ARAFAT SAID IN GRAVE CONDITION

After two weeks of denials, senior figures in the Palestinian Authority are describing Yassir Arafat’s condition as serious but stable.

However, unnamed sources in Ramallah say Arafat has lost consciousness several times, is rejecting food and is now only being fed intravenously.

Arafat’s wife Suha, who lives in Paris, is on her way to visit her husband, and many of the top Palestinians figures have convened in Ramallah, both to visit Arafat and to hold urgent consultations.

Since news of Arafat’s illness spread some 12 days ago, his spokesmen have said he has a bout of flu and gallstones. However, teams of doctors, including oncologists, have been brought in from Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia to treat Arafat.