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.

Anti-Israel demonstrations erupted across the Arab world today after Israel assassinated Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of the Islamic militant group Hamas, with a missile attack outside a Gaza City mosque.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited Baghdad today and praised the work of Iraqis who are stepping forward to help keep peace in their country.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has reached out for support from the foreign ministers of four UN Security Council nations as US and British diplomats crafted a proposed new resolution on disarming Iraq.

The Arab summit has failed to reach an agreement on how to resolve the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait.