Rights Groups, Nobel Commission Express Regret Over Liu's Death

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is calling for China to release Liu Xiaobo's widow from house arrest Thursday.

"I call on the Chinese government to release Liu Xia from house arrest and allow her to depart China, according to her wishes," he said in a statement hours after the Nobel Laureate's death.

"In his fight for freedom, equality, and constitutional rule in China, Liu Xiaobo embodied the human spirit that the Nobel Prize rewards. In his death, he has only reaffirmed the Nobel Committee’s selection," Tillerson added.

Liu, a Chinese a literary critic-turned-dissident and pro-democracy advocate, died Thursday at age 61 following a high-profile battle with liver cancer.

"I join Secretary Tillerson in mourning the death of Liu Xiaobo, a courageous advocate who dedicated his life to the pursuit of democracy and liberty," U.S. ambassador to China Terry Branstad said.

"China has lost a deeply principled role model who deserved our respect and adulation, not the prison sentences to which he was subjected. We again ask that China release Liu Xia from house arrest, and permit her and her family to travel as they wish," he added. "As we mourn the loss and celebrate the life of this remarkable man, we call on China to release all prisoners of conscience and to respect the fundamental freedoms of all.

The leader of the Norwegian Nobel committee said Thursday the Chinese government bore a "heavy responsibility" for his death.

"We find it deeply disturbing that Liu Xiaobo was not transferred to a facility where he could receive adequate medical treatment before he became terminally ill," said Berit Reiss-Anderssen. "The Chinese Government bears a heavy responsibility for his premature death," she said in an emailed statement.

Rights groups were quick to praise his achievements and legacy while calling on the international community to investigate deaths in captivity and work to prevent them.

“Even as Liu Xiaobo’s illness worsened, the Chinese government continued to isolate him and his family, and denied him freely choosing his medical treatment,” said Sophie Richardson, China director for Human Rights Watch. “The Chinese government’s arrogance, cruelty, and callousness are shocking – but Liu’s struggle for a rights-respecting, democratic China will live on.”

The U.N. Human Rights chief expressed "deep sorrow" over Liu's death, saying the human rights movement has lost a "principled champion".

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi also expressed her condolences for Liu and disappointment with the Chinese government's handling of his illness.

"The world grieves loss of one of the great moral voices of our time. We had hoped that the Chinese ... they mistreated him in prison, contributed to his illness, we would hope that they would allow him to leave the country to receive medical care," she said, "They did not. It is a sad day.”

Trailblazing American Journalist Gwen Ifill Dead at 61

Gwen Ifill, one of the most prominent African-American journalists in the U.S., has died after battling cancer for months. She was 61.

Ifill joined PBS as the moderator of Washington Week, the public broadcaster's Sunday morning public affairs program, in 1999 and served as the show's managing editor. She was the first African-American woman to host a major political TV talk show. In 2013, she was named co-anchor and co-managing editor with Judy Woodruff of the weeknight evening news broadcast PBS NewsHour.

In 2009, she wrote a book about President Barack Obama, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.

"It is with extreme sadness that we share the news that Gwen Ifill passed away earlier today [Monday] surrounded by family and friends," PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement. "Gwen was one of America's leading lights in journalism and a fundamental reason public media is considered a trusted window on the world by audiences across the nation."

A native of New York City, Ifill joined PBS in 1999. Prior to joining PBS, Ifill worked as chief congressional and political correspondent for NBC News, White House correspondent for the New York Times, and political reporter for The Washington Post.

She moderated the 2004 vice presidential debate between Dick Cheney and John Edwards, and the 2008 vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin.

Photo by Tony Powell: Master of Ceremonies Gwen Ifill at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., 2015

Titantic Composer James Horner Dies in Plane Crash

Academy Award-winning music composer James Horner has been killed in a plane crash.

Horner won two Oscars for the movie Titanic - one for its theme song My Heart Will Go On, performed by Celine Dion, and another for the film's score.

He received Oscar nominations for his music in Apollo 13, Braveheart, Field of Dreams, Aliens and Avatar.

Horner, who was 61 years old, died when his single-engine plane crashed Monday about 160 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles. No one else was on board the plane.

Horner's scores carried films to their climax and accompanied top actors as they delivered some of their most moving performances.

Tender kisses in The Amazing Spider-Man, grand battles in Troy and moments of stirring drama in A Beautiful Mind were set up by Horner's compositions.

