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Dame Maggie Smith Oscar-winning Harry Potter and Downton Abbey Star Dies, Aged 89

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Dame Maggie Smith Oscar-winning Harry Potter and Downton Abbey Star Dies, Aged 89—-In the Harry Potter films, Dame Maggie played the acerbic Professor Minerva McGonagall, famous for her pointed witch’s hat and stern manner with the young wizards at Hogwarts.

In hit ITV drama Downton Abbey, she played Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, the grand matriarch who excelled at withering one-liners through the show’s six series.

A statement from her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin said: “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.

“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.

“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.”

They thanked “the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days”.

They added: “We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”

Tributes were also paid by her co-stars.

Hugh Bonneville, who appeared in Downton Abbey, said: “Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent.

“She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances. My condolences to her boys and wider family.”

Dame Maggie also reprised her role for the two Downton Abbey films.

In 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era, her character died of the illness she revealed at the end of the 2019 film, to the huge upset of her family and friends.

Downton followed the success of 2002 period drama Gosford Park, which earned Dame Maggie both Oscar and Bafta nominations for playing Dowager Countess of Trentham.

In his statement on Friday, the prime minister said Dame Maggie “introduced us to new worlds with the countless stories she acted over her long career”.

“Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones. May she rest in peace,” he wrote.

Dame Kristin Scott-Thomas, who starred alongside Dame Maggie in 2005’s Keeping Mum and 2014’s My Old Lady, said she “took acting very seriously but saw through the nonsense and razzmatazz”.

“She really didn’t want to deal with that,” Dame Kristin added.

“She had a sense of humour and wit that could reduce me to a blithering puddle of giggles. And she did not have patience with fools. So you had to be a bit careful. I absolutely adored her.

“The last time I saw her, she was very cross about being old. ‘Maddening’ I think she said. Much loved, much admired and irreplaceable.”

A National Theatre spokesperson said her career “spanned the theatrical, film and television world without equal”.

Praising her stage performances, the statement added: “She will forever be remembered as one of the greatest actors this country has had the inestimable pleasure of witnessing.”

Bafta added that she was a “legend of British stage and screen”, praising her five competitive Bafta wins, plus the special award and fellowship she received from the organisation.

Dame Maggie’s career spanned eight decades, with early acclaim coming when she gained her first Bafta nomination for Nowhere to Go in 1958.

In 1963, she was offered the part of Desdemona in Othello at the National Theatre by Laurence Olivier, and two years later it was made into a film and Smith was nominated for her first Oscar.

The actress’s other memorable roles included 1985 Merchant Ivory film A Room With a View, in which she played the chaperone Charlotte Barlett, accompanying Helen Bonham Carter’s Lucy Honeychurch to Italy.

The role earned her another Oscar nomination and a Bafta.

And along with another national treasure, Dame Judi Dench, she appeared as an English woman living in 1930s Italy in the film Tea with Mussolini, which was released in 1999.

The two dames also shared screen time in A Room With a View and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Dame Maggie played the firm but fair Reverend Mother in the two Sister Act films, starring Whoopi Goldberg as nightclub singer Doloris Wilson, who takes refuge from the mob in San Francisco by posing as a nun in a local convent.

Goldberg called Dame Maggie “a great woman and a brilliant actress”, adding: “I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind’.”

Rob Lowe, who starred with Dame Maggie in 1993’s Suddenly, Last Summer, recalled “the unforgettable experience of working with her”.

“Sharing a two-shot was like being paired with a lion,” he said.

“She could eat anyone alive, and often did. But funny, and great company. And suffered no fools.

“We will never see another. God speed, Ms Smith!”

The veteran actress also played the old woman who spent 15 years living in a van outside Alan Bennett’s house in a film adaptation of the writer’s The Lady in the Van in 2015.

Her final roles included 2023’s The Miracle Club, which follows a group of women from Dublin who go on a pilgrimage to the French town of Lourdes, co-starring Kathy Bates and Laura Linney.

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Crime

Ex-Gang Leader Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis Goes on Trial Over 1996 Tupac Shakur Murder

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Ex-Gang Leader Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis Goes on Trial Over 1996 Tupac Shakur Murder—-Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was killed in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting, Duane “Keffe D” Davis faces trial in the only criminal case brought in connection with the rap icon’s death.

Nearly three decades after Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in Las Vegas, the long-running mystery surrounding the rapper’s death is finally heading into a courtroom as former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis goes on trial Monday.

Davis, 63, is charged with murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He has pleaded not guilty. Jury selection is scheduled to begin in Clark County District Court, with the trial expected to last several weeks.

