Comedian in stable condition

SHANGHAI: Zhao Benshan, China's best known comedian, remained in stable condition yesterday after undergoing an operation, media reports said.

He was hospitalized following a cerebral aneurysm rupture, an intracranial catastrophe associated with high morbidity and mortality, sources close to his doctors said.

The 51-year-old Zhao, who was in the city to promote his new sitcom, was rushed to a hospital in suburban Shanghai early Wednesday morning before being transferred to Huashan Hospital, showing symptoms similar to cerebral hemorrhage.