American film hits of the 1990s, such as Patriot Games, Searching for Bobby Fischer and Jumanji also were composed by Horner. In addition, he scored popular animated films The Land Before Time (1988) and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991).

Horner was nominated for an Oscar for the song Somewhere Out There in An American Tail.

Top actors and directors in the film and television world paid tribute to Horner online. Academy Award winning director Ron Howard wrote on Twitter, "Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on seven movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones."

First Female US Astronaut Sally Ride Dies at 61

Former U.S. astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, died Monday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61 years old.

Ride, who earned four degrees, including a doctorate in physics, from Stanford University was part of the first NASA class for astronauts to accept women in 1978.

She joined four male astronauts on the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger in June 1983 and became a hero to young girls across the United States as the first American woman in space.

Ride flew on Challenger again in 1984. She was a member of the panels that investigated the Challenger accident in 1986 and the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003.

She also founded a company whose mission was to motivate girls and young women to pursue careers in science, math and technology.

President Barack Obama issued a statement calling Ride “a national hero and powerful role model” who advocated a greater focus on math and science in U.S. schools.

Final Exits, 8-14 November 2011

Folk singer Jackie Leven a.k.a. Sir Vincent Lone (formerly of Doll By Doll) performs in the Musician Tent at the Summer Sundae 2005. Photo by Gareth Owen.

Obituaries for 8-14 November 2011

8
* Jimmy Adamson, 82, British football player and coach.
* Hal Bruno, 83, American journalist (ABC News).
* Clay Green Cambern, 56, American TV editor (Lost, The Sopranos, Cold Case), cardiac arrest.
* Gene Cantamessa, 80, American Academy Award-winning sound engineer (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial).
* Oscar Rolando Cantuarias Pastor, 80, Peruvian Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Piura (1981–2006).
* Nosson Tzvi Finkel, 68, American Orthodox Jewish rabbi.
* Katherine Grant, 12th Countess of Dysart, 93, Scottish peeress.
* Heavy D, 44, Jamaican-born American rapper ("Now That We Found Love") and actor (The Cider House Rules, Life).
* Izabel Hoffmann, 17, Brazilian model, pulmonary embolism. [79] (Portuguese)
* Ricky Hui, 65, Hong Kong actor. (Chinese)
* Bil Keane, 89, American cartoonist (The Family Circus), heart failure.
* Valentin Kozmich Ivanov, 76, Russian football player and coach. (Russian)
* Ed Macauley, 83, American basketball player (St. Louis Hawks, Boston Celtics, Saint Louis Bombers).
* Jimmy Norman, 74, American rhythm and blues and jazz musician and songwriter.
* Herbert S. Okun, 80, American diplomat.
* Jacques Suprikyan, 71, Armenian footballer. (Russian)
* Lauri Sutela, 93, Finnish military officer, Chief of Defence (1974–1983). (Finnish)

9
* Abdoulkarim Abdrashitov, 30, Russian imam, Mufti of Mordovia (since 2011), car accident. (Russian)
* Shmuel Ben-Artzi, 96, Israeli writer, father in-law of Benjamin Netanyahu.
* Mary Ellen Cano, 32, American MMA fighter, shot.
* Bob Carney, 79, American basketball player (Minneapolis Lakers).
* Roger Christian, 75, American Olympic gold medal-winning (1960) ice hockey player.
* Renée Franke, 83, German pop singer. (German)
* Har Gobind Khorana, 89, Indian-born American biochemist, Nobel laureate (1968), natural causes.
* Benny McCoy, 96, American baseball player (Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics).
* Ézio Leal Moraes Filho, 45, Brazilian football player. (Portuguese)
* Dani Wadada Nabudere, 79, Ugandan academic.
* Jean-Paul Randriamanana, 61, Malagasy Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of Antananarivo (since 1999).
* Thomas Shanahan, 54, American politician, alderman of Springfield, Illinois.
* Wilbur South, 28, American MMA fighter, suicide by gunshot.
* Terry Willers, 76, Irish cartoonist.