Prosecutors accuse Davis of helping orchestrate the September 1996 attack that killed Shakur. Authorities allege that Davis was involved in planning the retaliation after an earlier confrontation involving members of his South Side Compton Crips gang and Shakur’s entourage.

Davis has never been accused of personally pulling the trigger. Prosecutors instead contend that he helped organize the attack and supplied the firearm allegedly used in the shooting. The identity of the person who fired the fatal shots remains a central issue in the case.

Shakur was only 25 when he was shot while riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight following a Mike Tyson boxing match in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. He died six days later from his injuries.

For years, the investigation produced no criminal charges. The case was revived after Davis made public comments about his alleged involvement, including accounts contained in his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” as well as interviews and documentary appearances.

Those statements are expected to form a major part of the prosecution’s case. Prosecutors have acknowledged that Davis’ various accounts contain inconsistencies but argue that his statements nevertheless provide evidence of his role in the killing.

The defense, meanwhile, is expected to challenge the credibility and reliability of those statements. Davis’ lawyers have argued that portions of his memoir and other public accounts were exaggerated or inaccurate, setting up a trial in which the jury may have to determine which parts of Davis’ numerous accounts can be trusted.

The case also brings renewed attention to the bitter East Coast-West Coast rivalry that surrounded the hip-hop industry during the 1990s. Shakur was closely associated with Death Row Records, while the rivalry with Bad Boy Records and figures connected to the East Coast had become increasingly hostile.

Davis was arrested in September 2023 after investigators obtained a new indictment in the case, making him the only person ever charged in connection with Shakur’s murder. He has remained in custody since then.

The trial has attracted enormous public interest because of Shakur’s enduring influence on music and popular culture. The rapper sold tens of millions of records during his career and remains one of hip-hop’s most influential figures nearly three decades after his death.

Shakur’s family and supporters have spent years seeking answers over what happened that night in Las Vegas. The proceedings now offer prosecutors their first opportunity to present a complete criminal case before a jury.

However, the trial is not expected to resolve every unanswered question surrounding the murder. With the alleged gunman never charged and key witnesses from the 1996 era no longer available, prosecutors face the challenge of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Davis was criminally responsible for the killing.

As jury selection begins Monday, the case enters a historic new chapter — nearly 30 years after one of hip-hop’s most enduring mysteries began.

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Entertainment

Watch Moment Davido Shows Carter Efe His Direct Messages with Cristiano Ronaldo (VIDEO)

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Watch Moment Davido Shows Carter Efe His Direct Messages with Cristiano Ronaldo (VIDEO)—-The Afrobeats superstar left streamer Carter Efe in disbelief after revealing his direct messages with football icon Cristiano Ronaldo during a live broadcast, reigniting buzz about their long-standing friendship.

Nigerian music star Davido surprised content creator Carter Efe and thousands of viewers after briefly showing his private direct messages with Cristiano Ronaldo during a live-stream session, offering fans another glimpse into his relationship with the Portuguese football legend.

The viral moment unfolded during Carter Efe’s livestream with Davido, where the singer scrolled through his phone and flashed what appeared to be an active conversation with Ronaldo. The revelation sparked excitement among viewers, many of whom had previously questioned Davido’s repeated claims that he shares a close relationship with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Carter Efe reacted with visible amazement, while clips of the exchange quickly spread across social media, with fans praising Davido for seemingly putting an end to doubts about his connection with one of football’s greatest-ever players. The livestream generated widespread discussion across X, Instagram and TikTok, where users debated the pair’s friendship and shared screenshots from the broadcast.

Davido has spoken publicly about his friendship with Ronaldo on several occasions. In interviews, the Afrobeats star has described the Portugal captain as “a very good friend,” while revealing that they have communicated privately over the years.

Earlier, Davido also recounted how Ronaldo personally invited him to watch a Manchester United match at Old Trafford, with plans for dinner and a post-match gathering. According to the singer, United’s defeat that evening left Ronaldo so frustrated that he cancelled the planned meet-up and went straight home—a story that sparked widespread debate online before fans pointed to the pair’s long-standing interactions on social media.

The latest livestream appearance has only strengthened public fascination with Davido’s ties to global sporting icons. While the singer kept the contents of the conversation private, the brief glimpse of the messages was enough to send social media into a frenzy and fuel fresh conversations about his friendship with Cristiano Ronaldo.

The viral moment once again highlighted Davido’s influence beyond music, with the award-winning artist continuing to attract global attention through his connections with some of the world’s biggest names in sports and entertainment.

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