Hello martina, this is down here. News i live from london coming up Mikhail Gorbachev. The last leader of the soviet union has died at the age of 91. Ukraine says its destroyed key russian positions in its offensive to take back the southern hassan region. Com returns to iraqs capital after supporters of shiite leader, mac tedra sutter heat is cool for them to end their dead heat. The protests thus today it is, proc use them to water or it could be your gun. Un appeals for a 160000000. 00 to help pakistan where millions of lives have been devastated by whats described as a monsoon on steroids. Im john ashwin, sports raw found the dow gets his u. S. Hyphen Campaign Underway in the next few hours. And in the premier league, chelsea of biesen for the 2nd time this season as they lose away at southampton. Ah Mikhail Gorbachev, the former soviet president and one of the most consequential leaders of the 20th century has died at the age of 91 born into a peasant family in 1931. He rose to become the leader of what was once the Worlds Largest country and oversaw a massive program of political, economic, and social liberalization. Gorbachev presided over the end of the cold war and the lifting of europes im cotton, but failed to prevent the collapse of the soviet union. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 jonah howl has more. In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became the 1st and only soviet leader born after the bolshevik revolution. And when you need to go to but youre in produced reforms to revive a crippled economy. But within 6 years, gorbachev was out swallowed up by irreversible change that spelt the end of the soviet union itself. In 1991 hard lined communist launched a coup against gorbachev and his reforms. The capital moscow became a Battle Ground between those wanting to preserve the old ussr and those who believed in a new, independent, russia. You have any other call me if you didnt quite get us. Of course, he was very, very disappointed man, because he was an hows he not only by the russian state or soviet state, but by the russians. I mean, he used to not for a popular andrew and youll be remembered more warmly abroad. Colby, as he came to be known, one the confidence of World Leaders by confronting the soviet ways of old, in their place, came restructuring perestroika and openness. Old gloves. Most out went the International Relations of the cold war. In that came the new friendly a face of an old enemy abroad. He played a crucial role in the re unification of germany. Joining east with west as the berlin wall fell for some at home though, reform came to quickly. Gorbachev survived at least 2 assassination attempts, but continued to reject calls for a return to type controls on public order. He became secretary general at the time when the soviet economy was beginning to collapse. He realized that he had to make a very serious choice in open up to the west and win over the confidence of the west after 70 k, of very hard mutual distrust this was the task was almost insurmountable as the berlin wall fell. So the ussr itself began to crumble, economy in ruins. At the end of 1991. The soviet union was formerly voted out of existence. Many regret the loss, still, the end of empire of superpower status. And they blame gorbachev for it. He was the one who presided over the collapse of the soviet union. Hes not appreciated by his own countrymen. He is despised by many forgotten by i think a lot more today. Maury, though the young, are at least kind of and build the people because they feel that he gave them freedom. What hed given them was democracy and advance that gorbachev lived to see slipping backwards with allegedly rigged elections during Vladimir Putin leadership. Hundreds of thousands of russians joined a nationwide street protest movement, and the old soviet leader wasnt afraid to speak out. Again, he made a nice new year. You can compare this selection with those of 198919191 those 2 occasions. The voting really was fair and democratic, but every election since then has been flawed. Tens of thousands of russians across the country have demonstrated for free and Fair Elections and the process of democratization has found new strengths. These a young people, this new generation is very important to me. They have not abandoned democracy and democracy will not abandon them. Or she felt as he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. And he traveled the world as an elder statesmen and philanthropist, writing books and giving lectures goofy, and his famous crimson birthmark remained in the public eye. Less consistent is his legacy valued more by some than by others. Going to carry was moscow correspondent for the irish times from 1991 to 1996. He joined his live from dublin. Thanks very much for being with us. So on to pick up on that issue. Legacy that joe hall just mentioned. How would you describe coach or legacy . I think one of the things that the west doesnt really understand a bit. Gorbachev is that he tried desperately to keep the soviet union together. This was one of the things that the United States always wanted to do was to break up the soviet union. And it was gorbachev who strived, who became friendly with that, with the west, to seen as a reformer in the west. But he did try to keep the soviet union together and he failed or not. I think his problem was that at home he was playing for shortages, which was a result of years of mismanagement of the economy on the feeling economy. So he is, is reviled today in russia because hes associated with the the breakup of the soviet union, the end of the leading role that the, the russia had in the world. Why that was the leading republican, the soviet union. But in the west, hes remembered as the person who brought about the end of the cold war as the person who introduced sophistication to russian diplomatic relations abroad. And also as the the, the defeated person in this power struggle been himself. And Boris Yeltsin and Boris