World leaders mourn the passing of Israel’s Peres

Many world leaders paid tribute on Wednesday to former Israeli President Shimon Peres, who died earlier in the day. US President Barack Obama said Peres was one of the "few people who we share this world with who change the course of human history". Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described Peres as "a man of peace and a man dedicated to the well-being of the Jewish people", while former British Prime Minister Tony Blair called the ex-president "a political giant". European Union Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini said in a Twitter post that she was "heartbroken". Meanwhile, the staff of Israel's Ben Gurion Airport started to prepare for the arrival of a large number of world leaders who are expected to attend the funeral on Friday. See DEBKAfile's special report on the life of the former president.