Quincy Delight Jones Jr, the US record and TV producer whose career spanned over 70 years, has died at 91.

Arnold Robinson, Jones’ publicist, disclosed that he died on Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement.

“And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

Jones worked with a plethora of notable names in the entertainment industry including Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Will Smith.

Among his best-known credits was as the producer of Jackson’s historic ‘Thriller’ album. The project sold more than 20 million copies in 1983 alone and is among the best-selling albums of all time

The music composer and songwriter also oversaw the all-star recording of the 1985 charity record ‘We Are The World’.

Jones was born on March 14, 1933, in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. He became popular in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor before working on pop music and film scores.

In 1968, Jones became the first African American nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for ‘The Eyes of Love’ from the film ‘Banning’.

In 1971, Jones became the first African American to be the musical director and conductor of the Academy Awards. In 1995, he was the first African American to receive the academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

He won 28 Grammy Awards out of 80 nominations and was named one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time magazine.

James Van Der Beek, the Hollywood star, says he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

The 47-year-old, popular for his roles in the TV series ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and the film ‘Varsity Blues’, revealed his diagnosis in an interview with People magazine.

Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer is the development of cancer from the colon (large intestine) or rectum. Treatment depends on the size, location and how far the cancer has spread

Van Der Beek also expressed “optimism,” saying he is “feeling good”. The actor said he had been prioritising time with his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek, and their six children.

“I have colorectal cancer, I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” he said.

“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”

The movie star played Dawson Leery in the US teen drama series from 1998 to 2003. He is also due to appear in a US Fox special called The Real Full Monty, which is based on the 1997 British film and will see a group of male celebrities strip down to raise awareness for cancer awareness and research.

Cardi B, the US rapper, was left stalling on the podium of a pro-Harris rally after her teleprompter went bad.

The US presidential election is set to be held on November 5.

Donald Trump, the candidate of the Republican Party, is seeking re-election for a second non-consecutive term with the Ohio senator James David Vance as his running mate.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic Party nominee after President Joe Biden stepped down in August, has the Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate.

Public figures have been taking to campaign rallies to endorse their preferred candidate.

Cardi B took the stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to deliver a speech at a campaign rally for Harris on Friday.

The rapper was, however, caught off guard when her teleprompter had a technical issue, delaying her speech.

At the podium, Cardi was forced to awkwardly stall the speech with pleasantries and by firing up the cheering crowd.

“One second, guys. One second,” the rapper told the sea of heads. “Sorry guys, I’m a little nervous!”

She added: “I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life. My whole life!”

Cardi admitted she needed “patience” as she continued waiting to make her speech.

“Are we ready to change the next eight years? We are going to make sure we have Kamala Harris in office for eight years!” she said.

After her impromptu words, Cardi was handed a phone with her official speech written on it before she was able to commence.

The incident has since generated social media discourse around the authenticity of public figure endorsements.

“Cardi B‘s teleprompter wasn’t working and there was not a sentence she could get out on her own until someone gave her a phone to read off. This goes to show the nature of fake endorsements,” one user wrote.

Another argued: “If you listen to what Cardi says, it’s very obvious she’s highly intelligent. But a lot of people, to their discredit, don’t hear it because of a bias against the argot she uses. Cardi B is like a case study in how people confuse social-class codes with intelligence.”

Notable is the criticism from billionaire businessman Elon Musk who wrote: “Another puppet who can’t even talk without being fed the words. The Kamala campaign has no authenticity or true empathy.”

Cardi’s endorsement comes after Jennifer Lopez spoke at a Harris rally in Las Vegas.