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Wife of former Beatle dies at age 56

McCartney died on Friday in Santa Barbara, Calif., Geoff Baker said. Her husband and children were with her.

"The blessing was that the end came quickly and she didn't suffer," a statement from Paul McCartney's office said. Two days before her death, Linda and Paul went horseback riding, "which was one of her main passions," the statement said.

The couple announced in December 1995 that McCartney, a keen vegetarian who marketed her own range of meat-free dishes, was being treated for breast cancer.

Yesterday's statement said that the treatment appeared to be working well, but in March, the cancer was found to have spread to her liver.

The statement said Paul

McCartney would issue an announcement later in the week and asked that people wanting to send flowers should give a donation to charities involved in cancer research, animal welfare, "or - best of all - the tribute that Linda herself would like best: Go veggie."

One killed, 3 others wounded in dispute

The confrontation in the hills about 12 miles southeast of Hebron began when several settlers tried to force a group of Palestinians to leave a piece of land that both sides claim. The two groups quarreled and, according to Israeli army officials, one of the Palestinians grabbed a settler's gun and opened fire.

04-20-98