French leader Chirac released from hospital

French President Jacques Chirac has walked out of hospital after a week of treatment for a health problem that affected his vision. On Monday doctors said the 72-year-old had suffered a haematoma, or localised collection of blood, due to a break in the wall of a blood vessel. “Now I’m going to go home and start doing things again. The doctors advised me, in their words, that for a week I should be ‘sensible’,” he said. “So, I will be as sensible as possible, because I’m a disciplined person.” In theory, Chirac is due to attend a United Nations summit in New York next week. The air of secrecy surrounding his illness has drawn criticism and prompted questions over his future. He has not yet said if he will run again in the 2007 presidential election.

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