ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma for three months, will be declared permanently incapacitated tomorrow, a decision that will signal the official end of his premiership.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma for three months, will be declared permanently incapacitated on Tuesday, a decision that will signal the official end of his reign, the Justice Ministry said today.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon underwent a successful operation yesterday to reattach a piece of his skull, a day after the procedure was delayed because of a respiratory infection, hospital officials said.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today underwent surgery to reattach a piece of his skull, a day after the procedure was delayed because of a respiratory infection, hospital officials said.

An operation Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon was to undergo today has been delayed due to an infection in his respiratory tract, the Jerusalem hospital said.

Ariel Sharon could still regain consciousness, even though he has been comatose since suffering a massive stroke on January 4, the director of the Jerusalem hospital treating the Israeli prime minister said today.

Experts on rehabilitation care discussed the case of comatose Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with doctors at the hospital where he is being treated, the hospital said in a statement today.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon was critically ill in hospital today after emergency stomach surgery.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon underwent emergency surgery today, his seventh operation in five weeks, after an abdominal scan disclosed severe damage to his digestive tract.

Ariel Sharon’s doctors held talks with two specialists from a long-term care facility today, a hospital spokeswoman said, but there was no word on whether he would be moved in the near future.

A CT scan of Ariel Sharon’s brain today showed no change from a similar scan a week ago, according to an announcement from Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, where he is being treated.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon remained in a critical but stable condition today, more than two weeks after he suffered a massive stroke, said Hadassah Hospital spokesman Ron Krumer in Jerusalem.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon had surgery overnight to replace his breathing tube, the hospital where he is being treated said in a statement this morning.

Israel Radio today quoted Hadassah Hospital officials as saying there had been no change in prime minister Ariel Sharon’s condition overnight.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon opened his eyes twice yesterday after family members played a tape of his grandson’s voice, aides said, raising hopes the 77-year-old stroke victim may be emerging from a coma.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today briefly opened his eyes in response to a recording of his grandson’s voice, family members told doctors, though hospital officials warned there were no signs that the comatose Israeli leader was any closer to regaining consciousness.

Attorney General Meni Mazuz is expected to notify Ehud Olmert today that he will continue to serve as acting prime minister through Israel’s elections, the Justice Ministry said, as Israeli leader Ariel Sharon remained in a coma.

A test has shown activity in both lobes of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s brain, but he remains comatose and in critical but stable condition, Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem said today.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was reported to be in a “very worrying” condition as he spent his ninth day in a medically induced coma since suffering a massive brain haemorrhage.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon remained comatose and in a critical condition today, nine days after his massive stroke.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon remained comatose and in a critical condition today, nine days after his stroke.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s doctors came under criticism today for failing to divulge a brain disease discovered after an initial, mild stroke suffered by the prime minister and for prescribing drugs that may have been inappropriate for a patient suffering from it, possibly causing his second, massive stroke.

Israel returned to politics today while Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was improving, but still comatose in a hospital a week after a massive stroke.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s doctors today hoped to remove the prime minister from all remaining sedatives after he moved his left hand for the first time, but hospital officials cautioned against being overly optimistic about his chances for recovery from a massive stroke.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s condition showed “improvement” today and he moved his left hand, doctors said, adding that there was no immediate threat to his life.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who suffered a massive stroke last week, has shown movement on his left side, Israeli media reported today.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s medical team pushed forward with efforts to bring him out of an induced coma today, a day after reporting slight progress in the Israeli leader’s recovery from a debilitating stroke.

Doctors are continuing to reduce Ariel Sharon’s anaesthetics today, a day after Israel’s prime minister took a small step towards recovery from a massive stroke.

PRIME Minister Ariel Sharon resumed breathing on his own yesterday and moved his right hand and leg in response to stimulation as doctors started weaning him off the sedatives keeping him in a coma.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon moved his right hand and right leg slightly after doctors stimulated him with pain, “a very important” sign about his recovery from a major stroke, doctors said today.

The hospital caring for Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon said early today that there was no change in his condition overnight, and doctors planned to bring him out of a medically induced coma.

A SCAN of Ariel Sharon's brain showed improvement yesterday, and doctors will start bringing the Israeli prime minister out of his medically induced coma today, a hospital official said.

Doctors will start bringing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon out of his medically induced coma tomorrow – provided there are no changes in his condition, hospital officials said today.

Doctors are to decide today when to begin bringing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon out of a medically-induced coma more than three days after he suffered a massive stroke – a key to assessing how much brain damage he has suffered.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon underwent an additional brain scan today as doctors prepared to assess how much damage the Israeli leader has suffered from his severe stroke.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s chief surgeon said last night that it was too early to assess the extent of brain damage the prime minister may have suffered after a massive stroke and two separate operations.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s surgery to drain blood from his brain and relieve intracranial pressure ended after more than four hours, Hadassah Hospital spokeswoman Yael Bossem-Levy said.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon underwent emergency surgery today after a brain scan revealed a rise in intracranial pressure and some bleeding in his brain.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon remained in a stable condition and his cranial pressure was steady, meaning there is no need to drain fluid from his brain, his doctors said today.

ARIEL SHARON could be sedated for up to 72 hours following emergency surgery for a massive stroke, hospital officials said yesterday.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s massive stroke makes it unlikely that he will return to power.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s massive stroke makes it unlikely that he will return to power.

THE future of the Middle East hung in the balance last night as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fought for life after emergency brain surgery for his massive stroke.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could be sedated for up to 72 hours following emergency surgery for a massive stroke, hospital officials said today.