Palestinian president leaves hospital after 'routine checkup'

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas was discharged from hospital in the Israel-occupied West Bank today after a brief "routine checkup", the official Wafa news agency reported.

The 82-year-old president "was admitted to hospital in Ramallah for a routine checkup to last only a few hours", his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said in a statement.

Wafa later reported: "The president left the Istishari hospital in Ramallah after routine health tests." A doctor at the hospital told Palestine TV all test results were "reassuring".

"The president is in very good health," Yasser Abu Safiya said.

Abbas was hospitalised in October last year for a heart test and later discharged, with his health reported to be normal.

There has been no Palestinian presidential election since 2005, and Abbas has remained in office despite the expiry of his term.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)