10
* Peter J. Biondi, 69, American politician, member of the New Jersey General Assembly (since 1998), cancer.
* David Boyd, 87, Australian artist.
* Manuel Carbonell, 93, Cuban-born American sculptor.
* Ana Grepo, 36, Croatian model, carbon monoxide asphyxiation. (Croatian)
* Barbara Grier, 78, American publisher (Naiad Press) and writer, cancer.
* Ivan Martin Jirous, 67, Czech poet and dissident.
* Alan Keen, 73, British politician, MP for Feltham and Heston (since 1992), cancer.
* Killer Karl Kox, 80, American professional wrestler.
* Petar Kralj, 70, Serbian actor. (Serbian)
* Andy Tielman, 75, Dutch Indorock musician.
* Adrián Yospe, 41, Argentine actor, cancer. (Spanish)

11
* William Aramony, 84, American charity executive.
* Francisco Blake Mora, 45, Mexican politician, Secretary of the Interior (since 2010), helicopter crash.
* Domenico Tarcisio Cortese, 80, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea (1979–2007).
* Lynn Deerfield, 61, American actress (Guiding Light).
* John Francis Donoghue, 83, American Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Atlanta (1993–2004), after short illness.
* Emory Folmar, 81, American politician, Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama (1977–1999), after long illness.
* Michael Garrick, 78, English jazz pianist and composer.
* Fridtjof Frank Gundersen, 77, Norwegian jurist and politician. (Norwegian)
* Choiseul Henriquez, 51, Haitian politician.
* Charlie Lea, 54, French-born American baseball player (Montreal Expos).
* Bernd Methe, 47, German handball referee, traffic accident.
* Reiner Methe, 47, German handball referee, traffic accident.
* David Myers, 73, American politician, Oklahoma State Senator (since 2002), pneumonia.
* Nick Strincevich, 96, American baseball player (Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Braves).

12
* Gavin Bornholdt, 63, New Zealand Olympic sailor.
* Doyle Bramhall, 62, American blues musician, heart failure.
* Alun Evans, 69, Welsh football administrator, General Secretary of the Football Association of Wales (1982–1995), after long illness.
* Zbigniew Jaworowski, 84, Polish physicist.
* Evelyn Lauder, 75, Austrian-born American philanthropist (The Breast Cancer Research Foundation), creator of pink ribbon symbol, complications from ovarian cancer.
* Julius C. Michaelson, 89, American politician, Rhode Island Attorney General (1975–1979) and State Senator (1962–1974).
* Hasan Moghaddam, Iranian general, commander in the Revolutionary Guard, explosion.
* Peter Roebuck, 55, British-Australian cricketer and columnist, suicide by defenestration.
* Jim Sullivan, 43, Canadian curler, world junior champion (1988).

13
* Bobsam Elejiko, 30, Nigerian footballer, traumatic aortic rupture. (Dutch)
* Guido Falaschi, 22, Argentine racing driver, racing accident.
* Esperanza Pérez Labrador, 89, Cuban-born Argentine human rights activist (Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo). (Spanish)
* Jamie Pierre, 38, American professional skier, avalanche.
* Artemio Lomboy Rillera, 69, Philippine Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Bangued (1993–2005) and San Fernando de La Union (since 2005).
* Diego Rivas, Mexican singer, shot.
* Solly Tyibilika, 32, South African rugby player, shot.

14
* Franz Josef Degenhardt, 79, German poet, satirist, novelist and folk singer. (German)
* Richard Douthwaite, 69, British economist and ecologist.
* Alf Fields, 92, English footballer (Arsenal F.C.).
* Maurice-Adolphe Gaidon, 83, French Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Cahors (1987–2004).
* Brikt Jensen, 83, Norwegian literary critic and publisher. (Norwegian)
* Laura Kennedy, American musician (Bush Tetras), liver disease.
* Jackie Leven, 61, Scottish musician, lung cancer.
* Cargill MacMillan, Jr., 84, American billionaire (Cargill family), natural causes.
* Ilya Zhitomirskiy, 22, Russian-born American Internet entrepreneur, co-founder of Diaspora social network site, apparent suicide.

Final Exits, 1-7 November 2011

Cynthia Myers (born 12 September 1950, in Toledo, Ohio), an American model and actress. Photo by Cynthia Myers.

