A Percy hospital medical source said Wednesday there was nothing new about ailing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat whose health condition turned to worse on Tuesday, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.

The source made the remarks to MENA following rumors that the announcement of Arafat's death was imminent.

Egypt has agreed to hold Arafat's funeral in Cairo, his birthplace, in response to a Palestinian request, the leading newspaper al-Ahram reported here Wednesday.

It will facilitate the arrival of Arab leaders whose countries have no diplomatic ties with Israel to pay their last respects to Arafat who led the Palestinians' national struggle for four decades.

On Tuesday, the Fatah central committee unanimously agreed to have Arafat's funeral in Cairo.

The committee informed Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas, and Parliament Speaker Rawhi Fatouh of this decision by telephone while they were on their way back from Paris to the Palestinian territories, the paper said.