Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev dies at age of 91

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader, has died at the age of 91, according to local reports.His death has been largely reported by Russian agencies who have cited hospital officials.Gorbachev is known for ending the Cold War without bloodshed but also for failing to prevent the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Mirror reports.

It is unclear how Gorbachev died, but in June it was reported that he was taken to the hospital suffering from a serious kidney ailment.

As the last president of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev sought arms reduction deals with the US.He forged partnerships with Western Powers to pull back the Iron Curtain that had divided Europe since the end of World War Two.He had refrained from using force when pro-democracy protests erupted across the Soviet bloc in communist Eastern Europe in 1989.Over the next two years, the 15 republics of the Soviet Union disintegrated.Gorbachev rose to become the secretary general of the Soviet Communist Party in 1985, aged 54.

He had ambitions to introduce limited political and economic freedoms.His free speech policy, known as 'glasnost', gave space for criticism of the party and the state and inspired nationalists in the Soviet republics to push for independence. Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.