Gorbachev died age 91 on Tuesday following a long illness, according to Russian state news agencies. He was the final leader of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until its collapse in 1991.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences and sent a message to Gorbachev's family and friends on Wednesday.

In an official letter published on the Kremlin's website, Putin expressed his "deepest condolences" to Gorbachev's relatives and friends, saying the former Soviet leader "had a huge impact on the course of world history."

Mr Gorbachev took power in 1985 and introduced reforms, as well as opening up the Soviet Union to the world.

But he was unable to prevent the slow collapse of the union, and many Russians blamed him for the years of turmoil that ensued.

Outside Russia, he was widely respected, with the UN chief saying he had "changed the course of history".

In recent years, his health had been in decline and he had been in and out of hospital. In June, international media reported that he had been admitted after suffering from a kidney ailment, though his cause of death has not been announced.

He will be buried in Moscow's Novodevichy cemetery, the resting place of many prominent Russians. It is not clear whether he will receive a state funeral.

President Vladimir Putin sent his "deepest condolences", describing how Mr. Gorbachev had had "a huge impact in the course of history".

"He deeply understood that reforms were necessary, he strove to offer his own solutions to urgent problems," the Russian leader said.

The two men had a strained relationship - their last meeting reportedly in 2006.

Most recently, Mr Gorbachev was said to have been unhappy with Mr Putin's decision to invade Ukraine, even though he had supported the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Death of Singer Olivia Newton Jones at 73 years Cancer Causes

 

After her first bout with breast cancer more than a quarter century ago, Newton-John used her celebrity status to help increase awareness of the disease that affects more than 2 million women worldwide. Her efforts— including a charity walk on the Great Wall of China— raised millions of dollars for a cancer research center that bears her name.

Newton-John, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in 1992, died Monday in California. The cause of death is not immediately known She was 73 and is survived by her husband, John Easterling, and her daughter Chloe Lattanzi.

من هي أوليفيا نيوتن جون؟

وُلدت المغنية وكاتبة الأغاني والممثلة والناشطة أوليفيا نيوتن جون عام 1948 في كامبريدج بإنجلترا، وهي حفيدة الفيزيائي الحائز على جائزة نوبل ماكس بورن. وفقًا لشبكة abcnews.

وعندما كانت في الخامسة من عمرها، انتقلت عائلتها إلى ملبورن في أستراليا، وفي سن المراهقة فازت بمسابقة المواهب في البرنامج التلفزيوني “Sing, Sing, Sing”.

Vin Scully Death legendary Dodgers broadcaster at ageof 94

 

Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully died at the age of 94 on Tuesday night.

Scully's voice was synonymous with Los Angeles Dodgers baseball. He called Dodgers games for 67 years, dating all the way back to the franchise's days in Brooklyn. His final call came on Oct. 2, 2016, at the San Francisco Giants' Oracle Park.

Vincent Edward Scully is a retired American sportscaster. He is best known for his 67 seasons calling games for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, beginning in 1950 and ending in 2016. Wikipedia

• Born: November 29, 1927, The Bronx, New York, United States
• Died: August 2, 2022
• Net worth: $25 million (celebritynetworth.com)
• Height: 5'10" (1.78m)
• Spouse: Sandra Jean Hunt (m 1973 - 2022), Joan Crawford (m 1958 - 1972)
• Education: Fordham University

, had undergone an angioplasty -- a procedure for heart problems -- in recent years.