Silvio Berlusconi, former Italian prime minister, has died at the age of 86

Rome — Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, one of the country's most charismatic and controversial contemporary leaders, has died at the age of 86, his lawyer confirmed to CBS News. The Reuters news agency, citing unnamed sources, said Berlusconi, having long suffered with leukaemia, had recently caught a lung infection.

The country's defense chief Guido Crosseto lauded Berlusconi in a tweet, saying his death had left "a huge void because he was great. An era is over, an era is closing."

Berlusconi had been in and out of hospitals in recent years, including in April when he was admitted and treated for heart problems in April.