Yasser Arafat

The Palestinian leader appears to be improving as doctors await the results of medical tests.

The Palestinian leader is being treated for the flu as doctors at the blood specialist facility try to determine the underlying disease.

The Palestinian leader’s trip to receive medical care may signal the end of his hold on power. His condition is stable, but he remains weak.

Emergency committee will handle day-to-day affairs if he is unable. Israelis as well as Palestinians fear chaos if a power vacuum results.

JERUSALEM -- Whenever someone close to Yasser Arafat has dared to try to persuade him to do something he didn’t want to do, the famously temperamental Palestinian leader has had a favorite reply.

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Mohammed Daoud was red-eyed Thursday after spending a sleepless night following television news about the latest health problems afflicting Yasser Arafat, president of the Palestinian Authority.