Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor known for roles in Jurassic Park and The Piano, has died aged 78. His family announced his passing on Monday in a statement on Instagram, saying he died in Sydney surrounded by family. The loss was described as sudden and unexpected, though Neill had recently revealed he was cancer-free after treatment for stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.
The statement expressed gratitude to staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their care and asked for privacy. Neill’s career spanned acclaimed films and blockbusters, earning him international recognition.
In other news, the US has launched a new wave of strikes against Iran, with Tehran saying diplomacy has proven ‘futile’. At least 27 people died in a fire at a Bangkok pub, Thailand’s prime minister confirmed. In Washington, Mitch McConnell revealed a fall led to his recent hospitalisation.
Elsewhere, a UNSW academic was subjected to Nazi salutes in class, an antisemitism commission heard. Jana Armstrong’s former partner appeared in court charged with murder after a body was found near Toowoomba. At Wimbledon, teenager Cruz Hewitt suffered a junior exit.
In France, fire-bomber planes battled a forest blaze near Paris. Meanwhile, an Australian producer’s cover of Madonna’s Like a Prayer faces questions over possible AI use, and Indonesia grapples with a vast landfill on Jakarta’s outskirts, which supports thousands of waste pickers.
