Special report: Concern mounts over Yasser Arafat's health

    CAIRO, Nov. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Egyptian presidential spokesman Maged Abdul Fattah said Wednesday that Egypt will host a funeral service for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in case he dies.

    The spokesman said the decision was made late Tuesday after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak consulted with senior Palestinian officials and his Yemeni counterpart Ali Abdallah Saleh in telephone conversations.

    Meanwhile, Egypt's leading Al Ahram newspaper reported on Wednesday that Egypt, at the request of the Palestinian side, has agreed to host a funeral service for Arafat after news of his deathis formally announced.

    The Arabic-language daily said in a frontpage story that the Fatah central committee met late Tuesday and agreed to the proposal, which later gained approval of the Palestinian leadership. Enditem