Silvio Berlusconi, former Italian PM, dies at 86

Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian PM who bounced back from sex scandals and corruption allegations, has died aged 86.

He died at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan, according to Italian media.

In April, Berlusconi was treated for a lung infection linked to a previously undisclosed case of chronic leukaemia.

A flamboyant billionaire media tycoon, Berlusconi first came to office in 1994 and led four governments until 2011.

He led the centre-right Forza Italia party which went into coalition under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after elections in September, when he was elected to Italy’s upper house, the Senate.

Reacting to the news, Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Berlusconi’s death left a “huge void”.

“An era is over… Farewell Silvio,” Mr Crosetto wrote in a tweet, adding that he “loved” Berlusconi “very much”