al-jazeera, johannesburg. >> the funeral for the nurse after the radio hoax is under way.he hung herself after she was duped by an austrian radio ascension. she answered the phone where the dj's called. one of the most famous actors in france will be giving up his citizenship and moving to belgium. gerard depradieu is leaving. we have the story. >> he is one of france's most affable movie stars. gerard is bidding adieu his country and moving to belgium to avoid the new taxes on the rich. in a letter to the newspaper he said the loss straw was "bathetic" the french prime minister. it-- "pathetic." e says i'm leaving because talent and success must be punished. this is his new home, just over the french border. he has already met the mayor. >> i think he is being seduced by the rust side of our village, the warmth of our people. we're the belgian version of the northern france, tranquillity, a little restaurants, local shops. >> and the belgians do not pay a wealth tax. hollande is taxing the wealthy more trying to bring down a ballooning deficit. they could be paying more o

to a johannesburg hospital. r at. at.florida, they're gonna love it. shaul, your alabama hospitality is incredible. thanks, karen. love your mississippi outdoors. i vote for your florida beaches, dawn. bill, this louisiana seafood is delicious. we're having such a great year on the gulf, we've decided to put aside our rivalry. now is the perfect time to visit anyone of our states. the beaches and waters couldn't be more beautiful. take a boat ride, go fishing or just lay in the sun. we've got coastline to explore and wildlife to photograph. and there's world class dining with our world famous seafood. so for a great vacation this year, come to the gulf. its all fabulous but i give florida the edge. right after mississippi. you mean alabama. say louisiana or there's no dessert. this invitation is brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. to a johannesburg hospital. >>> well, the talk has been about the fiscal cliff, but there's something else to worry about. that's the debt ceiling. tim thigh geithner says

at his home in johannesburg.report at the top of the hour. >>> now to syria, in a city just south of aleppo, months of intense fighting has now come to a head. the rebels are using homemade rockets in their latest push to capture a key military base. it is near the aleppo damascus highway. we're seeing now more signs syrian president bashar al assad's regime is crumbling. in one of the highest level defections yet, the country's military police chief has abandoned his post to join the rebel army. this recording posted online. >> translator: i announce my defection from the regime and i'm joining the people's revolution because the syrian military has strayed from its core mission in protecting the homeland to become nothing but an armed gang that kill and destroy the cities and the villages. carrying out massacres against our innocent civilian population that came out demanding freedom and dignity. >> high level defection there. mohammed jamjoom joins me from beirut. we're hearing reports of how the rebels helped

. >>> nelson mandela has been released from a johannesburg hospital after nearly three weeks of being treated for a lung infection and surgery to remove gallstones. >>> "the new york times" reports a syrian military chief who defected to turkey yesterday was actually in charge of the returned defection. the major is one of the highest ranking military officers to abandon president bashar al assad. >>> and officials in newtown, connecticut have a message for well wishers in the wake of the school shooting that claimed 26 lives. please stop sending gifts. they say they're overwhelmed with all the stuffed animals and toys. >>> meantime, newtown officials say they have a plan for all the flowers and gifts left at roadside tributes. george coley has that story. >> reporter: if the outpouring of love and support for the residents of newtown can be measured by the growing memorials spread throughout the community then it is overflowing. john and his son aidan from pennsylvania stopped to drop off flowers on the way to visiting relatives in massachusetts. >> we wanted to pay tribute to all th

it is her way of forgetting about the sometimes dangerous streets of johannesburg. >> they get into troubles in areas like this because of the overcrowding. people get drunk and crazy. they fight. children get hit. >> she lives in an area known for violent crime. high unemployment means many young people are on the streets with nothing to do. the older boys teach the little ones, keeping them off the streets and hopefully out of danger. some need more practice. skateboarding is becoming popular. it is moving from the city to townships. they say learning to do it teaches them discipline and confidence. >> when you have challenges, you realize this was hard for me, but i was able to do it. if i can do it in skateboarding, i can do it in life. >> skateboarding is seen as a sport largely intra- by white people. -- largely enjoyed by white people. many still enjoy playing football. skateboarding is new and still expensive. it is hoped in time, more children will take up the sport. the boards are second-hand donations from people who want to promote the sport. a dream of becoming champions and mak

