Newsman Tim Russert Dead

Revered U.S. news anchor and political pundit TIM RUSSERT has collapsed and died at his office in Washington, D.C.

The longtime Meet The Press host had just returned from a family vacation in Italy. Friend and colleague Tom Brokaw called Russert, 58, "one of the premiere political analysts and journalists of his time.... He'll be missed as he was loved, greatly."

As well as becoming a beloved face on U.S. political news and opinion shows, Russert, who began his career as an attorney, was also a bestselling author - his books Big Russ + Me and The Wisdom of Our Fathers both topped the New York Times book list.

Russert, the senior vice president of NBC News in America, also mediated the recent TV political debates between presidential wannabes Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

He died of a heart attack.