Obituaries

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Supertramp co-founder and lead singer Rick Davies dies at 81

Davies was the voice and pianist behind Supertramp's most iconic songs, leaving a mark on rock music history with hits like 'Goodbye Stranger' and 'Bloody Well Right.' He died at age 81 after a battle with cancer.

Published yesterday at 9:43 am (Paris), updated yesterday at 9:47 am Le Monde with AFP

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Rosa Roisinblit, activist for Argentina's 'stolen' children, dies at 106

The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo campaign group announced Roisiblit's death on Saturday. The activist's pregnant daughter and son-in-law, both militants of the armed Peronist group Montoneros, were kidnapped in 1978, which led Roisinblit on a lifetime mission to help others find missing family members 'until the very end,' the group said.

Published on September 7, 2025, at 4:12 am (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

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Giorgio Armani, one of the makers of modern fashion, is dead

Creator, designer and stylist, he made the tailored suit into a status symbol. Armani, who reigned for more than 40 years over a veritable empire, died on Thursday, September 4, at the age of 91, his fashion house confirmed.

Published on September 4, 2025, at 3:58 pm (Paris), updated on September 5, 2025, at 3:46 pm Carine Bizet

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Sylvain Amic, president of the Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie, has died

Appointed in 2024, the curator viewed museums as places for sharing and made the circulation of artworks and access for younger generations his main priorities. He died on Sunday, August 31, at the age of 58.

Published on September 1, 2025, at 2:46 pm (Paris), updated on September 2, 2025, at 12:00 pm Roxana Azimi

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Astronaut James Lovell, the man who never walked on the Moon, has died

The former US Navy pilot and commander of the Apollo 13 mission was the only member of the Apollo program to travel twice to the Moon without ever setting foot on its surface.

Published on August 8, 2025, at 11:13 pm (Paris) Pierre Barthélémy

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Romanian former president Ion Iliescu dies at 95

Iliescu presided over the Eastern European country's chaotic transition from communism to democracy. He was hospitalized for lung cancer in early June.

Published on August 5, 2025, at 5:49 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

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Hulk Hogan, professional wrestling icon, dies at age 71

Hogan, born Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE's history, and also built a successful entertainment career, starring in multiple films and TV shows. He died Thursday morning of cardiac arrest.

Published on July 24, 2025, at 6:38 pm (Paris), updated on July 25, 2025, at 12:08 am Le Monde with AP

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Ozzy Osbourne, one of the last legends of heavy metal, has died at 76

The singer and co-founder of Black Sabbath also enjoyed a successful solo career after leaving the British band. The 'Prince of Darkness' died on Tuesday morning, his family announced.

Published on July 22, 2025, at 11:26 pm (Paris), updated on July 24, 2025, at 10:02 am Franck Colombani

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'Cosby Show' Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner dead at 54 in drowning accident

Warner drowned Sunday afternoon on a beach on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. He was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean.

Published on July 22, 2025, at 12:22 am (Paris), updated on July 22, 2025, at 7:34 am Le Monde with AP

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Liverpool striker Diogo Jota dies in car accident in Spain

According to initial reports, the vehicle in which the Portuguese international was traveling with his brother veered off the motorway and burst into flames early on Thursday morning.

Published on July 3, 2025, at 12:05 pm (Paris), updated on July 3, 2025, at 1:05 pm Le Monde with AFP

Obituary

Lalo Schifrin, composer of the 'Mission: Impossible' theme, dies at 93

A pianist, arranger, composer and conductor, the Argentine musician also wrote the music for the television series 'Mannix' and for films such as 'Bullitt,' 'Dirty Harry' and 'Enter the Dragon.'

Published on June 27, 2025, at 12:09 am (Paris), updated on June 27, 2025, at 7:24 am Le Monde with AFP

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Brian Wilson, one of pop music's great visionaries, dies aged 82

From 'Surfin' USA' to 'God only knows,' the Beach Boys singer and song writer took pop music to new heights of sophistication through his mastery of the recording studio, before falling into drugs and depression. He died on Wednesday at 82.

