Former French President Jacques Chirac dies aged 86

Former French President Jacques Chirac, who led France from 1995 to 2007, has died at the age of 86, his family and Agence France Presse news agency reported on Thursday.

Energetic, engaging and passionate for power, Chirac has been at the centre of French politics for nearly half a century and has had dealings with every world leader since Leonid Brezhnev ruled the Soviet Union.

Chirac was twice president, twice prime minister and spent 18 years as mayor of Paris.