Obituaries for 1-7 November 2011

1
* Gumaa Al-Shawan, 74, Egyptian intelligence agent.
* Cahit Aral, 84, Turkish engineer and politician, Minister of Industry and Commerce (1983–1987). (Turkish)
* Heinz Ludwig Arnold, 71, German journalist. (German)
* Karl Duschek, 64, German graphic designer, after short illness. (German)
* Fanny Edelman, 100, Argentine politician, President of the PCA.
* Viktor Farkas, 66, Austrian journalist and author, heart disease. (German)
* Sam Fink, 95, American calligrapher.
* Richard Gordon, 85, British horror film producer.
* André Hodeir, 90, French author, jazz arranger and composer. (French)
* Chrysanthos Kyprianou, 85, Cypriot author and folklorist. (Greek)
* Christiane Legrand, 81, French jazz singer.
* Sergio Montiel, 84, Argentine politician, Governor of Entre Ríos (1983–1987; 1999–2003). (Spanish)
* Dorothy Howell Rodham, 92, American homemaker, mother of Hillary Rodham Clinton.
* Gaston Rombauts, 81, Belgian television personality, cancer. (Dutch)
* Héctor Rueda Hernández, 90, Colombian Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Medellín (1991–1997).
* Seppo Sanaksenaho, 73, Finnish politician, Mayor of Vaasa (1997–2001). (Finnish)
* Katherine Siva Saubel, 91, American Cahuilla tribal leader and activist, one of the last speakers of the Cahuilla language.
* Robert A. Scalapino, 92, American political scientist.
* Kostas Tziantzis, 63, Greek politician. (Greek)
* Ricardo Watty Urquidi, 73, American-born Mexican Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Tepic (since 2008), pancreatic cancer.

2
* Stan Bergstein, 87, American harness racing executive.
* Sickan Carlsson, 96, Swedish actress and singer. (Swedish)
* Rijk de Gooyer, 85, Dutch actor, pancreatic cancer. (Dutch)
* Ricardo Guzmán Romero, Mexican politician, Mayor of La Piedad, shot. (Spanish)
* Ilmar Kullam, 89, Estonian Olympic silver medal-winning (1952) basketball player. (Estonian)
* Edward Lenkiewicz, 85, Polish professor. (Polish)
* Eugene Maslov, 66, Russian billiards coach. (Russian)
* Yoko Matsuoka McClain, 87, Japanese professor (University of Oregon), grand-daughter of Natsume Sōseki, cerebral haemorrhage. (Japanese)
* Sid Melton, 94, American character actor (The Golden Girls, Green Acres, The Danny Thomas Show), pneumonia.
* John Opel, 86, American computer businessman, president and CEO of IBM.
* Papa Bue, 81, Danish trombonist and bandleader.
* Boots Plata, 67, Filipino film director, cancer.
* Bruno Rubeo, 65, Italian production designer, pneumonia.
* Nikolay Saksonov, 88, Russian world champion weightlifter, Olympic silver medalist (1952). (Russian)
* Angelos Skordilis, 52, Greek rock musician. (Greek)
* Leonard Stone, 87, American actor (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory), cancer.
* Árpád Szűcs, 78, Hungarian painter and restorer. (Hungarian)
* Akihiro Takahashi, 80, Japanese government official. (Japanese)
* Lucy Tejada, 91, Colombian painter. (Spanish)
* Richárd Weninger, 77, Hungarian composer and harpist. (Hungarian)

3
* Matty Alou, 72, Dominican Republic-born American baseball player (Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals), diabetes.
* Günther Bahr, 67, Austrian radio host. (German)
* Rosángela Balbó, 70, Italian actress, lung cancer. (Spanish)
* Bob Forsch, 61, American baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals), aneurysm.
* H. G. Francis, 75, German science fiction author. (German)
* Árpád Kisgyörgy, 80, Hungarian neurosurgeon. (Hungarian)
* Peeter Kreitzberg, 62, Estonian politician, Minister of Culture and Education (1995).
* Justo Oscar Laguna, 82, Argentinian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Morón (1980–2004).
* Ivar Nørgaard, 89, Danish politician, negotiated Denmark's entry to the European Community. (Danish)
* Morris Philipson, 85, American book publisher and novelist.
* Timothy Raison, 82, British politician, Member of Parliament for Aylesbury (1970–1992).
* Cory Smoot, 34, American heavy metal guitarist (Gwar).
* Ana Štefok, 72, Croatian pop singer.
* Ottokar Uhl, 80, Austrian architect, after long illness. (German)
* Károly Vissy, 77, Hungarian meteorologist. (Hungarian)
* John Young, 80, Scottish politician, MSP for West of Scotland (1999–2003).

