World leaders concerned

FROM Japan to the Atlantic, world leaders praised and worried about Ariel Sharon yesterday - a remarkable outpouring for a man not long ago seen as a threat to the Middle East.

Even the Arab world was relatively benign toward the Israeli Prime Minister, with anxiety about the future overshadowing pockets of jubilation.

European leaders showed unusual unity in their praise, reflecting a shift in the continent’s attitude toward Mr Sharon, driven in part by its own recent experiences with Islamic terrorism.Mr Sharon gained grudging respect recently by dismantling the Jewish settlements he once championed, and by allowing a European monitoring force on the Gaza-Egypt border.