Tributes are being paid to George Alagiah, one of the BBC's longest-serving and most respected journalists, who has died aged 67
He was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in 2014, and revealed last October that it had spread further
A statement from his agent said he "died peacefully today, surrounded by his family and loved ones"
Labour leader Keir Starmer remembered Alagiah's "brilliant, fearless journalism" while ex-BBC journalist Jon Sopel said he was a "brilliant broadcaster"
Alagiah was hailed by BBC director general Tim Davie as "one of the best and bravest journalists of his generation"
The newsreader was a fixture on British TV news for more than three decades, presenting the BBC News at Six for the past 20 years - prior to which he was an award-winning foreign correspondent
There won’t be many dry eyes today in the BBC's newsrooms following the news of George Alagiah's death, says former BBC New York correspondent Nick Bryant.
Posting on Twitter, external (which has rebranded today as X), Bryant says it is "rare in our industry for someone to be so universally loved".
"What a beautiful man," he adds.
We are hearing reflections from both current and former BBC colleagues on the life and work of George Alagiah and the friendships they shared with him.
Ex-BBC News correspondent Jon Sopel is among those paying tribute, external, describing Alagiah as a "fantastic journalist and brilliant broadcaster".
Quote MessageGeorge was the most decent, principled, kindest, most honourable man I have ever worked with. What a loss.
Jon Sopel
BBC World Affairs editor John Simpson has been paying tribute to his colleague
An emotional dedication now from the BBC's World Affairs editor John Simpson, who worked closely with his "dear" friend George Alagiah as part of the BBC's World Affairs unit.
He says he is "deeply, deeply sorry" to hear the news.
"A gentler, kinder, more insightful and braver friend and colleague it would be hard to find," Simpson writes on Twitter, external.
The BBC's director general has been among the first to pay tribute to George Alagiah. He describes Alagiah as "one of the best and bravest journalists of his generation".
"Across the BBC, we are all incredibly sad to hear the news about George. We are thinking of his family at this time," Tim Davie says in a statement.
He also says Alagiah is a journalist who reported "fearlessly from across the world" - and "flawlessly" from the BBC's studios.
"He was more than just an outstanding journalist, audiences could sense his kindness, empathy and wonderful humanity," Davie adds.
Quote MessageHe was loved by all and we will miss him enormously
Tim Davie, BBC director general
Watch: Moments from George Alagiah's extraordinary career
Alagiah won awards for reports on the famine and war in Somalia in the early 1990s, and was nominated for a Bafta in 1994 for covering Saddam Hussein's genocidal campaign against the Kurds of northern Iraq.
He was also named Amnesty International's journalist of the year in 1994, for reporting on the civil war in Burundi, and was the first BBC journalist to report on the genocide in Rwanda.
Take a look back at his career in the two-minute video above.
We’ve just heard from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who tweeted , external to say he is "deeply saddened" by the news.
Starmer describes Alagiah as a “much-loved face of BBC News for decades” and says he will be remembered for “his brilliant, fearless journalism as foreign correspondent”.
He adds that “British journalism has lost a talent” and says his thoughts are with Alagiah's family and loved ones.
Jack Burgess
BBC News Live reporter
Welcome to our live coverage as tributes are paid to BBC presenter George Alagiah - who sadly died this morning aged 67, nine years after being diagnosed with cancer.
He was one of the BBC's longest-serving and most respected journalists.
BBC colleagues and journalists from across the world are marking the veteran broadcaster’s death with dedications to his life and work.
I'm here with my colleagues Emily Atkinson and Dulcie Lee in the BBC New Broadcasting House newsroom.
We'll bring you the latest as tributes pour in for George.