First lady cancels trip to Australia
First Lady Laura Bush has a pinched nerve and so has canceled plans to accompany the president on next month’s trip to Australia, her office announced.
President Bush is to arrive in Sydney on Sept. 4 for a state visit and talks with Australian Prime Minister John Howard before participating in the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders summit.
Howard said the president would leave the summit early to return to the U.S. for the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Laura Bush has been receiving physical therapy since injuring a nerve in her neck and shoulder area while hiking in April, and doctors have advised her not to travel overseas because long flights could aggravate her condition, her press secretary said.
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