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.

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.

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.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon will remain sedated for at least 24 more hours, and continues to be in a stable but serious condition, the director of Hadassah Hospital said today.