Published on June 11, 2025, at 9:28 pm (Paris), updated on June 12, 2025, at 7:11 am François Burkard

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Funk master and innovator Sly Stone has died at 82

Stone's music straddled genres and decried prejudice in the 1960s. He died following a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Published on June 9, 2025, at 11:13 pm (Paris), updated on June 10, 2025, at 7:56 am Le Monde with AFP

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'The Day of The Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86

The British best-selling author, the master of the spy novel, died after a short illness, his literary agent announced on Monday.

Published on June 9, 2025, at 7:18 pm (Paris), updated on June 9, 2025, at 7:45 pm Le Monde with AFP

Obituary

The death of Edmund White, the American writer who put the 'gay novel' at the heart of his work

A leading figure in gay literature, known especially for his biographies of Jean Genet and Arthur Rimbaud, died in New York on June 4, 2025.

Published on June 6, 2025, at 10:04 am (Paris) Florence Noiville

Obituary

French artist Nicole Croisille, voice of the famous 'Da ba da ba da' from the film 'A Man and A Woman,' dies

Croisille, who sang the iconic theme of Claude Lelouch's film alongside Pierre Barouh, was passionate about jazz and American musicals. She died on June 4 at the age of 88.

Published on June 4, 2025, at 12:21 pm (Paris) Stéphanie Pierre

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Pierre Nora, historian who shaped intellectual life in France, dies at 93

The director of 'Les Lieux de Mémoire', published in seven volumes beginning in 1984, died in Paris on June 2.

Published on June 3, 2025, at 6:40 pm (Paris), updated on June 3, 2025, at 6:41 pm Antoine Flandrin

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Etienne-Emile Baulieu, inventor of the abortion pill, dies aged 98

World-renowned for developing, in 1982, a medical abortion method that revolutionized the lives of millions of women worldwide, the committed physician and researcher died in Paris on May 30 at the age of 98.

Published on May 31, 2025, at 2:06 pm (Paris) Pascale Santi

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Loretta Swit, Emmy-winning 'M.A.S.H.' actress, has died at 87

Publicist Harlan Boll says Swit died Friday at her home in New York City, likely from natural causes.

Published on May 30, 2025, at 10:05 pm (Paris), updated on May 31, 2025, at 9:57 am Le Monde with AP

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Etienne-Emile Baulieu, inventor of the abortion pill, dies at 98

A doctor and researcher, Etienne-Emile Baulieu was world-renowned for the scientific, medical and societal significance of his work on the role of steroid hormones, which led to the abortion pill mifepristone.

Published on May 30, 2025, at 5:58 pm (Paris), updated on May 30, 2025, at 8:59 pm Le Monde with AFP

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Jean Tiberi, the last right-wing mayor of Paris, implicated in several scandals, has died

Picked by Jacques Chirac to succeed him as the city's top official and an MP for over 40 years, Tiberi was convicted in 2015 for orchestrating a vast electoral fraud scheme. He died at the age of 90.

Published on May 27, 2025, at 5:49 pm (Paris), updated on May 28, 2025, at 10:00 am Denis Cosnard

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Marcel Ophuls, director of 'The Sorrow and the Pity' and a reluctant master of documentary, has died

The filmmaker had hoped to make comedies, but ultimately brought his distinctive voice to the documentary genre. His unflinching chronicle of the Nazi Occupation, released in 1969, shook France to its core. He died on May 24 at his home in southwestern France at the age of 97.

Published on May 26, 2025, at 12:35 pm (Paris), updated on May 26, 2025, at 12:58 pm Jacques Mandelbaum

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Marcel Ophuls, Oscar-winning French documentary filmmaker, dies at 97

The filmmaker blew the lid off the myth that France resisted its World War II Nazi occupiers in his documentary 'The Sorrow and the Pity.'

Published on May 26, 2025, at 6:16 am (Paris), updated on May 26, 2025, at 12:00 pm Le Monde with AFP

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Sebastiao Salgado, photographer of the extraordinary, has died at 81

The French-Brazilian, renowned worldwide for his sweeping black-and-white photographic narratives, was one of the last heirs of the humanist photography tradition.