with three and a half million residents, it's south africa's second largest city after johannesburg.win and mervin collins run a snack bar right in the center of town. >> there's chicken or pork on offer -- but the traditional item here is a uniquely south african grilled sausage invented by the first european settlers. it's called boerewors. >> it has a distinct taste, like it's from the farm, and that's what it is -- farm sausage, boerewors, boere are farmers. the sausages consist of 30% pork, twice as much beef, and lots of fat. but the distinct taste comes from the spices used to flavor the meat and the sauces. we put 5 different spices, spices you don't normally associate with woers. like coriander, cumin, vinegar -- obviously salt and pepper -- and i forget the other two. >> the brothers were once successful entrepreneurs. but they went broke two years ago in the midst of the economic crisis. but they're not bitter. now they're grill chefs and vying with humor for every customer. most of the customers are employees from the nearby offices and shops. >> it's just a quick snack t

a spokesperson says he will receive more medical treatment at his home in johannesburg until a fully recovers. today marks the first night of quanta -- kwanazaa. celebrate african-american culture and heritage. each seven days are dedicated to a core principle. tonight centers on unity. kwanzaa culminates with a feast and gift giving. santa left something special in missouri. the newborns were wrapped in christmas stockings this year. the hospital says it creates a warm and festive environment for families at a hospital. that is really cute. sometimes to attract the ladies', a direct approach may work best. you cannot get much more blunt than 82-year-old sandy of oregon. he wants a wife and wants everyone to know it. he figures an unconventional approach may work a dent in his favor. he often forgets he is wearing the sign. >> i'd like to apply for your leftovers. of ladies? you're looking for a wide? >> oh, yes. >> the lucky lady must be older than 60, love books, and have a sense of humor he says he will bend on one roll. >> it a gorgeous 40 or 50 year- old came along and said i am

a statement said that he would receive home-based care at his residence in johannesburg. storms have battered large areas of the united states. it started on the golf coat -- gulf coast and is moving toward the northeast. it has claimed six lives and caused chaos. hundreds of flights were canceled. tens of thousands of people are without power. it has moved across texas, louisiana, and alabama and is gaining in strength. abc reports now from mobile, alabama. >> dozens of christmas tournedos terrorizing the south. eyewitnesses watching this monster. >> that is a tornado. wow/. look at that. >> first, at least 15 twisters pounding texas, touching down in louisiana, blasting through mississippi. >> we have a lot of people hurt. >> and wreaking havoc here where a funnel cloud was barreling across the city, lightning flashing inside like a giant christmas ornaments. a snowstorm all the way from california. it is triggering these explosions in the midtown area. lit only by the lights of police cruisers. thousands are without power. over a quarter of a million people are without

worshippers concerned about mandela have gathered at a johannesburg church. has been a center for anti- apartheid protests. >> there are plenty of holiday-themed events happening around the bay today. here are just a few. it's snow day in berkeley's gourmet ghetto. starting at 10 a.m. parents can take their kids to visit the snow queen and work on craft projects. that's free, at 16 - 73 shattuck avenue in berkeley. >> then at 4 p.m. festivities begin down in santa clara's great america amusement park. this weekend is chinese and hispanic cultures weekend. santa will be there, along with dancers, magicians, a laser light show and more. also in the south bay, an event for the second night of hanukkah the jewish community center of silicon valley is hosting a menorah lighting. that's at 4 p.m. at the santana row shopping center on olin avenue. the bay area's favorite way >> coming up, a great ideas of your not quite sure what to get your friends and family. >> the bay area's favorite to ring in the new year. is always with kron 4. the biggest parties and spectac

nbc is live in johannesburg. any word on the condition currently of nelson mandela?, what we've been told is that he was in the hospital for routine tests. little more detail than that. we've been told simply that these were the sort of tests that you might expect any man at his age to have and that there was no need for any real concern. but today the first concrete medical bulletin from the doctors said that he's suffering from a lung infection, a recurrence of the same infection that caused his admission to hospital around two years ago. now, recently he had been in pretty good health. he's 94 years old and incredibly frail. while he was on robin island he suffered an ill. but watching incredibly closely around the world. he's perhaps the most revered manual around the world and here in south africa where he emerged from 27 years in captivity to become the first black president, the first democratically elected president, so his condition being watched closely and a great deal of anxiety here in south africa, thomas. >> keep us posted. live for us from johannesbur

