Baskadia

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the funeral of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union'

leader, the Kremlin has confirmed. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Mr Putin's work schedule would not permit him to attend the event on Saturday. He said the Russian leader had paid his respects at the Moscow hospital where Gorbachev died on Tuesday, aged 91. Gorbachev's reforms helped end the Cold War, but saw the demise of the Soviet Union, which Mr Putin has lamented.