1998. He hosted CBS' coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics and called Major League Baseball games during its four-year run broadcasting the national pastime. But it was football and basketball where he was best known and made his biggest impact. Gumbel hosted CBS' NFL studio show, "The NFL Today" from 1990 to 1993 and again in 2004. He also called NFL games as the network's lead play-by-play announcer from 1998 to 2003, including Super Bowl XXXV and XXXVIII. He returned to the NFL booth in 2005, leaving that role after the 2022 season. Germany players celebrate after Andreas Brehme, left on ground, scores the winning goal in the World Cup soccer final match against Argentina, in the Olympic Stadium, in Rome, July 8, 1990. Andreas Brehme, who scored the only goal as West Germany beat Argentina to win the 1990 World Cup final, died Feb. 20, 2024. He was 63. Brian Mulroney, the former prime minister of Canada, listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico relationship, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mulroney died at the age of 84 on Feb. 29, 2024. The Rev. James Lawson Jr. speaks Sept. 17, 2015, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 95. His family said Lawson died on Sunday after a short illness in Los Angeles, where he spent decades working as a pastor, labor movement organizer and university professor. Lawson was a close adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who called him “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” Lawson met King in 1957, after spending three years in India soaking up knowledge about Mohandas K. Gandhi’s independence movement. King would travel to India himself two years later, but at the time, he had only read about Gandhi in books. Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry West, representing the 1960 USA Olympic Team, is seen Aug. 13, 2010, during the enshrinement news conference at the Hall of Fame Museum in Springfield, Mass. Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died June 12, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, was an NBA champion who went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called West “one of the greatest executives in sports history.” Actor and director Ron Simons, seen Jan. 23, 2011, during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, died June 12. Simons turned into a formidable screen and stage producer, winning four Tony Awards and having several films selected at the Sundance Film Festival. He won Tonys for producing “Porgy and Bess,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” and “Jitney.” He also co-produced “Hughie,” with Forest Whitaker, “The Gin Game,” starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” an all-Black production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the revival of "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf" and the original work “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” He was in the films “27 Dresses” and “Mystery Team,” as well as on the small screen in “The Resident,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Bob Schul of West Milton, Ohio, hits the tape Oct. 18, 1964, to win the 5,000 meter run at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Schul, the only American distance runner to win the 5,000 meters at the Olympics, died June 16. He was 86. His death was announced by Miami University in Ohio , where Schul shined on the track and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 1973. Schul predicted gold leading into the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and followed through with his promise. On a rainy day in Japan, he finished the final lap in a blistering 54.8 seconds to sprint to the win. His white shorts were covered in mud at the finish. He was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1991. He also helped write a book called “In the Long Run.” San Francisco Giants superstar Willie Mays poses for a photo during baseball spring training in 1972. Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, died June 18. He was 93. The center fielder, who began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1948, had been baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. He was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza. Mays died two days before a game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to honor the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham , Alabama. Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Gloves. He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice was named the Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times. His lightning sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra base hit in the 1954 World Series remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history. For millions in the 1950s and ’60s and after, the smiling ballplayer with the friendly, high-pitched voice was a signature athlete and showman during an era when baseball was still the signature pastime. Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015, Mays left his fans with countless memories. But a single feat served to capture his magic — one so untoppable it was simply called “The Catch.” Actor Donald Sutherland appears Oct. 13, 2017, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Sutherland, the Canadian actor whose wry, arrestingly off-kilter screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” died June 20. He was 88. Kiefer Sutherland said on X he believed his father was one of the most important actors in the history of film: “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.” The tall and gaunt Sutherland, who flashed a grin that could be sweet or diabolical, was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House." Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. He never stopped working, appearing in nearly 200 films and series. Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — roles in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More, recently, he starred in the “Hunger Games” films. A memoir, “Made Up, But Still True,” is due out in November. Actor Bill Cobbs, a cast member in "Get Low," arrives July 27, 2010, at the premiere of the film in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, died June 25. He was 90. A Cleveland native, Cobbs acted in such films as “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Bodyguard” and “Night at the Museum.” He made his first big-screen appearance in a fleeting role in 1974's “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three." He became a lifelong actor with some 200 film and TV credits. The lion share of those came in his 50s, 60s, and 70s, as filmmakers and TV producers turned to him again and again to imbue small but pivotal parts with a wizened and worn soulfulness. Cobbs appeared on television shows including “The Sopranos," “The West Wing,” “Sesame Street” and “Good Times.” He was Whitney Houston's manager in “The Bodyguard” (1992), the mystical clock man of the Coen brothers' “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and the doctor of John Sayles' “Sunshine State” (2002). He played the coach in “Air Bud” (1997), the security guard in “Night at the Museum” (2006) and the father on “The Gregory Hines Show." Cobbs rarely got the kinds of major parts that stand out and win awards. Instead, Cobbs was a familiar and memorable everyman who left an impression on audiences, regardless of screen time. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for the series “Dino Dana” in 2020. Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman speaks with the media Nov. 7, 2009, at his campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas. The singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist, who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, sang with Willie Nelson, and dabbled in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, died June 27. He was 79 and had suffered from Parkinson's disease. Often called “The Kinkster" and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres. In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles such as “They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.” Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976. By the 1980s, Friedman was writing crime novels that often included a version of himself, and he wrote a column for Texas Monthly magazine in the 2000s. Friedman's run at politics brought his brand of irreverence to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, Friedman ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry. Friedman launched his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo. Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Aug. 2, 2018, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” died June 28. He was 80. Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight." His first foray into show business was as a songwriter, penning the 1970 semi-hit “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for singer Jane Morgan. He would combine music and comedy in an act that he brought to hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s. Mull often played slightly sleazy, somewhat slimy and often smarmy characters as he did as Teri Garr's boss and Michael Keaton's foe in 1983's “Mr. Mom.” He played Colonel Mustard in the 1985 movie adaptation of the board game “Clue,” which, like many things Mull appeared in, has become a cult classic. The 1980s also brought what many thought was his best work, “A History of White People in America,” a mockumentary that first aired on Cinemax. Mull co-created the show and starred as a “60 Minutes” style investigative reporter investigating all things milquetoast and mundane. Willard was again a co-star. In the 1990s he was best known for his recurring role on several seasons on “Roseanne,” in which he played a warmer, less sleazy boss to the title character, an openly gay man whose partner was played by Willard, who died in 2020 . Mull would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” a cult-classic character on a cult-classic show, and would be nominated for an Emmy, his first, in 2016 for a guest run on “Veep.” Screenwriter Robert Towne poses at The Regency Hotel, March 7, 2006, in New York. Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of "Shampoo," "The Last Detail" and other acclaimed films whose work on "Chinatown" became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles, died Monday, July 1, 2024, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said publicist Carri McClure. She declined to comment on any cause of death. Vic Seixas of the United States backhands a volley from Denmark's Jurgen Ulrich in the first round of men's singles match at Wimbledon, England, June 27, 1967. Vic Seixas, a Wimbledon winner and tennis Hall of Famer who was the oldest living Grand Slam champion, has died July 5 at the age of 100. The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Seixas’ death on Saturday July 6, 2024, based on confirmation from his daughter Tori. In this June 30, 2020, file photo, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., speaks to reporters following a GOP policy meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Former Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma died July 9. He was 89. The family says in a statement that the Republican had a stroke during the July Fourth holiday and died Tuesday morning. Inhofe was a powerful fixture in state politics for decades. He doubted that climate change was caused by human activity, calling the theory “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” As Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator, he was a staunch supporter of the state’s military installations. He was elected to a fifth Senate term in 2020 and stepped down in early 2023. The Oak Ridge Boys, from left, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, Duane Allen and William Lee Golden hold their awards for Top Vocal Group and Best Album of the Year for "Ya'll Come Back Saloon", during the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., May 3, 1979. Bonsall died on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Hendersonville, Tenn. He was 76. A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bonsall joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the '80s and beyond, which included their signature 1981 song “Elvira.” The hit marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. The group is also known for such hits as 1982’s “Bobbie Sue." Shelley Duvall poses for photographers at the 30th Cannes Film Festival in France, May 27, 1977. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” died July 11. She was 75. Dr. Ruth Westheimer holds a copy of her book "Sex for Dummies" at the International Frankfurt Book Fair 'Frankfurter Buchmesse' in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Westheimer, the sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, died on July 12, 2024. She was 96. Richard Simmons sits for a portrait in Los Angeles, June 23, 1982. