Nelson Mandela hospitalized with stomach ailment

South Africa's president says 93-year-old anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has been hospitalized with a stomach ailment. President Jacob Zuma issued a brief statement Saturday in which he asked that Mandela s privacy be respected. He did not say at which hospital Mandela was being treated. Mac Maharaj, Zuma s spokesman, said he could not elaborate but that he would be issuing regular updates. Mandela became South Africa s first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racist apartheid rule, and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. His public appearances have become increasingly rare, and he was hospitalized last year for a few days with an acute respiratory infection.