Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said Sunday the health of President Yasser Arafat had improved since he arrived in Paris on Friday for treatment at a nearby hospital. "He (Arafat) is much better, talks better, feels better", Shaath told reporters after speaking with Arafat's aides in Paris. The National Security Council, chaired by Premier Ahmed Qureia, convened in Ramallah earlier Sunday for the first time in 37 years without Arafat. "This is to show that the president is still with us and that no one is trying to take his place". Palestinian cabinet member Salah Tamari told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. The council evaluated the security situation in the Palestinian Authority and how best to maintain law and order, officials said. Later in the afternoon, the Fatah central committee, the leading Palestinian political party, was slated to meet, also chaired by Premier Ahmed Qureia.
