Ramallah, October 28
An ailing Yasser Arafat remained in “serious” condition today at his West Bank headquarters here as Jordan and Egypt sent doctors to attend the Palestinian leader who, Israeli security officials said, would be transferred to a nearby hospital.

Israel has extended all possible assistance to aid the medical care of 75-year-old Arafat.

“We are carefully following the developments regarding Mr Yasser Arafat’s medical condition. Israel has made it clear to the Palestanians that it will do whatever necessary to assist in the medical care of Mr Arafat,” Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz’s said in a statement.

“To date, we have approved every Palestinian request regarding the medical care and we shall continue doing so in the future,” the statement said, adding humanitarian values and morality stand at the top of our concerns.

Israeli security officials also said that the Palestinian leader would be moved to a hospital.

Mr Arafat performed prayers before dawn but his condition “still remains serious,” an official at his office said.

Hundreds of well wishers thronged the battered compound of the Palestinian leader, whom they “described the symbol of their national struggle”.

Palestinian officials from all over the territories have descended on Arafat’s Muqata (headquarters) and muted talks of possible collision within the Fatah leadership could be heard around in the post-Arafat era.

Communications Minister, Azzam Ahmed, yesterday told the Al Jazeera television channel: “We are preparing ourselves for everything possible” and that all the Fatah leaders living abroad have been asked to come to Ramallah.

Mr Arafat is said to have been eating during a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and other officials when he started vomitting, local media quoted a bodyguard, who was attending them in the compound, as saying.

The Palestinian Authority Chairman was immediately taken to the clinic inside his headquarters where he is said to have collapsed and fell unconscious for about 10 minutes.

There were reports circulating that Mr Arafat had created a special committee composed of Qureia, Abbas, and Salim Zaanoun, the head of Palestinian National Council, to run the PA while he recovers. A key Arafat aide Nabil Abu Rudeneh, however, denied saying there was “nothing like that.”

Mr Arafat’s health is said to have been deteriorating for the last two weeks when he complained of chest pain.

Palestinian officials have maintained that he has flu but Israeli officials have speculated that he might have stomach cancer. Doctors who performed an endoscopy on him yesterday, however, ruled out the possibility of cancer.

Dr Ashraf Kurdi, Mr Arafat’s physician for years, summoned from Jordan by Palestinian officials at a short notice, was quoted as saying that he was given no details of the ailment.

Israel has been gearing up to “all possibilities to check a flare up following Mr Arafat’s death”, a security source said.

Meanwhile, Yasser Arafat sent a message from his bedside today to tell the world he was “okay” as teams of doctors prepared to carry out further tests. — PTI

Sydney, October 28
Vimala Raman, a 22-year-old database analyst from Sydney, has been crowned this year’s Miss India Australia.

She will represent Australia at the Miss India Worldwide pageant to be held in the USA later this year.

At the end of a glittering ceremony here on Sunday, Vimala was chosen from among 20 participants of Indian origin from across the country. Tina George, a 23-year-old social worker from Melbourne, was adjudged runner-up.

This is the second successive Miss India Australia contest.

“This event is more than a beauty pageant. It is a celebration of two diverse cultures-Indian and Australian. Fusion of which has contributed to the rise of the unique identity of modern Australia,” said Raj Suri, the national director of the pageant.

The show also had fusion performances of flamenco and kathak, Bollywood acts and hip-hop dancing. Bollywood actor Sanjay Suri, one of the judges, presented excerpts from his upcoming film “My Brother Nikhil”.

Contestants were judged in various categories. Winner Vimala Raman was also voted by website visitors as Miss India Australia Cyber Queen.

Natalia D’ Morias of Sydney was crowned Miss Beautiful Smile.

Shireen Mussa, from Sydney, walked away with the Miss Photogenic award, while Sharon Jeet Johal of Adelaide was judged Miss India Glamour Queen.

Vimala already has in her bag modelling assignments with international companies in New Zealand, Fiji and India. She is a Bharatnatyam dancer and performs regularly at the Mahabalipuram dance festival in India. — UNI

Baltimore (USA), October 28
Astronomy buffs and amateur stargazers turned out to watch a total lunar eclipse last night - the last one earth will get for nearly two-and-a-half years.

Tony and Carline Cazeau of Columbia brought their two daughters, Gabrielle (12) and Valerie (8), to the Maryland Science Centre for educational experience. “It looks like chocolate,” Valerie said.

With the earth passing directly between the sun and the moon, the only light hitting the full moon was from the home planet’s sunrises and sunsets, resulting in an orange and red hue.

Visitors at the science centre’s Crosby Ramsey Memorial Observatory peeked at the moon through its telescope.

Jim O’Leary, senior director of technology, IMAX, at the Science Centre’s Davis Planetarium, said there were usually two or three lunar eclipses a year, but there won’t be any in 2005 or 2006.

“This one is a particularly long one,” he said of the eclipse, which began about 9.15 pm and was expected to last around three hours and 20 minutes.

“It’s a spectacular show,” said Davis Sherman of Baltimore, who visited the science centre with his 15-year-old son. Outside the science centre, Baltimore Astronomical Society President Darryl Mason projected the images from a powerful telescope onto a screen for passers-by to see. — AP