Milestones

DIED. BETTINO CRAXI, 65, former Italian Prime Minister, whose fall from power highlighted a network of political corruption that flourished in Italy in the early 1990s; in Hammamet, Tunisia, where he had lived in self-imposed exile since 1994. The longtime socialist politician was charged with corruption for allegedly accepting millions of dollars in bribes from the business community. Although some of the charges were still on appeal, Craxi received two sentences that, if he had remained in Italy, would have put him in jail for more than nine years. In his defense, Craxi claimed that all Italian parties receive illegal funding and that his political enemies, the communists, had orchestrated the trials against him. DIED. TRILOKI NATH KAUL, 82, gregarious former Indian diplomat and shaper of his country's foreign policy after its independence from Britain in 1947; in Himachal Pradesh, India. Kaul negotiated agreements that New Delhi signed with China, Pakistan and the Soviet Union to promote better relations. He also served as India's ambassador to both Washington and Moscow. DIED. HEDY LAMARR, 86, raven-haired seductress, once billed as the world's most beautiful woman; in Orlando, Florida. Austrian-born Lamarr roused U.S. attention when she swam naked in the 1933 Czech film Ecstasy; she went on to scale Hollywood heights in films like Ziegfeld Girl and Samson and Delilah. Married and divorced six times, her life became a frenzy of sex revelations and shoplifting charges. Any girl can be glamorous, she once said, all you have to do is stand still and look stupid. ON LEAVE. KADIR JASIN, 53, loyal editor-in-chief for 12 years of Malaysia's pro-government New Straits Times newspaper, reportedly for being too critical of the ruling United Malays National Organization; in Kuala Lumpur. Commentators interpret Kadir's departure as a symptom of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's growing impatience with dissent since the ruling party's relatively lackluster showing in elections last November. DIED. ISABELLA YURIEVA, 100, celebrated Russian folk singer, who continued performing until her death; in Moscow. Yurieva became a musical star in the 1920s, after moving to Moscow from the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. She preferred romantic numbers, even though the genre was discouraged during Soviet times. Russian news agency Itar-Tass wrote: Her songs made an impression which will never die in people's hearts. APPOINTED. MICHAEL JORDAN, 36, sporting legend, as co-owner and president of the Washington Wizards basketball team; in the U.S. capital. By the time the deal is finalized, the former Chicago Bulls center, who led his team to six NBA championships, could own as much as 20% of the hapless Wizards. Jordan's inspiration counted for little in his first game at the helm: the Wizards lost to the Dallas Mavericks, despite the presence of Jordan and U.S. President Bill Clinton in the owners' box.