Yeltsin, of course, we remembered i for a n b in the 1st leader of independent russia. And he and yes and were mortal enemies . And at the very end of the soviet union, yes. And you humiliated gorbachev. Morris tossed about, its a criminal. And since then gorbachev has been a critic of both the nelson administration. And more recently of the prisoner penetration, he did a to his credit brings a to russia, the 1st ever democratic elections. I was there. I saw those elections were free and fair to the assembly of peoples deputies, which he, which he set up. And when he did, try to bring democracy and earn western values to russia. And his legacy will be that he did do that though he failed in his attempt. And on he mentioned that you were there at a time when you met him. What what, how did he strike you . He strikes me stuck miss very urban and private. Apparently he was quite free with his tongue when he was berating his associates, he struck me as a genuine dis one. He restart to the west and away is of no russian leader ever. And he was able, because he was so or be non sophisticated to make common cause with other western leaders in trying to make the world a better place. He formed friendships with Ronald Reagan and with george bush. And these were genuine friendships. Reagan and bush would sit down with gorbachev and talk pretty about World Affairs and about how that could make the work better. And thats his legacy. Touch briefly on what he had to say about putin. What kind of things as he been saying recently about the government in russia these days, he was very careful not to criticize, puts on the to start, he wanted to give, give him a chance. What recently he has been quite vocal and and making it clear that he does not agree with the authoritarian rick, the person who brought russian don and tell me that that, that gap between the reputation at home and the reputation abroad. And did to the fact that he then continued to be on a public stage after that, make any difference or do you think that just harden peoples views depending which kind of they were and well after he left office, he set up a book which a foundation which was designed to promote democracy on western values in russia. I would say that he it, after he left office, he became an embittered mom and very, very angry about whats happening to him about the way hed been closed from office by also on. But the fact that he failed to keep the soviet union together. Kara kerry, thank you very much indeed for joining us for you with your collections and your analysis, thinking on patterns. How can, how has a russian journalist and defense on this. He joins us live from moscow. Whats your reaction to ethical . Which um well we, i knew him very well with me and we had our own scraps. In the end we kind of had the rather good relationship. And he was, of course, part the boss. He made it through the ranks of the russian. So yet come in this part, the very top which thats a very specific person. But so he was a russian czar basically. But theres russians, ours go. He was not the worst. Sure way. Tell me mom, any worse than him. Tell me about that journey that he would have had to make to get to the top. Boat. Thats the moons there he was. The roast was person. I mean, he looked rather nice, but for you as rather rosa said, because you can go through the ranks of the very top over the is so yes, come in this party, the cup assess without being ruthless and he was rude to us. But he has some ideas. Are you try to make us the so yes, is more humane. Which was, of course, a good call. But as a result, the soviet system just simply disintegrated because it was not designed to be humane. And yeah, but yes sir, interrupted in terms of opening up to the west, what was the, why do you think that he took a union in that direction . Well, he believed that this kind, their friend, the western stance, was wrong. That superficial. He believed that the soviet people would back the communist party and just simply too much oppression was too well. That was too much oppression. It was wrong. It was not wrong because without the brush and the soviet union just this integrated, he didnt plan for that. You planned for a more humane, but soviet says, soviet union that didnt work out, but he went wrong with that. He was basically a good person and go most of those still, of course, are communist leisure and right. And former russians are and tell me off a piece guess continue was talking about the fact that at home, his reputation was not good because of the events that happened after the breakup of it. This of it union, what is, what when his legacy be now, do you think and in terms of how it is perceived within what is now russia . Well, right now, the present to russians are for the him or booth in the trying with military force to reboot the soviet union to reintegrate through forceful me, kind of on, do the gorbachev legacy break away from the west though thats not the main purpose. The main purpose in is to rebuild the, the great, the empire. Gorbachev. Whoa, he didnt like, of course there are personal animosities with the yeltsin, Boris Yeltsin personally with buddha. Why the man pulls out of his relationships were but better. But right now, theyre there right now the, the cram of this try to redo what he allowed to crumble. That means i dont think that hes right now, a very popular figure in the crime one that i believe theres going to be an official good trade. Theres going to do, he is not seen as amended me, but though, so im not very much as an asset. Can you mentioned that hes a recent person . What sort of examples do you have of that . I dont know. My wife once had that counter with him, was he just kind of, i mean he used person people. I mean, he cant be nice kind of teddy bear and become the general secretary of the communist party of the soviet union. That simply does not work. He was a party opera chicken, the ruthless one, but not as ruthless as many others. He had the ideas that shouldnt really be a kind of well tyrant. He was not a tyrant. 