. >> i think the most tight /* exciting part was in south africa, in johannesburg.n african pumba and a black timon. so you had what would be traditionally historically two characters who would never integrate with each other part of apartheid. we actually did something politically moving, socially and politically moving and the audience felt it. it happened just by sheer casting and then the accents and all of the different -- it was very thrilling and they play with each other and many things like that where political and social things have happened in the experience of "the lion king" go ing in to a dumpb country. >> does commercial success or potential of commercial success dictate how the shoet show is put together. what goes in to the show? >> everybody who is a producer will think of the weekly running costs and the potential of how much money and the size of the theater it can make. when i kid "the lion king" i had no idea what it cost. no one talked to me about money. i found out last year how much it cost but it made upwards of $6 billion no no one complai

we resent this update from johannesburg. >> nelson mandela was admitted to the hospital, and now, it appears he will not be discharged in time for christmas. he is being treated for a lung infection in one week ago underwent a procedure to remove gall stones, but other than that, there is very little. jacob zuma has visited him several times and said that his condition had been serious but betty is responding to treatment. nonetheless, there is anxiety, because this is the longest time that nelson mandela has spent in the hospital. they have urged to keep him in thoughts and prayers. he is still seen by many as the father of the nation, and there is a huge amount of global interest in nelson mandela and concern about his health because he is still seen as a world icon. >> in macedonia, a rejection from parliament for brawling. a campaign of civil disobedience following a disagreement about the size of the budget. there were thousands of demonstrators that clashed outside of parliament in the capital. now, to a man that is seen as one of the most divisive characters in the media. many

now this reports from johannesburg. >> the news that former president nelson mandela has been discharged from hospital will be very welcome news in south africa, where he is adored by millions of people. beloved by millions more people around the world as a global icahn, the country's first black president, a man who sacrificed much in his life, spending 27 years in prison, much of it on robin island, for his part in trying to bring about an end to the apartheid government here. >> former u.s. president george h. w. bush is in hospital intensive care. the 88-year-old has a fever. his spokesman says that he is still alert and talking to his doctors but he has been battling bronchitis' more than a month. president obama has cut short his christmas holiday and is on his way back to washington for the fiscal cliff talks. without a deal, budget cuts and tax rises will automatically start on january 1. a senior congressional reporter with the american news service "politico," says while he is doubtful they will strike a deal before next year, obama and democrats have the upper hand. >> they kn

. >>> 94-year-old former south african president nelson mandela has been released from a johannesburg hospital after nearly three weeks of being treated for a lung infection and surgery to remove gall stones. >>> "the new york times" is reporting that a syrian military police chief who defected to turkey yesterday was actually in charge of preventing military defections. major general abdul aziz jasim al shalal is one of the highest ranking military officers to abandon bashar al assad. >>> in china, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. an office building tumbled into a pile of rubble this week, marking the end for the high-rises workspace for a chinese airline. it took 9,000 detonators and explosives to bring down that concrete giant. >>> officials in newtown, connecticut, have a message for well-wishers in the wake of the december school shooting that claimed 26 lives, please stop sending gifts. they say they are overwhelmed with all the stuffed animals and toys. >>> meanwhile, newtown officials say they have a plan for the flowers and gifts left at roadside tributes. nbc conne

antiapartheid leader was released wednesday night and will receive continued care at his home in johannesburg. a government spokesperson says mandela is in good spirits and improving daily. >>> turning now to business. toyota has agreed to a $1.1 billion class action settlement over complaints some of its cars accelerated without warning. owners of some 16 million toyota, lexus and scion vehicles will be eligible for payments and safety updates depending on the make and model. the recall, dating back to 2009 and 2010, tarnished toyota's safety reputation and flattened its u.s. sales, ending its 30-year streak of market share increases. the company already was fined for not warning of the issues sooner. >>> new numbers show a disappointing holiday sales season with retail growth up less than 1% from last year. nbc's john yang reports retailers across the country are hoping for a sales bounce after christmas, and they're doing pretty much anything they can to bring shoppers back into stores. >> reporter: in detroit, shoppers lined up before stores opened, ready to spend. >> i'm returning things

