Colin Powell: Former US secretary of state dies aged 84

Tributes are being paid to former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who has died of Covid-19 complications aged 84.

The former top military officer died on Monday morning, his family said. He was fully vaccinated.

Powell became the first African-American secretary of state in 2001 under Republican President George W Bush.

He also sparked controversy for helping garner support for the Iraq War.

"We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American," the family said in a statement, thanking the staff at the Walter Reid Medical Center "for their caring treatment".

Powell had previously been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer which may have made him more susceptible to Covid symptoms, according to US media, as well as Parkinson's disease.

Sat 3:00
broken clouds
13.04
°
C
Sun
14.34
mostlycloudy
Mon
14.33
mostlycloudy
Tue
11.7
mostlycloudy
Wed
11.27
mostlycloudy
Thu
9.66
mostlycloudy