US Defense Secy hospitalised again, transfers duties to deputy

Washington, Feb 12 : US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalised "for "emergent bladder issue," and has transferred his duties to his deputy.

According to a statement from department of defense, Austin was rushed by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2,20 p.

m.(1920 GMT) Sunday.

Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and hospitalised, Xinhua news agency reported.

The defense secretary, 72, was under scrutiny for failing to divulge his health issue (prostrate cancer diagnosis) and hospitalisation.He had apologised fro it last week.

int/svn