the 94-year-old will receive other medical care at his johannesburg home. >>> now, to the fiscal cliff. still looming large as president obama returns to the white house this morning. the president cut short his christmas vacation in hawaii to get back to washington. congress will be in session today, amidst fading hope that a deal could be reached by the new year. no agreement would mean spending cuts and historic tax hikes for virtually every american. >>> officials in newtown have a message for people who want to send gifts to the grief-stricken town. please don't. they say gifts have arrived in such numbers, they overwhelmed the small community's ability to process them. a fund established after the shooting to support newtown has grown to $3.5 million. >>> meanwhile, hundreds of schoolteachers plan to attend firearms training today in salt lake city. the 200 teachers come from districts across utah. they have volunteered for the concealed weapons training. organizers say in past years, only a few dozen teachers attended the training. they're expecting an overflow crowd because of

the 94-year-old leader is expected to recover at his home in johannesburg. >>> people in chicago willave to dig a little deeper if they want to use the city's parking meters. starting new year's day it's going to cost drivers $6.50 an hour the park at a meter. ouch, the rate change in chicago will make the city the most expensive city in the united states for metered parking. >>> they've been entertaining audiences since 1932 with their spectacular christmas shows and today, radio city music hall is celebrating its 80th anniversary. radio city music hall the the official home to the -- is the official home to the rockettes. >>> we are just days away from a brand new year and the friendship rigs getting under-- preparations getting underway right now in new york city. 288 new panels that have doves carved into them and in year's them is going to be let there be peace. >>> five days and counting. the president and congress are back in d.c. today but that doesn't mean there's any hope of avoiding the fiscal cliff. congressional officials say no negotiations have been set and without an a

mandela will now receive home- based treatment in johannesburg. what happens when kids have to face cancer when there's a shortage of drugs? and volunteers who battled fire during sandy band together for another rescue, when the "cbs evening news" conditions. h paci. i got mine in iraq, 2003. usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a high

mandela was moved to his home in johannesburg where he will continue his recovery. >>> china opened the longest high-speed rail line today. the train travels more than 1,400 miles from beijing in the north to the south of china, a trip that until now took 20 hours. the new train traveling at 186 miles per hour cuts the time to just eight hours. hundreds of the new trains will be put into service on this line alone, as china moves toward its goal of building a nationwide high-speed rail network. >>> and back in this country, a lost and found story involving a best friend. it all began christmas eve outside a grocery store here in new york where a security camera shows a man stealing a dog and then walking away. that dog's name is marlee. a woman who saw him trying to sell the dog thought something was up, so she bought marlee herself, took him to a vet and it turns out he had a microchip which was scanned. as a result, the king charles spaniel was reunited with his 7-year-old owner yesterday afternoon. perhaps the best christmas present she could have wished for. a suspect was taken into

. >> a presidential spokesman says mandela will receive more medical care at his in johannesburg homeil he finally recovers. >> the f b i and the part of homeland's security considered the occupied move and a potential terrorism threat before he began. >> the information comes from the fbi internal documents released under the freedom of information act. >> if the fbi met with new york stock exchange officials and businesses in august to about 11 to one of a planned september protest. >> the fbi released a statement says it recognizes the right of individuals and groups to engage in peaceful protest, but must also take precautions to do with any potential threat of violence. >> of santos is moved up its annual gun buyback program in the wake of its months shooting rampage in connecticut. >> people to drop off their guns exchange for gross restore gift card no questions asked. >> the mayor says the city's residents were to be protected. >> we want our legislators to do some. we feel like there's too much talking and not enough action. this is an opportunity for reply acting get rid of

