Arafat arrives at Paris hospital to test for possible leukaemia

PALESTINIAN leader Yasser Arafat, suffering from a serious illness believed to be leukaemia, was undergoing tests last night in France, ending three years of Israeli-imposed confinement at his West Bank compound.

Arafat touched down south-west of Paris on board a French defence ministry jet. He was transferred by helicopter to a nearby military hospital.

Paramedics carried Arafat, 75, into the hospital on a stretcher, his estranged wife, Suha, at his side. A small group of supporters gathered outside the Hopital d’Instruction des Armees de Percy holding bouquets of flowers and waving Palestinian flags.