Tributes paid to journalist Christopher Hitchens

Tributes have flooded in for the British-born author, literary critic and journalist Christopher Hitchens who has died at the age of 62.
He had been suffering from oesophageal cancer.
Tony Blair described him as "a complete one-off, an amazing mixture of writer, journalist, polemicist, and unique character".
The author Salman Rushdie, a friend, paid tribute to him on Twitter after the announcement of his death.
"Goodbye, my beloved friend. A great voice falls silent. A great heart stops," he wrote.
Mr Blair, the former Labour prime minister, publicly debated religion with Hitchens in November 2010. He said Hitchens "was fearless in the pursuit of truth and any cause in which he believed.
"And there was no belief he held that he did not advocate with passion, commitment and brilliance.
"He was an extraordinary, compelling and colourful human being whom it was a privilege to know."
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who once worked as an intern for Hitchens, said: "Christopher Hitchens was everything a great essayist should be: infuriating, brilliant, highly provocative and yet intensely serious.
"He will be massively missed by everyone who values strong opinions and great writing."


original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16226580