he had gallstones removed this morning from a clinic in johannesburg. he's also suffering from a lung infection. meanwhile the party he once headed, the african national congress, is meeting to select a new leader, widely expected to be south africa's next president. >>> the source of the mayan calendar is enjoying a surge of tourism. worries that the world will end december 21st have drawn curious travellers to the ruins. scientists point out the mayan calendar is like any other, it keeps ongoing. >>> there are reports tonight that president obama is poised to nominate mass senator john kerry for secretary of state. some republicans in the senate have embraced kerry for a possible candidate, indicating he could be confirmed easily. the news comes following the withdrawal of susan rice. >>> meantime, current secretary of state hillary clinton is recovering from a concussion she suffered this morning. she fainted and hit her head. she's been fighting off a stomach virus and canceled an overseas trip. >>> our coverage of the school shooting continues. we

a presidential spokesman says mandela or receive more medical care at his johannesburg, until he fullyecovers. newtown connecticut officials are asking the public to stop sending gifts which the small town is struggling to manage. since the slaying of 20 students and six faculty members nearly two weeks ago the town has been the loser would guess from tens of thousands of teddy bears, barbie dolls and soccer balls to flowers, art work and school supplies. officials say they would detail the best ways to help the community after the warehouse full of items are process. >> electronic board of the nasdaq on the right and the opening bell will ring in just a few moments. we have a better than expected jobs report coming up with a drop of 10,000. fewer americans are filing for unemployment. president obama also cutting as a hawaiian vacation short and coming back to washington. the house and senate are also returning to work out a deal for the fiscal cliff. back to the bay area we are following this story in walnut creek, a person is dead after an officer involved shooting. jackie sissel is

said how long mandela will stay in this hospital, or where he'll go afterwards, either back to johannesburg or back to his homeville nlg village at kunu,s known to preferred to live. for "cbs this morning" i'm mark phillips in pretoria. >>> in this country federal agents arrested 25 people monday along the pacific coast near los angeles. they were coming ashore in a type of fishing boat often used tokers smuggle drugs. were told not to make in the war on drugs has shifted from land to blea nrats. with the coast guard to see the new front line. >> reporter: when a coast guard helicopter spotted this mexican fishing boat loaded with marijuana, the drug smugglers started tossing bales of pot into the ocean. these waters off the california coast are now one of the prime drug routes from mexico to the u.s. >> this is challenging for us, as this increase goes up, we're trying to step up our game. >> reporter: admiral carl schultz says intercepting drugs has always been part of the coast guard's mission but never this widespread or this dangerous. last week one of his guardsmen was killed when a m

we have a live report from johannesburg. >>> if you have to go out today, you can continue watching cnnrom your mo pile phone. you can also ach cnn live from your laptop. go to cnn.com/tv. [ male announc] this is bob, a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealan

robin joins us now from johannesburg. what are officials saying about why he's hospitalized?ything, joe. in fact, there's very little information except a statement coming from the presidency which really basically aimed to reassure, perhaps downplay this latest health scare involving former president nelson mandela. they use words like he's well, no cause for alarm, but this medical attention is consistent with his age. as you said, he's 94. but let's remember, nelson mandela has 24-hour medical care. he's looked after, cared for by military nurses and military doctors at his rural home in the eastern cape region of south africa. the presidency is saying he's now in hospital in pretoria, which is a good two-hour airplane flight from his home. so doctors must be sufficiently concerned about his health to allow him to make that trip. >> now, robin, you saw him last in july. what kind of shape was he in then? >> well, i have covered nelson mandela ever since he was president, and he definitely is showing his age. we know that he has become frustrated often by the loss of his me

in the streets of johannesburg, south africa, people tied together red t-shirts to try to make the world'sere it is right there, the blood red color of the ribbon meant to symbolize the human toll aids has brought upon humanity, especially, especially for people still fighting the disease on the african continent. >> my name is constance. a lot of people call mecon any. i've had two children before, and i lost all three children to hiv. >> my next guest is the ceo of red, popular worldwide campaign designed to raise awareness and money for those fighting aids. deborah dugan, great to have you with us on this saturday. the one thing that is key to connie's story, and we just heard a snippet of it there, and what has kept her alive is the availability of those drugs, which the red campaign has helped provide to people living with disease in subsaharan africa. given that aids is now treatable, does that hurt the effort to educate and warn people that it's still a threat? >> no. i think it's got to be both. it's got to be prevention and treatment. and so awareness and money to the global fund

