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Gorbachev currently hospitalised and "unwell", but says "Putin must be stopped".

Billy Watson of the Watson family dead at 98. This leaves his brother Garry Watson and Mildred Kornman as the last known living actors to appear in silent film era. Maybe Alma Carroll is also alive too. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/statesmanexaminer/name/william-watson-obituary?pid=201491107

And there's the first... what's the opposite of a landmine? Mario Kart speed boost? Rod Marsh was one of the greatest wicket keepers of all-time, particularly famed for his partnership with Dennis Lillee and dead otter moustache. He came to the attention of DL Cup selectors thanks to a heart attack at the end of February, with further deteriorations in his condition only becoming apparent after the deadline fell. Regardless, plenty of teams were expecting Iron Hands to be smelted - Annami most notably getting a captain pick and Banana being first to score two hits this round. DeathByArsenic 0 vs Captain Hemlock 0 BabyBlue 0 vs Predictor 0 Banana 7 vs Masterffull 0 HDS 0 vs The Old Crem 0 YorkshireBanker 0 vs An Fear Baeg 3 maryportfuncity 0 vs Famous6Eva 0 Pop_Zeus vs Perhaps 3 gcreptile 4 vs SpadeCooley 3 MariNisia 0 vs msc 3 Book 3 vs Sir Cunto 3 Grim Up North 3 vs Salmon Mousse 0 Bibliogryphon 0 vs Annami 6 CaptainChorizo 0 vs TQR 3 Sideik 3 vs alt obits guy 4 deadsox 0 vs Joey Russ 3 DevonDeathTrip 3 vs CalebH 0

https://elu24.postimees.ee/7468910/suri-endine-eesti-nsv-valitsusjuht-bruno-saul Bruno Saul, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (the last "Prime Minister" of Soviet Estonia) 1984-1988 during Karl Vaino's tenure dead at 92.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/gen-sf-rodrigues-retd-passes-away-375050 General Sunith Francis Rodrigues, Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army 1990-1993, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee 1991-1993 and Governor of Punjab 2004-2010 dead at 88. I was going to add him to the "old Indian politicos" suggestions list I posted under two weeks ago but googled him and he looked a bit too healthy. And wasn't really a political figure.

Yes. Primary school - the Blitz, Vera Lynn (it was weird to have something I was taught about IN history as a wee kid be still with us nearly 30 years later!), Jewish persecution through Judith Kerr's memoirs, the Holocaust itself - grim learning for 10 year olds. Also evacuation. I've forgotten her name, there was this old woman (she died about a decade ago, she got an obit at the time!) and she used to go round schools and talk about her experiences in WW2 - anyhow, she came to our class and all. (This was a basic working class Glasgow primary, nowt fancy - just a really good teacher we had.) Secondary school - Rise of Hitler, German inter-war politics, appeasement. It tailed off somewhat when the actual battles started. Also the Liberal reforms of 1906-1910 as my History teacher at the time was a massive Henry Campbell-Bannerman fan. A phrase never used on the internet before, possibly. Attlee's government was covered, and in Modern Studies we did the 60s, but my teacher for that was a Thatcherite so it was from a downer perspective! (We had entire lessons on Anthony Meyers attempts to take down Thatcher in 1988. Who the fuck remembers Anthony Meyer?) There was a chance to meet Donald Dewar, but he went and got ill and then died instead, which I feel was really inconsiderate of him, as his replacement was Michael fucking Martin, who was shite! This was when we weren't looking at Scottish history. Over and over again. Mary Queen of Scots was only 44 when she died, you'd think there's only so many hours you can devote to her!

All this horror caused by one vile creature. I won't call it a man.

This French Death Record seems to confirm Gorsen's death: Naissance Nom Gaussen Prénom(s) Norah Ethel Sexe Féminin Date 22/11/1931 Commune Portland (99132) Pays Royaume-Uni (GBR) Décès Date 15/04/2020 Age 88 ans Commune Mouans-Sartoux (06084) Département 06 Pays France (FRA) Acte n° 66 Source INSEE fichier 2020, ligne n°173974

Sir William Lithgow, 2nd Baronet (wiki), Scottish industrialist, dead at 87. Inherited Lithgows, the shipbuilding giant in 1952, which was founded by his grandfather. Fought the Treasury during the 60s and 70s over their shipbuilding policies. Lived in both Scotland and Western Australia in retirement. Times death notice. Copy and pasted below.

Rodney Marsh, dead.

