Ex-Senator Jesse Helms dies at 86

Former US Republican Senator Jesse Helms - a leading conservative politician - has died aged 86, officials say. He died early on Friday, the Jesse Helms research centre said, without releasing the cause of death. Mr Helms had served five terms in the Senate representing North Carolina before stepping down in 2003. He was dubbed "Senator No" for blocking many policies he saw as contrary to his conservative view of the world. Mr Helms was chairman of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, becoming the first lawmaker to address the UN Security... [read full story]