4
* Alfonso Cano, 63, Colombian guerrilla leader (FARC), shot.
* Emmanuel de Bethune, 82, Belgian politician, Mayor of Kortrijk (1987–1989, 1995–2000), after long illness. (Dutch)
* Arnold Green, 91, Estonian politician, President of the Estonian Olympic Committee (1989–1997). (Estonian)
* John Randolph Hearst, Jr., 77, American business executive (Hearst Corporation).
* Hans-Joachim Kleine, 79, German businessman, after long illness. (German)
* Cynthia Myers, 61, American model and actress. (death announced on this date)
* Nancy Monti Penkala, 93, Croatian socialite. (Croatian)
* Norman Foster Ramsey, Jr., 96, American physicist, Nobel Laureate (1989).
* Andy Rooney, 92, American journalist, 60 Minutes correspondent (1978–2011), surgical complications.
* Theadora Van Runkle, 83, American costume designer.
* Pierre Vinken, 83, Dutch publisher. (Dutch)
* Sarah Watt, 53, Australian film director, cancer.
* Dieudonné Yougbaré, 94, Burkinabé Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Koupéla (1956–1995).
* Tadeusz Walasek, 75, Polish Olympic silver (1960) and bronze (1964) medal-winning boxer. (Polish)

5
* Mario Roberto Álvarez, 97, Argentine architect. (Spanish)
* George Ansbro, 96, American radio announcer.
* Luigi Belloli, 88, Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of the Anagni-Alatri (1987–1999).
* Loulou de la Falaise, 63, French fashion muse and designer (Yves Saint-Laurent).
* Bhupen Hazarika, 85, Indian singer.
* Takeo Nishioka, 75, Japanese politician, Minister of Education (1988–1989) and Speaker of the House of Councillors (since 2010), pneumonia.
* Damaskinos Papandreou, 75, Greek-born Turkish Orthodox hierarch, Metropolitan of Hadrianopolis (since 2003). (Greek)
* Paul Schulmeister, 69, Austrian journalist. (German)
* Yuvan Shestalov, 74, Russian Mansi language writer. (Russian)
* Branko Turčić, 76, Croatian journalist and writer. (Croatian)

6
* Géza Alföldy, 76, Hungarian historian. (Hungarian)
* Gordon Beck, 75, British jazz pianist and composer.
* Isaac Chocrón, 81, Venezuelan playwright. (Spanish)
* Margaret Field, 89, American actress (The Man from Planet X, Captive Women), mother of Sally Field, cancer.
* Philip Gould, Baron Gould of Brookwood, 61, British advertising executive and political adviser, cancer.
* Mel Hancock, 82, American politician, U.S. Representative from Missouri (1989–1997).
* Hickstead, 15, Dutch-born Canadian show jumping horse, Olympic champion (2008).
* Joe Holck, 85, American martial artist, Danzan-ryū professor, co-founder of Kajukenbo.
* Hal Kanter, 92, American screenwriter, director and producer (Julia), complications from pneumonia.
* Mito Loeffler, 50, French gypsy jazz guitarist. (German)
* Jim McNeill, 32, American freestyle motocross rider, crash during practice.
* Allan Peachey, 62, New Zealand politician, Member of Parliament for Tamaki (since 2005).

7
* Joe Frazier, 67, American boxer, World Heavyweight Champion (1970–1973), liver cancer.
* Jörg-Dietrich Hoppe, 71, German physician, president of the German Medical Association. [11] (German)
* Lisbeth Movin, 94, Danish actress. (Danish)
* Georgy Movsesyan, 66, Russian composer, heart attack. (Russian)
* Dov Schwartzman, 90, American-born Israeli Haredi rabbi.
* Tomás Segovia, 84, Spanish poet, cancer. (Spanish)
* F. Springer, 79, Dutch writer.
* Takanosato Toshihide, 59, Japanese sumo wrestler.

Canada Opposition Leader Jack Layton Dies

Canada's New Democrat party leader Jack Layton died Monday from cancer. Layton's party announced his death, saying the charismatic politician died at his Toronto home, surrounded by his family.

During the May 2 elections, Layton helped his party become the dominant opposition group in Canada's Parliament while battling cancer. The NDP controls 103 of 308 total seats.

Former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney called Layton an “honorable, decent, loyal” man.

Prime Minister Brian Harper offered the Layton family a state funeral for the popular politician. The funeral will be held Saturday's in Toronto.

Layton penned a letter for release upon his death. The letter encourages others battling cancer, despite his death, to continue fighting the disease. Layton said, “You must not lose your own hope.”

Canadians have left flowers and cards at the eternal flame located on Ottawa's Parliament Hill. The national flag has been lowered to half staff until after the funeral service.

Photo: An impromptu memorial for Jack Layton, Canadian Leader of the Opposition, on Parliament Hill the day he died. Ottawa, 22 August 2011. Photo by M. Rehemtulla