Published on May 24, 2025, at 6:30 pm (Paris), updated on May 25, 2025, at 10:50 am Claire Guillot

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Sebastiao Salgado, French-Brazilian documentary photographer, dies aged 81

Known for his large-scale black-and-white photos of conflicts, famine and the Amazon rainforest, the documentary photographer, born in Aimorés, Brazil, first came to Paris in the late 1960s.

Published on May 23, 2025, at 7:35 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

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Richard Garwin, designer of the first hydrogen bomb, dies aged 97

The American physicist, who contributed to countless fundamental and applied scientific breakthroughs, became a passionate advocate for nuclear disarmament. He died on May 13 at the age of 97.

Published on May 22, 2025, at 2:45 pm (Paris) Hervé Morin

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Actor George Wendt, who played beloved barfly Norm on 'Cheers,' dies at 76

The 'doting family man' died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday morning, according to a family statement. Over his career, Wendt earned six Emmy nominations for best supporting actor from 1984-89.

Published on May 20, 2025, at 11:12 pm (Paris), updated on May 21, 2025, at 11:46 am Le Monde with AP

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Russian ballet legend Yuri Grigorovich dies at 98

For much of a professional career that spanned 80 years, Grigorovich was the artistic powerhouse behind the Bolshoi, which he was said to have run with an iron fist.

Published on May 19, 2025, at 4:11 pm (Paris), updated on May 19, 2025, at 8:29 pm Le Monde with AFP

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Rapper Werenoi, France's top-selling music artist in 2023-2024, has died at 31

'Rest in peace my brother, I love you,' read the tribute to French rapper Werenoi, born Jérémy Bana Owona, posted by his producer Babs, on X, confirming reports that the 31-year-old artist died on Saturday.

Published on May 18, 2025, at 2:41 pm (Paris), updated on May 19, 2025, at 7:38 am Le Monde with AP

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Robert Benton, Oscar-winning director of 'Kramer vs. Kramer,' has died aged 92

The American writer and director first made his name in Hollywood as co-writer of 'Bonnie and Clyde.'

Published on May 14, 2025, at 8:19 am (Paris), updated on May 14, 2025, at 9:27 am Le Monde with AFP

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Beloved former Uruguayan president José Mujica has died at 89

Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi honored the 'president, activist, guide and leader' while announcing his death on Tuesday. During Mujica's presidency, he oversaw the radical transformation of the small South American nation into one of the most socially liberal democracies, earning admiration at home and cult status abroad.

Published on May 13, 2025, at 10:27 pm (Paris), updated on May 14, 2025, at 9:54 am Le Monde with AP

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Joseph Nye, the political scientist who coined the term 'soft power,' has died at 88

The influential US policymaker and neo-liberal thinker developed the term to signify nations that gain dominance through attractiveness.

Published on May 8, 2025, at 5:03 am (Paris), updated on May 8, 2025, at 10:27 am Le Monde with AFP

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Pope Francis: Three years of missteps and errors in judgment on the war in Ukraine

Francis was resolutely pacifist, and continuously called for an end to the fighting. But some of his comments were deemed inappropriate.

Published on April 22, 2025, at 11:46 pm (Paris), updated on April 23, 2025, at 10:06 am Sarah Belouezzane

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Fabio Marchese Ragona, biographer of Pope Francis: 'He was always outspoken, which can be irritating in certain environments'

Who was the man behind the pope? The Vatican expert, co-author of an autobiography written with Francis, describes a 'frank, direct, and approachable' man in an interview with Le Monde.

Published on April 22, 2025, at 3:30 pm (Paris), updated on April 22, 2025, at 7:49 pm Gaétan Supertino

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Pope Francis and Islam: The choice of dialogue in the face of a 'war in small pieces'

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis made numerous gestures and statements of openness toward Islam and Muslims. Praised by some for his pacifism and spirit of dialogue, the approach was never met with unanimous approval, especially in the West.

Published on April 21, 2025, at 9:30 pm (Paris) Gaétan Supertino

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Why Pope Francis's legacy on pedophilia in the Church feels incomplete

From the US to Australia via Germany, France, Portugal, Belgium, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia: Never had a pope been confronted with so many Church sexual scandals as Francis. While he did respond with an unprecedentedly firm stance for a pontiff, the reforms he proposed were not met with unanimous approval.

