RIP

Former college basketball star Mike Babul has passed away, UMass announced on Tuesday. He was 47 years old.

The school broke the news just minutes ago ... saying in a heartfelt statement the Minutemen fanbase is grieving the loss of an iconic member of the community.

"Babul was a true Massachusetts basketball legend on the court, serving as a positive force in his community and on many sidelines as a coach," the school said.

The only two survivors aboard the plane carrying 181 passengers that crashed in South Korea lucked out and had their lives spared because of their seating arrangement, according to news reports.

The fortunate flight attendants -- a man and a woman -- were reportedly seated in the tail section of the Jeju commercial airliner, which was landing at Muan International Airport after taking off from Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday.

When the plane touched down on the runway, it veered off and rammed into a wall, exploding into flames.

Liam Payne was advised by his psychiatrist just weeks before his death ... he needed a "higher level of care" than she could provide.

In a letter, filed with the court in Argentina and obtained by TMZ ... the One Direction star's psychiatrist informed the British singer in September she could no longer provide psychiatric care for him.

As the psychiatrist put it ... she decided to stop treating Liam "after careful consideration and assessment," but advised him to continue with a treatment plan -- which included taking medications only as prescribed, avoiding heavy drinking while on medication, weekly therapy, meeting with a primary care doctor, and further testing.

Angus MacInnes -- a prolific actor who appeared in the original "Star Wars" film -- has died ... according to a Facebook post by a family member.

In the statement, his family reveals MacInnes passed away peacefully on December 23, surrounded by loved ones. They did not list a cause of death.

Angus' family says he took great pride in appearing in some unforgettable projects during his career ... adding that fans of "Star Wars" held a special place in his heart.

Linda Lavin -- best known for her lead role in the 1970s TV sitcom "Alice" -- has died, TMZ has confirmed.

The actress passed away Sunday in Los Angeles from complications of lung cancer with which she was recently diagnosed, according to her reps.

Lavin began her career in the late '60s on Broadway before heading west in the '70s to Hollywood.

Several people connected to Liam Payne's death are facing formal charges in Argentina ... according to local reports in the Latin American country.

Infobae -- an Argentinian online newspaper -- revealed Saturday that sources with direct knowledge of the case confirmed five people have been charged by a judge.

Among them ... Liam's friend Roger Nores -- who says he left Liam at the CasaSur Palermo hotel about an hour before he fell to his death -- who authorities have charged with negligent homicide.

Jimmy Carter -- the 39th President of the United States, a renowned philanthropist and a Nobel Peace Prize winner -- has died.

The news of his death was confirmed by his son, Jimmy Carter III also known as Chip to the Washington Post on Sunday.

The Carter Center tells TMZ ... Jimmy passed away at home surrounded by family. He was the longest living former president in history when he passed away.

Matthew Gaudreau's wife just gave birth to their son ... four short months after he and his brother Johnny were killed by an alleged drunk driver.

Madeline Gaudreau announced the news on Instagram early Sunday morning ... sharing a photo of their baby boy holding tightly to her hand -- and revealing she named him Tripp.

In her caption, Madeline writes Tripp is "Mommy & Daddy’s world" ... keeping Matthew's presence within the family alive. BTW, Matthew helped choose the name before he passed, it seems.

Donald Trump's showering praise on the late Jimmy Carter ... saying he did his best to improve the lives of his fellow Americans -- and, the country owes him a debt.

The president-elect posted to his social media platform, Truth Social, Sunday ... only about an hour after the Carter Center announced the former president had passed away at 100.

In his message, Trump writes that anyone who has been president knows it's a very exclusive club ... and, only members in its ranks can understand the responsibility of leading the country.

The Boeing passenger jet that crashed over the weekend killing hundreds was reportedly warned of a bird strike minutes before it attempted an emergency landing.

According to the country's Transport Ministry, air traffic controllers alerted the crew the aircraft had experienced a bird strike before the fatal accident on Saturday that killed 179 people.

News1 Agency also reports a passenger allegedly sent a text message to a family member minutes before the crash claiming there had been a bird strike somewhere near or on the plane's wing.

A Boeing passenger jet crashed in South Korea Sunday ... reportedly killing dozens of people after what authorities are labeling a failure of the landing gear.

The Boeing 737 -- en route from Thailand -- veered off the runway at Muan International Airport around 9 AM local time

Video taken at the airport shows the plane sliding across the asphalt ... unable to stop itself before it runs into what looks like a wall and explodes.

Three officers who the New York State Attorney General's Office claims were present when Robert Brooks was beaten are named in other lawsuits alleging brutal beatings at the hands of prison guards.

In documents reviewed by TMZ ... Nicholas Anzalone, Glenn Trombly and Anthony Farina -- all three suspended pending further investigation by New York's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner -- are named as defendants in lawsuits filed by incarcerated or formally incarcerated individuals.

In a lawsuit filed in September 2022, a man named Adam Bauer sued Anzalone along with several other correctional officers ... after he claimed he suffered an unprovoked beating by one for smoking a cigarette in a bathroom in 2020.

Charles Shyer, the writer-director best known for the "Father of the Bride" remake starring Steve Martin, has died.

Shyer died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a brief illness, his daughter told media outlets.

The Oscar-nominated writer and director teamed with then-wife Nancy Meyers for several classic '80s comedies ... including "Private Benjamin," "Irreconcilable Differences," and "Baby Boom."

The fatal beating of Robert Brooks -- which was captured on horrifying body cam video from NYC corrections officers -- is being investigated by the FBI, TMZ has learned.

The federal agency said in a statement to TMZ ... “The FBI Albany Field Office and the Department of Justice are reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding the death of Robert L. Brooks to determine the appropriate federal response. As this is an ongoing review, we are not able to comment further at this time.”

The major development comes one day after body cam footage of corrections officers brutally beating a restrained Brooks -- who died hours later -- was released by the New York State Attorney General ... showing officers hitting the bloodied man repeatedly.

12/30 12:24 PM PT -- James Miller, rep for NYS Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association tells TMZ ... "NYSCOPBA’s Executive Board has reviewed the video footage released by the Attorney General regarding the death of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility.  What we have witnessed is reprehensible. It is clear to all of us that these actions are a disgrace to our profession and have put everyone inside our facilities at risk. As correction officers and sergeants, we have a duty to protect every person inside a correctional facility. At all times, we must be ready to stop those seeking to do harm, and that includes fellow staff. We, as an organization, stand in complete defiance of the callous disregard for the suffering that we have all witnessed on this video. NYSCOPBA will continue to fulfill its legal obligation to defend all members from all administrative charges, regardless of severity or public outcry. However, as more information becomes readily available, NYSCOPBA must continue to focus its efforts on advocating on behalf of those members who dutifully come to work every day and act with the professionalism and selflessness demanded of them."

Body cam footage of corrections officers brutally beating a restrained inmate -- who died hours later -- has been released by the New York State Attorney General ... showing officers hitting the bloodied man repeatedly.

The video shows Robert Brooks -- an inmate serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault -- repeatedly being punched and kicked ... and, one man appears to gag him with a towel.

Videos released by the attorney general's office show one officer repeatedly striking Brooks in his midsection with a shoe as other officers hold him down with his arms behind him. At one point, the officers lift Brooks up by his neck ... he's got blood all over his face and he can't even hold up his own weight.

Olivia Hussey, most well known for playing Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s classic 1968 drama “Romeo and Juliet," has died.

The actress passed away Friday at her home surrounded by family, according to a lengthy post on her Instagram page ... but her cause of death was not revealed.

The sad IG announcement read in part ... "Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her."