tonight weep go to johannesburg, where despite rumors that nelson mandela is close to death, his familyat home doing well following gallstone surgery. robyn curnow spoke to mandela's granddaughter a short while ago and i asked what else she learned about nelson mandela's health. >> this is the first time we've heard from anybody close to nelson mandela since he was hospitalized in early december. there's been secrecy about his condition so no doubt many will be relieved to hear his granddaughter say he's cheerful in good spirits. sitting up, waving at the kids, smiling at the kid is, very alert. >> his granddaughter addressed the rumors nelson mandela was sent home by his doctors to die. she says this was not the case and the family and nelson mandela deserved both privacy and respect. >> thank you. >>> our fifth story "outfront" tonight. before a big fight, boxer mohammad ali used to say, we're going to get it on because we don't get along. and the same is true in political rivalries today. after a bruising election year, our station's star politicians are getting ready for new fights

meanwhile, former south african president nelson mandela underwent new medical testing in johannesburg. he was hospitalized saturday for an undisclosed ailment. mandela is 94 years old. britain will become the first country to try to map the genetic code of thousands of cancer patients. the government said today it is setting aside $160 million for the project, over three to five years. we have a report from lawrence mcginty of independent television news. >> reporter: after treatment this woman told me she's now fine. genetic tests show she has a gene called backer which means the cancer would almost certainly come back. she decided to have her ovaries and breasts removed to stop it returning. genetic testing had saved her life. the prime minister was today banging the drum for even more genetic testing that will analyze all the genes of 100,000 cancer patients like francis to build up a d.n.a. database. scientists first decoded the three billion bits of d.n.a. in the human genome 12 years ago making it possible to tailor drugs for individual patients. >> we have to say to the lady in

the 94-year-old will receive more medical care at his johannesburg home. >> many are celebrating that he's going home, but you know you can't be 100% okay and healthy if you're going to be getting home care. so you wonder if he's going to have issues down the road. >> this is an interesting case, because there's an entire nation waiting to see if he's going to be okay. at 94 years old, a lot of things can happen when you get admitted to the hospital. sometimes you're there for something simple and it just continues and continues. we're not talking about just a south african leader, this is a global icon. >> definitely for everything he's done. we'll keep you up to date on that, as well. that and george h.w. bush, because we have two developing stories on both fronts there. >>> hawaii's lieutenant governor is representing his state in the u.s. senate. he's been appointed to succeed the late senator daniel inouye. he arrives in washington, d.c. today in style. he was aboard air force one as president obama returned to the white house. what a become. he will serve in the senate until the

a presidential spokesman says mandela will receive more medical care at his johannesburg home until heecovers. >> vicki: forget online dating! a senior citizen in oregon is taking a decidedly low- tech and unconventional approach to finding a wife. ty steele has the story. of humor" >> "ask for what you want, plainly and clearly. if you don't ask you will probably never receive." >> reporter: and spelled out for all to see on a sign he wears around his neck, sandy mcculloch is asking. >> "really i think pretty much the sign says it." wanted: a wife! >> "yea, and i use the term wife because that's what most people would associate to." >> reporter: sandy says he's no stranger to the ladies. >> "i've had a wonderful life, knowing a lot of women." >> reporter: or to marriage. >> "in the first 39 years of my life, i was married three times and divorced three times." >> reporter: but at 82, sandy says he's changed. >> "if i may be so bold as to say so, i've cleaned up my act." >> reporter: and isn't looking for what his 20- year-old self would have wanted in a wife. >> "at this point i'd lov

mark phillips is in johannesburg, south africa, and joins us for an update.>> reporter: good morning, gayle. as you say, nelson mandela is now in his 12th day in hospital here. by far the longest stay of any of his recent hospitalizations. while the government statement continues to talk about him making progress, if you read it carefully it contains some cautionary notes. all of the attention is still focused on a military hospital in pretoria, the capitol, where it's thought that he is still being treated. it has been the center of media attention and also some local wildlife, a local mongoose isn't providing much detail about mr. mandela's condition either. the doctors say mandela continues to make progress but that it is consistent with his age. he is 94. and that because of that age he needs extraordinary treatment, read that as you will. there have been no preparations at his home here where it's thought that he might go once he's released. the hope is that that might be within the next several days we're told. and, of course, the last time we saw mande

mark phillips is in johannesburg, south africa.ark, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, charlie. good morning norah. i wish i could be more definite about nelson mandela's condition, but it has been shrouded in state secrecy until now and, frankly, this morning the confusion is moving almost into farce. there was a report this morning that after six days of treatment for this lung infection that the government says he has he might be ready to be sent home. the question is from where. all week we've been told that he was in a number one military hospital a military hospital in pretoria. this was confirmed by a government minister the defense minister, who claims to have visited him there. the government itself said it never confirmed he was there and now rumors have circulated that in fact he's been in another hospital, a heart hospital in pretoria all week. this morning a cavalcade of cars left the heart hospital people thinking this was the waited-for release. where did it go? it went back to the military hospital. so at this

even prince charles only a couple of days ago was johannesburging it himself.obody was taking it that seriously. the impact upon this lady was too much for her to cope. we don't know the full circumstances surrounding what actually happened to her. >> so sad to read this headline yesterday morning. this nurse, i mean you have been in the british media for some time now. to what degree do you think she felt pressure from the british press? >> i didn't think there was an awful lot of blame or pressure on this nurse whatsoever. a lot of people felt particularly she just put the call through it was a prank. nobody was thinking about that. they were thinking more about catherine daytona have an impact upon her. so in that respect i don't think anyone understood how this happened or this extreme course of action that fold and we'll have to wait until the inquest is over to find out exactly what was going on and whether there were other things going on in her life that may have had something to do with this. we still don't know. >> this isn't the first time that austr

president mandela is now at home in johannesburg so that he can be close to his doctors.nd the world in wishing the beloved leader a full recovery. that is our show forred to. thank you to our foot some jeld. i hope our foot soldiers have inspired now. now is the time. go to the mhp facebook page and give up the name of somebody in your community who's a foot soldier who we should know more about. and join us tomorrow. we're going to have a panel of comics breaking it down. the year in political absurdrit. coming up "weekends with alex witt" with t.j. holmes. meet the five-passenger ford c-max hybrid. c-max says ha. c-max says wheeee. which is what you get, don't you see? cause c-max has lots more horsepower than prius v, a hybrid that c-max also bests in mpg. say hi to the all-new 47 combined mpg c-max hybrid.

he's at home in johannesburg after more than two weeks in the hospital. the two granddaughters and she's here to tell us about it. tell us what the family members are saying about his condition now. >> i spoke to them this morning and i said to them, we heard so much over the last few weeks, let's hear from you. how is your grandfather really doing? here's what they had to say. >> he's sitting up, he was waving at the kids and smiling at the kids. he's very alert. and he's very aware what's going on. he's doing extremely well. he's doing very well. >> once in a while he needs, you know, medical care, medical attention, and, you know, we're very grateful because, you know, he is surrounded by the best medical team. he's very well taken care of and he's very comfortable and he's very happy. >> the first thing i thought, i mean, you know, good news, they're very upbeat about it. they're beautiful. >> beautiful women inside and out. and they called me because they wanted to tell the world, they're so tired of the rumors. >> social media. >> social media. ever

the 94-year-old former president is currently recovering in his home in johannesburg, but his doctorsave cautioned that he should remain close to medical facilities. >>> "wall street journal." toyota has agreed to a $1.1 billion class action settlement over complaints some of his cars accelerated without warning. owners of 16 million toyota, lexus and scion will be eligible for payments and safety updates depending on the make and model. the recall dating back to 2009 and 2010 tarnished toyota's safety reputation and flattened its u.s. sales, ending its 30-year streak of market share increases. >>> scary stuff. "the st. paul pioneer press." the syrian general responsible for military defections has himself become a defector. the chief of military police went across the border according to insurgents in syria. >> and he'll be played by peter sellers in the movie. >> the rat deserting the sinking ship. that is the rat deserting the sinking ship. >> how many -- there have been a number of defections at the top of the syrian government. >> lots to go there. >> but the guy in charge of pre