Published on April 21, 2025, at 7:01 pm (Paris), updated on July 4, 2025, at 10:50 am Gaétan Supertino

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Pope Francis ushered in a return to active but divisive Vatican diplomacy

Confronted with rising global conflict and jihadism, the Argentine pope, who died on April 21, at the age of 88, decried global disparities that led to 'a third world war fought piecemeal,' and nurtured ties with his Muslim counterparts.

Published on April 21, 2025, at 5:01 pm (Paris) Cécile Chambraud

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Pope Francis long extended a hand to China, which never took it

The Argentine Jesuit would have liked to visit China, which doesn't maintain diplomatic relations with the Holy See. At his instigation, in order to improve the situation of Chinese Catholics, the Vatican reached an agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops.

Published on April 21, 2025, at 4:31 pm (Paris), updated on April 21, 2025, at 4:38 pm Frédéric Lemaître

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Pope Francis: 'I want a Church which is poor and for the poor'

In his first apostolic exhortation, on November 24, 2013, Pope Francis, who died on April 21, aged 88, urged the Church to come out of 'confinement' and renew its evangelical impulse. Here is an extract of his speech.

Published on April 21, 2025, at 12:41 pm (Paris) Le Monde

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Pope Francis, a controversial figure in Argentina

Readily outspoken in his sermons against neoliberalism and political cronyism, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who died on April 21 at the age of 28, was progressive on some issues and very conservative on others, at home in Argentina. His role during the military dictatorship was a matter of contention.

Published on April 21, 2025, at 12:12 pm (Paris) Christine Legrand

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Pope Francis's death: What is the protocol for the next few days?

There is no room for improvisation when it comes to the pontiff's funeral and succession. The organization of the Apostolic See's vacancy is orchestrated by the cardinals, who will come from all over the world and meet in Rome until one of them is elected pope.

Published on April 21, 2025, at 10:30 am (Paris), updated on April 21, 2025, at 8:39 pm Sarah Belouezzane

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Pope Francis has died

Elected to the See of Peter in March 2013, Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the first South American pope. Considered a bold reformer by some, lax in defending tradition by others, he had to deal with clergical sexual abuse scandals. He died on Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, the Vatican said.

Published on April 21, 2025, at 9:59 am (Paris), updated on April 21, 2025, at 11:54 am Cécile Chambraud

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Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature, has died aged 89

The Peruvian-born writer died in Lima on Sunday. A leading Latin American author, he saw literature as a way of shaping consciences.

Published on April 14, 2025, at 11:47 am (Paris), updated on April 14, 2025, at 2:04 pm Florence Noiville

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Blondie drummer Clem Burke dies aged 70

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside his bandmates in 2006, Burke had performed with many other artists including Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett, the Ramones and Eurythmics.

Published on April 7, 2025, at 6:12 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

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Amadou Bagayoko, guitarist and singer of Malian duo Amadou & Marian, dies at 70

The duo he formed with his wife gained recognition notably through their album 'Dimanche à Bamako,' which won a Victoire de la Musique award in the World Music category in 2005.

Published on April 7, 2025, at 4:31 am (Paris), updated on April 7, 2025, at 9:59 am Patrick Labesse

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John Nelson, American conductor and Berlioz champion, passes away

The American maestro, who served as the music director of the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris for 10 years, died on March 31 at the age of 83.

Published on April 6, 2025, at 2:46 am (Paris), updated on April 6, 2025, at 8:55 am Marie-Aude Roux

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US cardinal accused of historical misconduct, sex abuse dies at 94

Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, was suspected of various sexual assaults against minors and young men. Pope Francis, under fire for a growing abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, expelled him from the priesthood in 2019.

Published on April 5, 2025, at 2:10 am (Paris), updated on April 5, 2025, at 9:10 am Le Monde with AFP

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Val Kilmer, star of 'Batman Forever' and 'The Doors,' has died at 65

The American actor rose to fame in 1986 as the fighter pilot Iceman, Tom Cruise's rival in 'Top Gun,' and later portrayed singer Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's 1991 biopic.

