Arafat's condition improving: Aide

An aide to Yasser Arafat today ruled out leukaemia as a cause for the deterioration in the Palestinian leader’s health, and said his condition was improving.

Leila Shahid, the Palestinian envoy to France, said the determination about leukaemia was based on tests carried out on Mr Arafat, and she spoke of a possible problem with his “digestive function”.