Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets throughout the West Bank and Gaza today to celebrate a United Nations General Assembly vote which was expected to indirectly recognise a Palestinian state, by upgrading the Palestinian Authority's status from that of observer to non-member state.

The bones of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat were removed from his tomb yesterday to see whether he was poisoned.

Matthew Kalman sees investigators go to work on the tomb of Palestinian leader

The ghost of Fatah's leader lives on, much though the Israelis wish to be rid of it

The remains of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat were exhumed from his grave today so international forensic experts could search for additional clues to his death, Palestinian officials said.

The remains of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will be exhumed on Tuesday as part of a renewed investigation into his death, a Palestinian investigator said.

Our correspondent meets the legendary Uri Avnery, who roars out against Netanyahu and his government and foresees growing ethnic strife in Israel

Russian experts will join a team of Swiss and French investigators who are to exhume the remains of late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, in Ramallah later this month, the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said. He hopes, thanks to the Russian involvement, "new facts will arise or be known about the causes of death".

The widow of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been questioned by French lawyers investigating his death, it emerged yesterday.

No wonder the award of this year's Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union was greeted by sniggers. It seems silly enough to be lionising any political alliance. With the euro in meltdown, Catalonia threatening to secede from Spain, and the German Chancellor's visit to Athens greeted by angry crowds (and at least one Hitler impersonator), it starts to look like the committee in Oslo is making a joke.

Family called for investigation after traces of poison found on his clothes

Yasser Arafat's widow and daughter have formally demanded a French judicial investigation into his death after filing a complaint of "assassination" in a Paris court.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has given his permission to exhume the remains of his predecessor Yasser Arafat, a top aide said.