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died July 13 at the age of 76. Simmons was a court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better. Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who shared his hard-won weight loss tips as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime “Richard Simmons Show" and the “Sweatin' to the Oldies” line of exercise videos, which became a cultural phenomenon. Former NFL receiver Jacoby Jones died July 14 at age 40. Jones' 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. The Houston Texans were Jones’ team for the first five seasons of his career. They announced his death on Sunday. In a statement released by the NFL Players Association, his family said he died at his home in New Orleans. A cause of death was not given. Jones played from 2007-15 for the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. He made several huge plays for the Ravens during their most recent Super Bowl title season, including that kick return. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star whose life and career were roiled by tabloid stories, Shannen Doherty died July 13 at 53. Doherty's publicist said the actor died Saturday following years with breast cancer. Catapulted to fame as Brenda in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” she worked in big-screen films including "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and in TV movies including "A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story," in which she played the "Gone with the Wind" author. Doherty co-starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in the series “Charmed” from 1998-2001; appeared in the “90210” sequel series seven years later and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. Actor James Sikking poses for a photograph at the Los Angeles gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Organization for Women, Dec. 1, 1986. Sikking, who starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character's kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” died July 13 of complications from dementia, his publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement. He was 90. Pat Williams chats with media before the 2004 NBA draft in Orlando, Fla. Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and someone who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, died July 17 from complications related to viral pneumonia. The team announced the death Wednesday. Williams was 84. He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping that franchise win a title in 1983. Williams was later involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989. Lou Dobbs speaks Feb. 24, 2017, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md. Dobbs, the conservative political pundit and veteran cable TV host who was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, died July 18. He was 78. His death was announced in a post on his official X account, which called him a “fighter till the very end – fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his family and the country.” He hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on Fox from 2011 to 2021, following two separate stints at CNN. No cause of death was given. Bob Newhart, center, poses with members of the cast and crew of the "Bob Newhart Show," from top left, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily, Jack Riley, and, Suzanne Pleshette, foreground left, and Dick Martin at TV Land's 35th anniversary tribute to "The Bob Newhart Show" on Sept. 5, 2007, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Newhart has died at age 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died July 18 in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. The accountant-turned-comedian gained fame with a smash album and became one of the most popular TV stars of his time. Newhart was a Chicago psychologist in “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970s and a Vermont innkeeper on “Newhart” in the 1980s. Both shows featured a low-key Newhart surrounded by eccentric characters. The second had a twist ending in its final show — the whole series was revealed to have been a dream by the psychologist he played in the other show. Cheng Pei-pei, a Chinese-born martial arts film actor who starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” died July 17 at age 78. Her family says Cheng, who had been diagnosed with a rare illness with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, passed away Wednesday at home surrounded by her loved ones. The Shanghai-born film star became a household name in Hong Kong, once dubbed the Hollywood of the Far East, for her performances in martial arts movies in the 1960s. She played Jade Fox, who uses poisoned needles, in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which was released in 2000, grossed $128 million in North America and won four Oscars. Abdul “Duke” Fakir holds his life time achievement award backstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2009, in Los Angeles. The last surviving original member of the Four Tops died July 22. Abdul “Duke” Fakir was 88. He was a charter member of the Motown group along with lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton. Between 1964 and 1967, the Tops had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1′s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often stories of romantic pain and longing, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.” Sculptress Elizabeth Catlett, left, then-Washington D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon, center, and then-curator, division of community life, Smithsonian institution Bernice Johnson Reagon chat during the reception at the Candace awards on June 25, 1991 in New York. Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, 2024, according to her daughter's social media post. She was 81. John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, died July 22. He was 90. He is credited with helping develop the English take on urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues that played an important role in the blues revival of the late 1960s. A statement on Mayall's official Instagram page says he died Monday at his home in California. Though Mayall never approached the fame of some of his illustrious alumni, he was still performing in his late 80s, pounding out his version of Chicago blues. Erica Ash, an actor and comedian skilled in sketch comedy who starred in the parody series “Mad TV” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” has died. She was 46. Her publicist and a statement by her mother, Diann, says Ash died July 28 in Los Angeles of cancer. Ash impersonated Michelle Obama and Condoleeza Rice on “Mad TV,” a Fox sketch series, and was a key performer on the Rosie O’Donnell-created series “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Her other credits included “Scary Movie V,” “Uncle Drew” and the LeBron James-produced basketball dramedy “Survivor’s Remorse.” On the BET series “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” Ash played the ex-wife of Kevin Hart’s character. Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy '80s metal band Great White whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” and was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, died Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. He was 63. Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Susan Wojcicki, the former YouTube chief executive officer and longtime Google executive, died Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after suffering with non small cell lung cancer for the past two years. She was 56. Frank Selvy, an All-America guard at Furman who scored an NCAA Division I-record 100 points in a game and later played nine NBA seasons, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. He was 91. Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, from complications with dementia. He was 88. Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and who later charmed audiences in her son's tear-jerker “The Notebook,” died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. She was 94. Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” died. Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 He was 98. Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor who embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. He was 88. Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, after a long illness. He was 88. Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, died Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. He was 87. John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” died Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. He was 84. James Darren, a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. He was 88. James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen has died. He was 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Sept. 9 at home. Jones was a pioneering actor who eventually lent his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader. Working deep into his 80s, he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors and was given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor. Frankie Beverly, who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go,” has died. He was 77. His family said in a post on the band’s website and social media accounts that Beverly died Sept. 10. In the post, which asked for privacy, the family said “he lived his life with a pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better.” The post did not say his cause of death or where he died. Beverly, whose songs include “Joy and Pain,” “Love is the Key,” and “Southern Girl,” finished his farewell “I Wanna Thank You Tour” in his hometown of Philadelphia in July. Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Sept. 11. A cause of death was not provided. One of pro football’s first great middle linebackers, Schmidt played his entire NFL career with the Lions from 1953-65. An eight-time All-Pro, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the college football version in 2000. Born in Pittsburgh, Schmidt played college football in his hometown at Pitt. Chad McQueen, an actor known for his performances in the “Karate Kid” movies and the son of the late actor and racer Steve McQueen, died Sep. 11. His lawyer confirmed his death at age 63. McQueen's family shared a statement on social media saying he lived a life “filled with love and dedication.” McQueen was a professional race car driver, like his father, and competed in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona races. He is survived by his wife Jeanie and three children, Chase, Madison and Steven, who is an actor best known for “The Vampire Diaries.” Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, died at age 70 on Sept. 15. Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet. The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. They signed with Berry Gordy’s Motown empire in the 1960s. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s, including “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.” John David “JD” Souther has died. He was a prolific songwriter and musician whose collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s. Souther joined in on some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, such as “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight." The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee also collaborated with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and many more. His biggest hit as a solo artist was “You’re Only Lonely.” He was about to tour with Karla Bonoff. Souther died Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico, at 78. In this photo, JD Souther and Alison Krauss attend the Songwriters Hall of Fame 44th annual induction and awards gala on Thursday, June 13, 2013 in New York. Sen. Dan Evans stands with his three sons, from left, Mark, Bruce and Dan Jr., after he won the election for Washington's senate seat in Seattle, Nov. 8, 1983. Evans, a former Washington state governor and a U.S. Senator, died Sept. 20. The popular Republican was 98. He served as governor from 1965 to 1977, and he was the keynote speaker at the 1968 National Republican Convention. In 1983, Evans was appointed to served out the term of Democratic Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson after he died in office. Evans opted not to stand for election in 1988, citing the “tediousness" of the Senate. He later served as a regent at the University of Washington, where the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance bears his name. Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who starred for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins as part of a star-studded backfield and helped the team win two Super Bowl titles, died Sept. 21. He was 77. The team on Sunday confirmed the death of Morris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection. In a statement, his family said his “talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport.” Morris was the starting halfback and one of three go-to runners that Dolphins coach Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Morris led the Dolphins in rushing touchdowns in both of those seasons. John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. He was 76. Maggie Smith, who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Sept. 27 at 89. Smith's publicist announced the news Friday. She was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench. “Jean Brodie” brought her the Academy Award for best actress in 1969. Smith added a supporting actress Oscar for “California Suite” in 1978. Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 88. Drake Hogestyn, the “Days of Our Lives” star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 70. Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC series “Tarzan,” died Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at age 86. Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. Frank Fritz, left, part of a two-man team who drove around the U.S. looking for antiques and collectibles to buy and resell on the reality show “American Pickers,” died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 60. He's shown here with co-host Mike Wolfe at the A+E Networks 2015 Upfront in New York on April 30, 2015. Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 83. Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, died Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in her New Jersey home. She was 91. Ethel Kennedy, the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, her family said. She was 96. Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said. He was 31. Mitzi Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. She was 93. Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. He was 63. Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for “The Love Boat” television show theme song, died, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. He was 86. Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at age 84. Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," died Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024. She was 79. Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, died Sunday, Nov 3, 2024. He was 91 Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. He was 86. Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Queen Woo,” was found dead at his home in capital Seoul, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. He was 39. British actor Timothy West, who played the classic Shakespeare roles of King Lear and Macbeth and who in recent years along with his wife, Prunella Scales, enchanted millions of people with their boating exploits on Britain's waterways, died Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024. He was 90. Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power in the sport, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. He was 82. Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 95. Former Chicago Bulls forward Bob Love, a three-time All-Star who spent 11 years in the NBA, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 81. Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. He was 83. Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga "A Woman of Substance" and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. She was 91. Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball's leadoff position, died Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. He was 65. Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox.The Friday college basketball slate is stacked and Underdog Fantasy promo code BETFPB guarantees a 50% deposit bonus up to $1,000 to all new customers. 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Biden spoke at the White House hours after rebel groups completed a takeover of the country following more than a dozen years of violent civil war and decades of leadership by Assad and his family . Biden said the United States was monitoring reports of the whereabouts of Assad, with Russian state media saying he had fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump were working to make sense of new threats and opportunities across the Middle East. Biden credited action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He said “for the first time” that they could no longer defend Assad’s grip on power. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” Biden said, after a meeting with his national security team. Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, “was not interested in protecting him any longer.” Those comments on Trump’s social media platform came a day after he used another post to decry the possibility of the U.S. intervening militarily in Syria to aid the rebels, declaring, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.” The Biden administration said it had no intention of intervening. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Biden said he intended for those troops to remain, adding that U.S. forces on Sunday conducted “precision air strikes” on IS camps and operations in Syria. U.S. Central Command said the operation hit more than 75 targets. “We’re clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try and take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its credibility, and create a safe haven,” Biden said, using a different acronym for the group. “We will not let that happen.” The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , which the U.S. says is a terrorist organization with links to al-Qaida, although the group says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. “We will remain vigilant,” Biden said. “Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses.” He added that the groups are “saying the right things now.” “But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions,” Biden said. A senior Biden administration official, when asked about contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leaders after Assad’s departure, said Washington was in contact with Syrian groups of all kinds. The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity, also said the U.S. has focused over the past several days on chemical weapons that had been controlled by the Assad government, aiming to ensure they were