Yasser Arafat, who triumphantly forced his people’s plight into the world spotlight but failed to achieve his lifelong quest for Palestinian statehood, died today, aged 75, Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat confirmed.

World leaders expressed horror at the bloody climax of Russia’s hostage crisis today, saying the barbaric attack on school children showed terrorists have sunk to new lows.

The United States has revised a draft UN resolution on Sudan, as supporters in the Security Council pressed for a vote this week despite concerns over the inclusion of the threat of sanctions.