George Carlin attacked religion, authority figures, bureaucracy and even something as ridiculously oxymoronic as "jumbo shrimp" — and became one of the country's most influential and controversial humorists.

The iconoclast, who died Sunday from heart failure at 71, was practically a one-man history of American comedy — from the rise of '60s counterculture through the war on terrorism. For more than 40 years, this harsh critic of our shared foibles was determined to set us straight every step of the way. In nightclubs and eventually cable television, he did so in a pointed, profane style that challenged our standards for what could be said on the public airwaves.

April 20, 2008 10:00pm

COLOMBIAN Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, head of the Pontifical Council for the Family, has died in Rome from a chest infection, hospital officials said.

 The 72-year-old had been the Vatican's family minister since 1990 and defended the Roman Catholic Church's staunch opposition to the use of condoms in the fight against HIV/AIDS and to abortion, likening the pill to "chemical warfare".

SALT LAKE CITY - Thousands of believers were in mourning Monday following the death of Gordon B. Hinckley, the humble head of the Mormon church who added millions of new members and labored long to burnish the faith's image as a world religion. An announcement of his successor was not expected for days.  Hinckley, the 15th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died Sunday of complications arising from old age, church spokesman Mike Otterson said. He was 97.
The church presidency is a lifetime position. Before Hinckley, the oldest church president was David O. McKay who was 96 when he died in 1970. Hinckley, a grandson of Mormon pioneers, was president for nearly 13 years. He took over as president and prophet on March 12, 1995, and oversaw one of the greatest periods of expansion in church history. The number of temples worldwide more than doubled, from 49 to more than 120 and church membership grew from about 9 million to about 13 million. Dozens of mourners gathered Sunday night outside Mormon church headquarters to honor Hinckley. College students sang hymns by the light of their cell phones. On Monday, Kelly Ford, 28, of Kaysville stared at a painting of Hinckley in the church visitor's center as a snowstorm swirled outside and recalled how he took time to speak to teens.

A state funeral is to be held for Sir Edmund Hillary, who died this morning from a heart attack, aged 88. In a statement, his widow, Lady Hillary, indicated the family thought such a funeral appropriate, "recognising the impact [Sir Edmund] has on all New Zealanders". She added the family was comforted by messages of support from around the country and the world. A date for the funeral would probably be fixed over the weekend as some family members were out of New Zealand and would take time to get home. Among them is Sir Edmund's only son Peter, currently in Portugal. The funeral will be broadcast on TVNZ. Lady Hillary said Sir Edmund died peacefully in Auckland Hospital at 9am today after his heart gave out. He had been in hospital since Monday but was due out and had been looking forward to coming home. "He remained in good spirits until the end."