amy interviewed trevor ngwane outside of mandela's former home in. to mandela walk house.fore i used to come to that many mandela would come with her. happened to the old entrance. this restaurant used to belong to winnie mandela. they once pulled it down. i think you can have a look at was note -- ok, this here. it was just a normal four-remote house. four room house. when did nelson mandela live here? >> 51, 52, 53. he was married to his previous i think this is where they had a divorce and then he mandela.e >> tell how he was captured. heree fact mandela lived is quite significant because remember, mandela is a country boy, actually. he came here to work in the mines. then he studied part-time until he got his law degree. he imbibed the township spirit. he got into politics. .e met people he joined me anc here. i think he must have joined [indiscernible] at first he was very anti- communist. here.ere organizing if there was a time when the anc split. the congress did not like the anc working together with whites . they were full of africanism. the organizing meetings he

nelson mandela. [applause] neighbors of a prisoner, april 1st, 1985, from robin island off the coast of capetown. nelson mandela wrote these words. the ideals we cherish, our fondest dreams and fervent hopes may be not realized in our lifetime, but that is besides the point. the knowledge that in your day you can your duty and live up to the expectations of is in itself a rewarding experience and magnificent achievement. i am also aware that massive efforts have been made here and abroad for my release. a realistic approach clearly shows that must be ruled out completely. a possibility that such a demand will succeed. but i am optimistic. even behind prison walls, i can see the heavy cloud and the blue sky over the horizon. .. i extend my gratitude to the millions of compatriots in every corner of the globe that have campaigned for my release. today the majority of south africans, black and white, recognize that apartheid has no future and it has to be ended by our own decisive action in order to bui

nelson mandela. prison and7 years in he was the first democratically elected president. hall at theation u.s. capitol visitors center, this is one hour and a half. [drums beating] ♪ ♪ [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, good morning and welcome to the united states capital. onrecent weeks, reports nelson mandela has refocused the world's attention on this rhubarb noble statesman and the rich expense of his life -- a remarkable statesman and the rich expense of his life. it can almost feel like we are talking about a friend. the reason why is scarcely a week or day goes by without us pointing to mandela as an example. an example of principle. of loving your neighbor. adam extended freedom. -- and of extending freedom. he has lived the closest to them. it is not a perfect picture. no one is. -- condemned to prison for life as a terrorist. he said i have time to think. i had a clear view of my past and found that my past left much to be desired. not been imprisoned, i would not have been able to achieve

minutes on mandela's birthday, to mark the 67 years mandela spent fighting politics. south african diplomats stationed in japan did just that. officials from the south african embassy in tokyo had a chance to visit this group home for the elderly who have been around for as long as nelson mandela. nine officials visited a facility for the elderly in tokyo. some of the residents are older than mandela, some are over 100. the diplomats cleaned the windows and doors. they helped prepare beds and tidied up residents' rooms. they taught the elderly japanese, some south african childrens games. >> translator: i didn't understand what they were saying, but they gave me a lot of energy. they gave me the strength to keep living. >> mandela day is about giving, it's about getting, it's about enjoying that you develop the community and you care about those who are less disadvantaged. we want it spread the spirit of working together and assisting each other. >> reporter: at 95, nelson mandela continues to make his mark on people around the globe, inspiring them to make the world

he told them to keep writing for nelson mandela. to keep doing good for the country, to honor mandela that a -- in that way. to the hospital -- schoolchildren, ordinary south africans. mostf his oldest and personal friends has just come here to wish elsa mandela well. a festive mood in general. a lot of people singing and della -- singing and dancing, singing happy birthday to nelson mandela. to tania paige now who is live for us in johannesburg. how is the day being marked where you are? it is also around the country. >> yes, absolutely. people here have been in really good moves. obviously not as noisy because people have been working very, very hard. what they are trying to do here is paint the outside of this old age home. there are 12 buildings in total, so they've got their work cut out for them. this is really part of what nelson mandela international day is about, about volunteering your time. one minute for each of the years nelson mandela spent in public service. a way to show that really anyone can make a friend in the li

