GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip, May 01, SPA -- The Palestinian prime minister said Tuesday he is working «quietly butactively» to release kidnapped British reporter AlanJohnston, a day after a senior official said his captorshad made new demands. Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas told a newsconference that his office was working to release44-year-old British Broadcasting Corp. correspondent AlanJohnston, abducted in Gaza City on March 12. However, Haniyeh declined to confirm statements made by his deputy, Azzam al-Ahmed, on Monday that Johnston was alive and that kidnappers had made new demands to release him. Haniyeh said he did not want to air the issue in public. «We are working quietly but actively on the issue ofkidnapped journalist Alan Johnston. I have authorizedsomebody from my office to follow up this issue. He iscommunicating with several sides. I hope this will befruitful in ending this issue,» Haniyeh was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/445897