Former Indonesian leader Suharto has colon surgery
Jakarta, Indonesia – Former Indonesian dictator Suharto underwent successful colon surgery Sunday night to halt bleeding and will probably need two more weeks of care before being able to return home, his doctors said.
Asked if the surgery had been a success, the chief presidential physician, Brig. Gen. Marjo Subiandono, told The Associated Press, “God willing, it was.”
Suharto, 84, was admitted to Pertamina Hospital on Thursday evening after complaining of feeling weak. He received a series of blood transfusions to stabilize a shortage of hemoglobin, the red blood cells that carry oxygen through the bloodstream.
The decision to operate was made after a colonoscopy earlier Sunday revealed bleeding on the left side of Suharto’s colon, another physician, Dr. Joko Raharjo, told reporters. The surgery was done as soon as possible to stop the bleeding “despite the risks due to his age, several illnesses, several strokes and damage to the heart, lungs and kidneys,” Raharjo said before the operation.
Afterward, he said four doctors removed a 25-inch section of Suharto’s intestine during four hours of surgery.
NEW ORLEANS
Fats Domino cancels Jazz Fest performance
Fats Domino, the headliner for Jazz Fest’s final day, canceled his performance hours before he was to take the stage Sunday.
“He wasn’t feeling well, so we took him to the doctor. He’s OK, but he doesn’t feel up to performing,” friend Haydee Ellis said.
Domino, 78, lost his home, his pianos, his gold and platinum records, and much of the city he loves to Hurricane Katrina.
His scheduled performance at the 37th annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was to be his first since he was rescued by boat from his flooded home in the Ninth Ward after Katrina struck Aug. 29.
WASHINGTON
Bush says best time came while fishing
President Bush says his best moment as president was “when I caught a 7 1/2-pound largemouth bass on my lake.”
During his more than five years in office, Bush has traveled the world’s most impressive cities, met with world leaders and entertained celebrities.
But when the German newspaper Bild asked him to name his best and worst moments as president, Bush gave an offbeat answer about the best moment, while giving a more predictable response about his worst.
“The most awful moment was September the 11th, 2001,” Bush said, adding that it took time to understand the depth of the terrorist attacks on the U.S.
MEXICO CITY
Blockade protests alleged cop brutality
More than 100 people blockaded a highway near the Mexican capital Sunday to protest alleged police brutality during a riot in which a 14-year-old was killed.
The protesters, who were mostly peasant farmers, also demanded the release of 140 people who had been arrested during and after the riot Wednesday in San Salvador Atenco, 15 miles northeast of Mexico City.
The clashes erupted Wednesday after several Atenco residents were arrested for selling flowers without permits.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico
Fiscal crisis may lead to credit-rating drop
Puerto Rico faced a possible downgrade of its credit rating as political leaders remained deadlocked Sunday over how to resolve the island’s fiscal crisis seven days into a partial government shutdown.
Alfredo Salazar of the U.S. Caribbean territory’s Government Development Bank was expected to fly to New York to meet with analysts at Moody’s Investors Service, who will begin to evaluate Puerto Rico’s credit rating today.
