Sam Neill at the 2010 Vancouver International Wine Festival (Wikipedia) By THE NEW YORK TIMES Sam Neill, the versatile New Zealand screen actor who appeared in more than 150 productions over a five-decade career, and who was perhaps best known for his star turn as the adventuresome paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the “Jurassic Park” series, died Monday in Sydney. He was 78. His family announced the death in a post on Instagram but did not provide further details. Neill was d

Volunteers carry the flags of Norway and England off the pitch after the pre-match ceremony of the World Cup soccer match between England and Norway in Miami Gardens, Fla., July 11, 2026. (Scott McIntyre/The New York Times) By PATRICIA MAZZEI A little more than five hours before kickoff at the World Cup quarterfinal between Norway and England on Saturday, the crew in charge of the pre-match ceremony at the Hard Rock Stadium near Miami faced an unexpected problem. The England

Argentina fans celebrate at Lidia and Luis Peve’s home in Provo, Utah, as Lionel Messi scores a second goal in a World Cup match on June 22, 2026. (Loren Elliott/The New York Times) By TARIQ PANJA Lionel Messi is perhaps the biggest draw in all of sports right now. With him playing in what is almost certainly his final World Cup, each game could be the last on the most vaunted of stages for the 39-year-old Argentine captain. But in Argentina’s quarterfinal victory over Switze

Jezreel de Jesús again led the Leones of Ponce with 31 points and six rebounds. By THE STAR STAFF The Cangrejeros of Santurce and the Leones of Ponce both earned double-digit victories on Sunday in the National Superior Basketball (BSN by its initials in Spanish) league semifinals. The Cangrejeros defeated the Criollos of Caguas 98-77 at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Hato Rey, tying the Group A series at 1-1. After the first quarter ended tied at 22, the home team prevailed in