secured. Still, Assad’s fall adds to an already tense situation throughout much of region on many fronts — including Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza and its fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Like Biden, Trump, who takes office in five-plus weeks, made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russia’s war in Ukraine , noting that Assad’s allies in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, “are in a weakened state right now.” Vice President-elect JD Vance , a veteran of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, wrote on social media Sunday to express skepticism about the insurgents. “Many of ‘the rebels’ are a literal offshoot of ISIS. One can hope they’ve moderated. Time will tell,” he said. Trump has suggested that Assad’s ouster can advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022. The president-elect wrote that Putin’s government “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine” and Trump called for an immediate ceasefire, a day after meeting in Paris with the French and Ukrainian leaders . Daniel B. Shapiro, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said the American military presence will continue in eastern Syria but was “solely to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict.” “We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly those from Syria’s minority communities to respect international military norms and to work to achieve a resolution to include the political settlement,” Shapiro said. “Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record, to include Assad’s horrific crimes, Russia’s indiscriminate aerial bomb bombardment, Iranian-back militia involvement and the atrocities of ISIS,” he added. Shapiro also said “no one should shed any tears over the Assad regime.” As they pushed toward the Syrian capital of Damascus, the opposition forces freed political detainees from government prisons. The family of missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice renewed calls to find him. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Tice’s mother, Debra, said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media. “We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!” Tice disappeared in 2012 outside Damascus as the civil war was intensifying. “We’ve remained committed to returning him to his family,” Biden said at the White House. “We believe he’s alive, we think we can get him back but we have no direct evidence to that yet. And Assad should be held accountable.” The president added: “We have to identify where he is.” The U.S. has no new evidence that Tice is alive but continues to operate under the assumption that he is, according to a U.S. official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, added that the U.S. will continue to work to identify Tice’s whereabouts and to try to bring him home. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain, and Aamer Madhani and AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.Asia Stocks Weighed By South Korea Busy Week For Central Banks

NoneIran said on Sunday that it would hold nuclear talks in the coming days with the three European countries that initiated a censure resolution against it adopted by the UN's atomic watchdog. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the meeting of the deputy foreign ministers of Iran, France, Germany and the United Kingdom would take place on Friday, without specifying a venue. "A range of regional and international issues and topics, including the issues of Palestine and Lebanon, as well as the nuclear issue, will be discussed," the spokesman said in a foreign ministry statement. Baghaei described the upcoming meeting as a continuation of talks held with the countries in September on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. On Thursday, the 35-nation board of governors of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution denouncing Iran for what it called a lack of cooperation. The move came as tensions ran high over Iran's atomic programme, which critics fear is aimed at developing a nuclear weapon -- something Tehran has repeatedly denied. In response to the resolution, Iran announced it was launching a "series of new and advanced centrifuges". Centrifuges enrich uranium transformed into gas by rotating it at very high speed, increasing the proportion of fissile isotope material (U-235). "We will substantially increase the enrichment capacity with the utilisation of different types of advanced machines," Behrouz Kamalvandi, Iran's atomic energy organisation spokesman, told state TV. The country, however, also said it planned to continue its "technical and safeguards cooperation with the IAEA". During a recent visit to Tehran by IAEA head Rafael Grossi, Iran agreed to the agency's demand to cap its sensitive stock of near weapons-grade uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in power since July and a supporter of dialogue with Western countries, has said he wants to remove "doubts and ambiguities" about his country's nuclear programme. In 2015, Iran and world powers reached an agreement that saw the easing of international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme. But the United States unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed biting economic sanctions, which prompted Iran to begin rolling back on its own commitments. On Sunday afternoon, the United Kingdom confirmed the upcoming meeting between Iran and the three European countries. "We remain committed to taking every diplomatic step to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, including through snapback if necessary," London's Foreign Office said. The 2015 deal contains a "snapback" mechanism that can be triggered in case of "significant non-performance" of commitments by Iran, allowing many sanctions to be reimposed. Ali Vaez, an Iran expert with the International Crisis Group think tank, told AFP that Friday's meeting was set to happen earlier, but "those plans were derailed as a result of Iran-Israel tensions" over the Gaza war. Though the parties will be meeting "without knowing what the incoming Trump administration wants to do", Vaez said that "after a lose-lose cycle of mutual escalation, now both sides are back to realising that engagement might be the least costly option." Tehran has since 2021 decreased its cooperation with the IAEA by deactivating surveillance devices monitoring the nuclear programme and barring UN inspectors. At the same time, it has increased its stockpiles of enriched uranium and the level of enrichment to 60 percent. That level is close, according to the IAEA, to the 90 percent-plus threshold required for a nuclear warhead, and substantially higher than the 3.67 percent limit it agreed to in 2015. pdm/smw/ami

