Argentina's President Suffers Haematoma on Her Brain

Told to take a month off

Argentina's president, Cristina Fernandez, has been told by doctors to take a month off because of a subdural haematoma on her brain, her spokesman said on Saturday, forcing her to abandon campaigning for congressional elections this month.

Fernandez, 60, was admitted on Saturday to a Buenos Aires hospital. The president suffered trauma to the brain in August, her spokesman, Alfredo Scoccimarro, said. He did not elaborate.

Vice-president Amado Boudou cut short a journey to France to return to Argentina and take over the president's duties.

Fernandez is in an electoral campaign for elections at the end of October that will determine control of Congress.