Sharon to have surgery

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will undergo a catheterisation procedure in the next two or three weeks to repair a small hole in his heart that apparently led to a minor stroke, his doctors said yesterday.

Dr Haim Lotem, head of cardiology at Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital, said the hole, measuring one to two millimetres, was a minor birth defect found in 15-25% of the general population.

The hole was detected during tests following Mr Sharon's stroke on December 18.