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A two-day thought-provoking photo exhibition, ‘7 Decades: A Silent Refugee Crisis’, at Tanishq near VIP Road here, concluded on Sunday. The expo made its debut in India after receiving international acclaim in Sydney, Australia. The exhibition, part of its nationwide tour for 2024-25, was curated and captured by noted human rights advocate and photographer Kiran Chukkapalli. The exhibition brings to light the hidden narratives of refugee communities across India, showcasing intimate, raw, and poignant images documenting the lives of those displaced by conflict and socio-political upheavals. These stories, captured through the lens of Mr. Chukkapalli, offer an unprecedented view into the resilience and fortitude of individuals living in refugee camps across the country. The exhibition highlights the enduring struggle and strength of these silent communities, shedding light on their challenges and triumphs over seven decades of displacement. In addition to the photo exhibition, a special clothing exhibit titled ‘Stateless’ was also featured. This collection of garments, stitched by refugee women, was created to empower these women and showcase their remarkable stitching talent. The “Stateless” brand, designed by Mr. Kiran Chukkapalli, aims to provide economic independence to women living in refugee camps, allowing them to support themselves and their families while also highlighting their invaluable skills. Visakhapatnam North MLA P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsi Krishna Srinivas, Police Commissioner Shanka Brata Bagchi, and business tycoons such as Prabhu Kishore of Varun Motors, Kankatala Mallikharjuna Rao, philanthropists Jayshree Hatangadi and Rana Uppalapati were among those who attended. The participants discussed the importance of addressing refugee crises and the need for collective action to support marginalized communities. In his address, Mr. Kiran Chukkapalli shared his personal journey of documenting these stories while living in the refugee camps, emphasising the profound impact that the experience had on his understanding of resilience and human rights. He hoped this exhibition would inspire greater empathy and advocacy for the displaced. The exhibition will continue its tour across India. Mr. Kiran plans to conclude his tour in Delhi, sometime in mid-March, 2025. ‘7 Decades: A Silent Refugee Crisis’ is more than just an art exhibit—it is a call to action, encouraging viewers to reflect on the stories that remain largely untold and to join in the effort to support and empower those affected by displacement,” he adds. Published - December 09, 2024 04:20 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit

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Cowboys shutting down CeeDee Lamb with 2 games to go over receiver's shoulder issueNagpur: Leaders from across the political spectrum paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , who passed away on Thursday, remembering his remarkable contributions to India's economic growth and governance. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed deep sorrow over Singh's passing, describing him as an outstanding administrator and economist who dedicated his life to the nation. Highlighting Singh's illustrious career as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, finance minister, and Prime Minister, Fadnavis remarked, "He served the nation with integrity and diligence. He always strived to deliver justice to the people through his various roles and left an indelible mark in Indian politics. His contributions to economics and policymaking will forever be remembered." He praised Singh's scholarly contributions and impactful leadership, offering condolences to Singh's family and supporters while praying for their strength during this irreparable loss. Union minister Nitin Gadkari echoed similar sentiments, describing Singh as a leader of unparalleled humility and strength who always prioritised the nation's welfare. Recalling his personal interactions with Singh, Gadkari said, "His invaluable contribution to shaping India's economic trajectory remains a cornerstone of our nation's progress. Today, India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished sons." Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also paid heartfelt tribute to Singh, hailing him as a stalwart who played a pivotal role in steering India through economic crises and shaping its modern economy. Reflecting on Singh's impact in Vidarbha, Wadettiwar recalled Singh's visit to Wardha district, where he addressed farmers' distress by announcing a massive loan waiver of ₹72,000 crore, offering much-needed relief. He credited Singh for reviving stalled projects like the Gosikhurd irrigation project, which received a ₹4,990 crore allocation as a national project under Singh's leadership. Praising Singh's transparency and accountability even during controversies, Wadettiwar emphasised his clean image and honest approach to politics. BJP Maharashtra president and minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule expressed sorrow over Singh's demise, calling it a moment of national grief. He highlighted the govt's decision to declare an official mourning period and offered a heartfelt tribute. "This void is impossible to fill. PM Narendra Modi continues to lead India towards development, building on the foundation laid by leaders like Singh," he said, emphasising Singh's lasting contributions. Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh hailed Singh as the ‘Father of Economic Reforms', recalling his leadership during financial crises. He highlighted Singh's collaboration with NCP founder Sharad Pawar to address agricultural distress in Vidarbha, particularly through a ₹70,000 crore farm loan waiver that provided vital relief to farmers. "We have lost a great economist," he stated, paying respects to Singh's legacy and contributions to India's growth. Leaders agreed that Singh's visionary policies and reforms left an indelible mark on India's history. His legacy as an economist and statesman will continue to inspire generations to come. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword .