World News 29-10-2004 French Doctors To Treat Arafat who: Yasser Arafat what: Flies to Paris for medical tests where: Ramallah, West Bank when: Today snippet: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat flew to Paris this morning "for tests to determine the exact cause of his illness," says The Independent, "after Israel lifted a two-year travel ban on the 75-year-old Palestinian president". A video clip of the president was issued yesterday showing him looking withered but in good spirits, dressed in a light blue tracksuit and a woolly hat instead of his trademark black and white Arab head-dress. Speculation has been growing that he may be suffering from leukaemia, a cancer of the blood, but officials would only confirm that he has a low blood platelet count and needs further tests. "Palestinian officials said he would be taken to Val-de-Grace military hospital in Paris," says the BBC. Nabil Abu Rudeinah, a senior Arafat adviser, said he was "satisfied that Israel would allow Mr Arafat to return to Ramallah when his medical condition allowed." Yesterday afternoon, Mr Arafat`s 31 year-old wife, Suha, "arrived at his Ramallah compound from Paris to be by his bedside," says The Financial Times. "It was her first visit to the Palestinian territories since the outbreak of the intifada four years ago." [... more]

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