August 18th 1991: Hardliners stage coup against Gorbachev

Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev has been overthrown after a coup by Communist hardliners. Mr Gorbachev is reported to be under house arrest at his holiday home in the Crimea. News of the coup was broken in an announcement on state radio earlier on Monday. It said Mr Gorbachev was "unable to perform his presidential duty for health reasons".