drol

Another hardliner cullen down. Sir Everton Weekes dead at 95.

And as always, a funeral is good for checking the leadership. Zhu Rongji and Song Ping expressed their condolences, though it is not specified if they appeared. Strangely the only absent name, who did not even express condolences, is Jiang Zemin. IMHO this rather suggests that he could not stand Shen Jilan rather than imminent death. But once again many think otherwise...

World short track speed skating champion Lara van Ruijven in very critical condition at just 27 after suffering from sudden illness. Chances of recovery very dim. And it came completely out of the blue.

KP Sharma Oli hospitalised. Yeah, check-ups, always check-ups.

Variety falls for the tricycle hoax. On her 104th birthday no photos of Olivia are anywhere to be seen. She could be in excellent health or bedridden and frail, we just can't know.

Not very famous I premise, but I think I'd mention it here. Emerging Italian poker star Matteo Mutti sadly dead at 29 from COVID-19. He was a leukemia survivor, and was cancer free when he got infected with COVID.

Yes, and they would have let pope Benedict visit him if it was coronavirus. Anyway on a more serious note, I think it was congestive heart failure rather than cancer, Georg had suffered from heart failure since at least 2005.

Danny Hicks dead at 68.

I'll give it a try... Thanks goodness we still have Peter Tobin and Sidney Cooke!

Close but no cigar, he died yesterday.

Mwai Kibaki not hospitalized. Yaaawnn. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001376969/kibaki-is-not-in-hospital-says-his-aide

Bilardo discharged because he was actually negative.

Nice try, Iain.

I lost an easy hit with Hermes Binner, who was a late-year drop.

That did not age well.

Mwai Kibaki hospitalized. Yaaawnn. https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2020-06-28-ex-president-kibaki-hospitalised/

Geelani resigns from all posts, either because he is seriously ill or because of insubordination from younger cadres. You decide.

NYT obit.

Well, notable enough for the Jazz thread, no?

Chinese actress Yu Lan finally dead at 99. It leaves Qin Yi as the only surviving 50s superstar. Also Wei Wei had a decent start but it did not last.

Shen Jilan, China's longest serving Deputy (65 years), has died at 90. Famous because she always approved any proposal from the Communist Party, she was given the highest Chinese honour, Medal of the Republic, last year. Guess she is enjoying it in hell now.

Carlos Bilardo hospitalised after testing positive for COVID-19.

Belaid Abdessalam dead at 91.

Fast.

Round had not started yet!