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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, November 27, 2009

Basketball star pays for N.C. girl's funeral


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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Shaquille O'Neal

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Tommy Hilfiger

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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal paid for the funeral of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl after being moved by national news coverage of the case of Shaniya Davis, who police say was kidnapped and killed.

The Cleveland Cavaliers player was moved by the stories he saw and got in touch with the family to see what he could do to help, a spokeswoman for O'Neal said yesterday.

More than 2,000 people attended the girl's funeral Sunday.

Shaniya's body was found Nov. 16 beside a rural road. Her mother, Antoinette Davis, is charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving prostitution. Mario McNeill is charged with murder, rape and kidnapping in the case.

DESIGNER'S ESTATE GOES FOR $20 MILLION

GREENWICH, Conn. — Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger's luxury estate in Connecticut has sold for $20 million, about $8 million below its original asking price.

Sotheby's International Realty says the 20,000-square-foot Greenwich mansion is being purchased by a family who toured it in September. The estate has eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms. It also features a 2,000-bottle wine cellar, indoor basketball court, sauna, massage room with a waterfall and home theater.

Hilfiger purchased the home in 2005 for $18 million. It had been on the market since February 2008.

The mansion is on Connecticut's Gold Coast, a bastion of suburban perfection that's home to Martha Stewart.

THE WHO SET FOR SUPER BOWL HALFTIME

NEW YORK — The Who will perform at halftime of the Super Bowl this season.

The NFL announced during yesterday's game between the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys that the longtime rock band known for classic hits such as "Pinball Wizard" and "Baba O'Riley" will play Feb. 7 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami.

Driven by singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend, the band's two remaining original members, The Who gained fame in the mid-1960s and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Recent halftime acts at the Super Bowl have included Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince and The Rolling Stones.

SPANISH PRINCESS, HUSBAND TO DIVORCE

MADRID — Lawyers for the eldest child of Spain's king and queen say Princess Elena and her husband, Jaime de Marichalar, have agreed to divorce.

In a statement in newspapers yesterday, lawyers for the couple said the two had reached a mutual agreement to end their marriage but said they maintained strong ties in matters concerning their two children.

Elena married de Marichalar, a banker, in 1995. Their separation was announced in November 2007.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia have two other children, Princess Cristina and Crown Prince Felipe.