Sam Neill, star of 'Jurassic Park' and 'Peaky Blinders,' dies at 78
via NewsDay Zimbabwe7 min read
Legendary New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for his roles in 'Jurassic Park' and 'Peaky Blinders,' passed away on Monday in Sydney, Australia, at the age of 78, his family announced. A statement posted on the actor's Instagram page, using the Māori word "whānau" for extended family, indicated that the loss was sudden and unexpected, but noted that Neill remained cancer-free. Neill had previously battled a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer, revealing in April that he was cancer-free. The family expressed gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital. Neill's career spanned five decades, including the Oscar-winning film 'The Piano,' but he is most recognized for playing Dr. Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg’s 'Jurassic Park.' Born in Northern Ireland, Neill immigrated to New Zealand at age 7 and was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1991 and a knighthood from New Zealand in 2022. Outside of Hollywood, Neill lived on his New Zealand farm, where he named animals after Hollywood icons. He was also an environmental activist and established his organic winery, Two Paddocks, in 1993. In 2023, Neill revealed his diagnosis with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy, during which he wrote his memoir 'Did I Ever Tell You This?' in 2022. In a 2024 interview, he stated he was not afraid of dying but would find it "very irritating" due to unfulfilled aspirations. He is survived by his four children and several grandchildren.
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Three major shareholders in Dairibord Holdings Limited, Equivest Asset Management Pvt Ltd, Mega Market Pvt Ltd, and Mutare Mart & Exchange Pvt Ltd, are reportedly in negotiations to sell their combined 51% stake in the company. Dairibord, Zimbabwe's largest dairy and beverages group, issued a cautionary statement advising shareholders and the public to exercise caution when trading its stock, as a successful transaction could significantly impact the share price. The statement did not disclose the identity of the prospective buyer, the proposed purchase price, or whether the negotiations are exclusive. This development follows Dairibord's recent announcement of its intention to delist from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and subsequently list on the US dollar-denominated Victoria Falls Stock Exchange VFEX. It remains unclear if these two transactions are linked. Dairibord reported a 12-month revenue of US$137 million as of December 31, 2025, with profit margins at 1.4%, a decrease from 4.2% in the previous year.
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