John McCain died on Saturday, aged 81
A titan of American politics, he was killed by an aggressive brain tumour for which his family announced he had stopped treatment on Friday. He made two runs at the presidency – losing out to George Bush in 2000, before securing the Republican nomination in 2008 only to meet a mercurial Barack Obama in the campaign. McCain was a controversial figure, who provoked a wide range of reactions across the political spectrum, all of them strong. So his death was breaking national news, the sort of news they interrupt TV broadcasts for. Read more