Published on April 2, 2025, at 7:37 am (Paris), updated on April 2, 2025, at 9:39 am Le Monde with AP

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Actor Richard Chamberlain dies at 90

Best known for starring in 'Dr. Kildare,' 'The Thorn Birds' and 'Shogun,' the actor ranged from heartthrob TV roles to serious theater. He died on Saturday in Hawaii.

Published on March 30, 2025, at 5:38 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

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Remembering George Foreman, the pastor who boxed 'without hatred'

Two-time heavyweight champion of the world, the American, who died on Friday, was 76 years old. Having become a pastor after a bad defeat, he took part in the mythical fight against Mohamed Ali in 1974, before making an unexpected comeback in the 1990s.

Published on March 23, 2025, at 11:30 pm (Paris), updated on March 24, 2025, at 10:15 am Denis Ménétrier

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Heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman dies at 76

Foreman, who fought and lost against Muhammad Ali in boxing's iconic 1974 'Rumble in the Jungle' before reclaiming the title two decades later, died on Friday, his family announced in a statement.

Published on March 22, 2025, at 3:29 am (Paris), updated on March 22, 2025, at 5:05 am Le Monde with AFP

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Belgian actress Emilie Dequenne dies after months of battling rare cancer

Dequenne died on Sunday, at the age of 43. A remission last May enabled her to celebrate the 25th anniversary of 'Rosetta,' the film that made her name and won her Best Actress at Cannes, in 1999.

Published on March 17, 2025, at 12:54 pm (Paris) Sylvie Kerviel

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Award-winning Belgian actress Emilie Dequenne dies at 43

Her first role in 'Rosetta,' by the Dardenne brothers, started her career, after she won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival. Dequenne had revealed in October 2023 that she was suffering from adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare cancer of the adrenal gland.

Published on March 17, 2025, at 12:14 am (Paris), updated on March 17, 2025, at 7:23 am Le Monde with AFP

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Gene Hackman died of natural causes, a week after wife, says medical examiner

The chief medical examiner for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator announced Friday that the late 95-year-old star's wife, Betsy Hackman, died from hantavirus, a pulmonary syndrome. Neither body showed any sign of trauma.

Published on March 7, 2025, at 11:13 pm (Paris), updated on March 8, 2025, at 12:12 pm Le Monde with AP and AFP

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Roy Ayers, godfather of neo-soul, dies at age 84

'The Godfather of Neo-Soul' was a leading force in introducing soul to jazz in the 1970s. He released nearly four dozen albums throughout his career.

Published on March 6, 2025, at 6:07 pm (Paris), updated on March 6, 2025, at 11:17 pm Le Monde with AFP

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Jean-Louis Debré, former president of France's Constitutional Council, dies at 80

A lifelong Gaullist and a loyal follower of his mentor Jacques Chirac, Debré served as a much-appreciated president of the Assemblée Nationale before ending his long political career as president of the Constitutional Council.

Published on March 4, 2025, at 11:25 am (Paris), updated on March 4, 2025, at 11:51 am Vanessa Schneider

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The death of Gene Hackman, star of 'The French Connection' and 'The Conversation'

The 95-year-old American actor was found dead on Wednesday, February 26, at the side of his wife, Betsy Arakawa.

Published on February 28, 2025, at 1:47 am (Paris), updated on February 28, 2025, at 9:46 am Thomas Sotinel

News

Michelle Trachtenberg, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Harriet the Spy' star, dies at 39

The former child star went on to have roles in buzzy millennial-era TV shows. Her cause of death has not yet been announced.

Published on February 26, 2025, at 8:59 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AP

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Roberta Flack, the gentle-voiced singer of 'Killing Me Softly,' has died

The American singer, pianist, and composer, who suffered from ALS, has died at the age of 88.

Published on February 25, 2025, at 3:57 am (Paris), updated on February 25, 2025, at 10:45 am Sylvain Siclier

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Secret Service agent who leaped to shield Kennedy from assassination dead at 93

Clint Hill was a member of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's protective detail in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, when the president was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in an open car. Hill shielded the bodies of Kennedy and his wife during the ride to the hospital, where the president was declared dead.

Published on February 24, 2025, at 11:08 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

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