National Obituaries

BRESCIA, Italy (AP) — Italian skier Elena Fanchini , whose career was cut short by a tumor, has died. She was 37. Fanchini passed away Wednesday at her home in Solato, near Brescia, the Italian Winter Sports Federation announced.

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Miroslav “Ciro” Blazevic, who coached the Croatian national soccer team to the semifinals of the 1998 World Cup in France, has died. He was 87.

Harry Whittington, the man who former Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot while they were hunting quail on a Texas ranch 17 years ago, has died. He was 95. Whittington died at his home Saturday in Austin, family friend Karl Rove said Monday.

PRAGUE (AP) — Lubomir Strougal, a Czechoslovak communist-era leader who served as prime minister for a record length of more than 18 years has died. He was 98. His death was confirmed to media by former Communist Party lawmaker Jiri Dolejs on Monday.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — John Moeti, the former South Africa midfielder who was part of the squad that won the 1996 African Cup of Nations, died at his home on Monday. He was 55.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Hsing Yun, a Buddhist abbot who established a thriving religious community in southern Taiwan and built universities overseas, has died. He was 95.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Charles Kimbrough, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor who played a straight-laced news anchor opposite Candice Bergen on “Murphy Brown,” died Jan. 11 in Culver City, California. He was 86.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup and later led a reluctant Pakistan into aiding the U.S. war in Afghanistan against the Taliban, has died, officials said Sunday. He was 79.

Kaye Vaughan, twice the CFL's outstanding lineman and a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, has died. He was 91. Stephanie Myles, Vaughan's goddaughter, confirmed his passing on Sunday.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Journalist Joe Edwards, who chronicled country music and helped “Rocky Top” become a Tennessee state song during his four-decade Associated Press career, has died. He was 75.