5000. How thank you very much indeed for your thoughts. Thank you. Thank you. Now ukraines military says it destroyed key russian positions, weapons, and warehouses. It tries to take back the occupied Southern Region of house on most of house on which borders the black sea was seized by russia. At the thought of the invasion. 6 months ago, president bery mizzi lensky says troops a pressing on with a counter offensive. Hes urged russian soldiers to flee for their lives, but moscow says its repelled attacks and inflicted heavy losses on ukrainian troops. Matter of ukraines 2nd largest city hockey says at least 5 people were killed in russian strikes earlier. Residential buildings and the kindergarten were damaged, emergency workers of warm people to stay in doors. Hockey has been heavily bombarded throughout the conflict, but you creating forces and managed to repel efforts by Russian Troops to take the city. When creating president voted malesky has held tours with members of the International AtomicEnergy Agency in keys. The Nuclear Watchdog team is on an Urgent Mission to safeguard the russian occupied parisha nuclear plant, which is europes largest atomic side ukraine and russia of accused each other a shilling around the facility, which was briefly knocked offline last week. Ukraine officials consider the dangers of radiation leak so high. Theyve begun handing out id tablets to nearby residents. The a team led by director general fire grossi hope to travel to the procedure on wednesday for a one day visit. La, it is very important for us pressing the demand for the i a and the demand supported by all World Leaders concerning immediate me translation of the plan. We asked for the removal of the Russian Military unit, and the liberation of our plan is that the upper easier nuclear plot master turned to ukrainian control the school only this way we can eliminate any risks regarding nuclear power. So in terms of both following developments from ukraines capital kings, while the 14 member delegation is already here in key, its being led by the director of the a file off the who earlier today met with president lead me to fill in the sky. Theres been lots of. 1 concerns about how theyre going to be traveling all the way to san 40 to is a long drive. Its about an 8 hour drive. And there is, theres been some accusations from the Ukrainian Government saying that shelling was ongoing around the area where the a team should be able to make it all the way to step. What do you have in that meeting with president lensky . He assured them that he was going to try to guarantee all the safety possible during that drive. He also said that he was looking forward, that to be a team would be able to convince russia to withdraw from the area to their militarize, the area in order to guarantee the safety of everyone. You know, theres been lots of concern about whats happening in that plan. The Russian Ministry of defense has been accusing Ukrainian Forces of shelling the area. Some of those shells have come very, very close to where the nuclear fuel is located and even the radioactive waste and the other side. Ukrainian government is saying that it is the russians who are doing to be attacked from the plant that was taking over by russia overall. The most important thing is to verify that level of damage that has happened to the plant to feed that the cranium technicians that are working there are doing ok that theyre not working under duress, which is what the korean government is saying. Because theyre being closely monitored by russian soldiers and also that all the faith Safety Systems are in place. Coming awful as news are from london. A ship carrying desperately needed wheat from ukraine to the drought. It horn of africa, docks, injure beauty, and is thought, well, number 2 in gulf leaves, the pga tour arrival series. Ah, iraqs Prime Minister says hell quit if the political crisis in his country continues. Mister academy addressed the nation hours after supporters of iraqs powerful she idly demo tedra sutter withdrew from baghdad heavily fortified green zone after he ordered them to end their violent protests. And these 30 people were killed and hundreds wounded after unrest spread across the country. On monday, following sanders announcement that he was quitting frontline politics said as supporters stormed the president ial palace in bagdad. And by night there were fierce battles between his fighters and shiite factions, backed by iran, or tuesday said, addressed his followers from na, jeff, giving them 60 minutes to withdraw. All risk being disavowed. Moments later, they began to leave the green zone, and the army lifted a nationwide curfew, iraqs political crisis and left the country without a new government for months. War, how go when, who know . And i warned that if they want to continue to create disputes and complications or not to listen to the source of reason that i will make a moral decision. But i am proceed to leave my post in accordance to the iraqi constitution at an appropriate time. My do people, our country iraq is bleeding and has been bleeding for a long time at such a cost. He what we normally missoula, montana, and baghdad. Castanan moment after what had looked back on the days events after 2 days of violence better that the heavily fortified green zoom is empty. Of protesters, a sharp contrast to earlier scenes. Violence broke out on monday when powerful she at least looked at us other and now was that he would quit politics a day later he apologized a cold when his supporters to stand down and go home. Uh huh. Not the emilys yet. What to her. Now im one of committees, jablonka. There were some brutal militias, but the satirist shouldnt be vulgar. I still believe them, my supporters are disciplined. Thats why if you dont withdraw from the Parliament Within 60 minutes, i am not going to be the solder is Movement Leader again, a moment. I dont even want you to stage a peac