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■ Grammy-winning Bronx native Cardi B pledged Wednesday to cover the funeral costs of all 17 victims of a high-rise building fire in her home borough. The hip-hop star’s commitment includes the expenses to return some of the dead for burial in their native Gambia, and Cardi B expressed her continuing support for the families still reeling from the city’s deadliest fire in more than 30 years. “I cannot begin to imagine the pain and anguish that the families of the victims are experiencing, but I hope that not having to worry about the costs associated with burying their loved ones will help as they move forward and heal,” she said in a statement. “I send my prayers and condolences to everyone affected by this horrific tragedy.” The Jan. 9 blaze inside the 19-story Twin Parks North West started from a faulty space heater on the second floor, sending flames and thick black smoke through the building on a Sunday morning. The 29-year-old rapper behind the hits “Bodak Yellow” and “Up” stressed her borough roots in pledging her support to the victims’ families. “I’m extremely proud to be from the Bronx and I have lots of family and friends who live and work there still,” she said. “So, when I heard about the fire and all of the victims, I knew I needed to do something to help.” Mayor Eric Adams expressed his thanks and noted donations can still be made through the Bronx Fire Relief Fund, which has already generated more than $2.5 million in aid.

■ French actor Gaspard Ulliel, known for appearing in Chanel perfume ads as well as film and television roles, died Wednesday after a skiing accident in the Alps, according to his agent’s office and local authorities. He was 37. Ulliel portrayed the young Hannibal Lecter in 2007’s “Hannibal Rising” and fashion mogul Yves Saint Laurent in the 2014 bio-pic “Saint Laurent.” He is also in the forthcoming Marvel series “Moon Knight,” and was the advertising face of the Chanel men’s fragrance Bleu de Chanel. On Tuesday, Ulliel collided with another skier on a slope marked as intermediate after turning left, presumably to join his friends on an adjoining slope, Anne Gaches, the Savoie prosecutor in Albertville, said in a statement issued Wednesday. Preliminary findings from an investigation indicated that “both skiers fell to the ground after the collision,” the prosecutor said. Ulliel was “motionless and unconscious when rescuers arrived,” while the other skier was unharmed, Gaches said. Ulliel was transported by helicopter to Grenoble University Hospital, where doctors tried to revive him, she said. The actor was pronounced dead on Wednesday, shortly after 4 p.m. local time, Gaches said. The office of the actor’s agent confirmed Ulliel died on Wednesday. It provided no details.

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2022-01-20T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-20T08:00:00.0000000Z

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