Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who was said to be in critical condition, has assured the people of his health, one of his confidants said on Thursday.

"The president wants to tell the Palestinian people and the whole world that he is okay and there is no need to worry about him," Munib al-Masri, a businessman close to Arafat, told reporters after a brief meeting with him at his West Bank headquarters.

Source: Xinhua