Okay, now that we're starting to see more notable deaths, good enough for me to reopen.

Brave recovery for someone suffering from pancreatic cancer.

After zooming around the oceans east & west and back again, I resigned myself to not getting it and just entered anything to put me out of my misery.

Welsh cyclist who competed in the individual road race for GB at the 1964 Olympics, Colin Lewis, reportedly dead aged 79: He was the last Welshman to compete in the Tour De France in 1968 until Geraint Thomas turned up in 2007.

Maryan Wisniewski (mis-spelt above) reportedly dead aged 85: https://www-lequipe-fr.translate.goog/Football/Actualites/Maryan-wisniewski-demi-finaliste-de-la-coupe-du-monde-1958-avec-la-france-est-mort/1320187?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

It's hopefully a long way out but at the moment I'd predict Gooch and Lawson to be the last survivors from the 81 series.

Updated to reflect the sad news of Rod Marsh. Updated the scores of the two XIs to reflect birthdays but not the squad players.

It depends what his objectives are. Clearly he genuinely thought he was going to march into Ukraine, the South and East were going to hold parades, the North and West were going to quickly surrender when faced with the might of the Russian army and particularly once their President realised he was completely out of his depth and fled the country (to Poland or Hungary or even the USA). Instead, he's discovered that Ukraine is now cosmopolitan, democratic, has no interests in a return to being a Russian satellite state and will literally fight to the last man to prevent that happening. At that point, all bets are off the table. The reason why the areas populated by Russian speakers are suffering the heaviest shelling is mainly because of geography. Kherson and Mariupol (two places a week ago I didn't even know existed) are both on the Black Sea coast, Kherson to the North of the Crimean Peninsula, Mariupol to the east of the Donbas. Capturing Kherson is crucial to forces in Crimea having clear passage into central Ukraine. It also helps them to control access to the Dnieper river, the main waterway of Ukraine and a key supply line, which has also been used to starve annexed Crimea of fresh water (Ukraine dammed the Dnieper after the annexation in 2014, so Crimea must import water). Mariupol is now crucial as it's the only city standing between creating a land bridge from the Donbas (where the rebels are in charge) and Crimea (now annexed Russian territory). This would enable the Russian forces in the South and East to unite, and also provide Putin with one of his main aims of this invasion, which was to create a land bridge from Russia to Crimea, something I'm not sure he'd easily give up in any peace settlement. The reason Kherson and Mariupol have faced the greatest shelling is because the Russians have made swiftest gains there. They've been able to surround and bombard both cities relentlessly, whereas its taken them some time to reach Kharkiv (which is now starting to face similar shelling), Kyiv (which they're really struggling to reach) and Dnipro (which is in the centre of the country and thus the main thrust of Russian offensives haven't got there yet. As @msc says, I also think it's only going to get worse the longer Ukraine holds out. Putin cannot lose this conflict. If he does, he's finished as Russian leader. On Ukrainecast (the BBC's new podcast about the crisis) yesterday, they suggested there were only 3 possible ways this could end (short of, you know, WW3): 1. Putin wins (Ukraine agrees to demilitarise, never join NATO, become a Russian puppet like Belarus). 2. Putin is ousted (I think he followed this with "somehow" because it seems unlikely given the power he wields). 3. A deal is reached, which allows Putin to save face but gives Ukraine what they want, though what could possibly fulfil both those criteria successfully seems slim, particularly without making Putin think it might be worth trying the same tactics in Georgia and Moldova and the Baltuc States... The problem for Putin is he thinks all these former Soviet satellite states are turning their back on Russia because they are becoming part of some American Empire on Russia's doorstep. That's not the case. They aspire for democracy, freedom and to become part of the European economy. None of that is possible if they ally themselves with Russia, a kleptocracy run by a paranoid dictator where opposition is ruthlessly destroyed and freedom of the press is non-existent. He is the reason these countries want nothing to do with Russia. He is the reason they would rather die than live under his control.

19-year-old biathlete Yevgeny Malyshev https://mobile.twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498783594906587136 Volodymyr Struk Ukrainian politician https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Struk

Deleted.

If there are good guys (I'm assuming that's both genders btw) in the Commons I'm assuming most of them turn up to clean the place

So, not all bad news, then!

Rule of thumb, whenever someone with pancreatic cancer needs to "focus on healing", pick them.

Death Notice for Tony Duerr aged 84, Chairman of F Duerr And Sons Ltd, who might make your favourite jam, marmalade or peanut butter: http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/255591/duerr