The Times and many others report that Polish president Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria were killed in a aircraft crash this morning.
They were on board a flight which crashed at 10.56 Moscow time (0656 GMT) near Smolensk airport. Russian media is reporting that all 132 passengers were killed.
The Kaczynskis, we are told, were travelling with several senior government figures on a trip to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn forest massacre, in which thousands of Poles were executed by Soviet secret police.
It is far too early and wholly inappropriate to assess what, if any, are the political implications. Understandably, the Polish peoples are in shock. We can only convey our sympathy.
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