, so we -- in stature, so we keep looking for another mandela. a man might that comes around not once in a generation but once in a century. we need to realize he was the next reddit -- index ordinary person, -- an extraordinary person, and there was one thing about his ability to transcend his humanity. part of it came around his temperament. , butll find other leaders finding another mandela is difficult. am honored to have the james joseph on this row graham. it is always a delight to talk andou as the world waits watches and praise. it is great to have you share your insight in these remarkable times. >> you are most welcome. >> that's it for tonight. as always, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with the gospel great. we will see you then. j >> there is a saying that dr. king had that said there is always the right time to do the right thing. i try to live my life every day by doing the right thing. we know that we are only

now back to you. >> thank you, ron allen. >>> national mandela day. back here in the states, can we celebrate with a break in this heat? >> coast to coast, you never -- i can give you 1,000 guesses of the coolest temperatures in the big city was yesterday. i mean, think south. think florida, think miami. >> no way. really? it was cooler in miami? >> 78 degrees in miami. one of those wild, wacky days. in the northern half of the country it's been hotter than the southern half during this heat wave. miami with 78. that's like the temperature l.a. was yesterday but it wasn't raining in l.a. much warmer in many other areas to the north. almost 20 degrees warmer in new york city and washington, d.c. and the temperatures just haven't cooled off. that's the difference really with the west and the east. when the west goes through a heat wave, at least at night there's not a lot of humidity in the air so temperatures drop off. but in the east it hasn't cooled off because of all the humidity in the air. here's how it looks. still very hot today. we are going to

nelson mandela. [applause] > the words of a prisoner, off the coast of cape town. nelson mandela wrote these words. , our als we cherish dreams and hopes may not be , but ed in our lifetime that is beside the point. the knowledge that in your day you did your duty and lived up to the expectations of your ellow men is in itself a rewarding experience and magnificent achievement. i am also aware the massive efforts have been made here and abroad for my release. a realistic approach clearly shows that must be ruled out completely. the possibility there is such a demand will succeed. but i am optimistic. even behind prison walls, i can see the heavy clouds and the blue sky over the horizon. but however wrong our calculations have been and whatever difficulties we must face that in my lifetime i shall step out into the sunshine, washing with firm feet because that event will be brought about by the strength of my organization and the sheer determination of our people. the words of madeva. [applause] >> ne

that's the prison where nelson mandela spent most of his 27 years behind bars. president obama spending a few moments alone in that tiny prison cell. visiting that site, the president said, humbled him. the people who faced down injustice and refused to yield. abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl, traveling with the president. >> reporter: a desolate speck of land five miles off the coast of south africa, robben island is a police with a grim, cruel history. with a former inmate as their guide, the obama family toured the old prison that confined nelson mandela and others that dared to fight against apartheid. they viewed the quarry, where the prisoners were forced to labor, endlessly breaking big stones into small ones. silently, the president stepped inside the cell, about the size of a broom closet, where mandela spent 18 years of his life. during those years, a young white guard was assigned to mandela, and the two would become unlikely friends. years later, that former guard talked to abc's david muir, remembering the time mandela's wife, win

mandela's oldest daughter and 15 other family members are asking the body of three of mandela's childreninal burial site. >> egyptian president, mohamed morsi defying calls from opponents to step down. he is not quitting. supporters are vowing not to allow protesters to remove the islamist leader. alex marquardt reporting now from cairo. >> wave after wave they came, marching straight toward the palace of president mohamed morsi. and the size of the march is absolutely staggering. it stretches back, as far as the eye can see. these are scenes reminiscent of the revolution 2 1/2 years ago. now the very same protesters are trying to spark a second revolution. >> he is not even trying. he is doing everything for his muslim brotherhood group. >> reporter: nearby the muslim brotherhood held a smaller rally. supporters arguing he hasn't had enough time to succeed. >> the supporters, they say they want to keep it peaceful, but it is clear they were ready to fight for their president. now the country is afraid it could fall into civil war. violence in the past has claimed seven victims including

has had on his life that's right apparently obama has always considered mandela a personal hero like i wanted to say about him during his most recent speech in south africa. as i may be aware of this but i actually took my first step in the political life. because of south africa. and i knew that while brave people were imprisoned just off the shores on robben island. my own government in the united states was not standing on their site. and that's why i got him home. what was known as the divestment. in the united states. it was the first time i ever attached myself to a cause you heard that right folks a young barack obama cared so much about justice in south africa that it actually drove him to get into politics we're moving tribute too bad i'm buying it see if obama's empty words actually held water he would be standing on the right side of history the side that nelson mandela has always stood on as a young south african living under full apartheid mandela became involved in and to clone a politics that worked to dismantle the oppressive system of institutionalized racism in one

nelson mandela. bless south africa and god bless america. amen. ♪ ♪ oh say can you see by the dawn's early light. ♪ ♪ what so -- proudly we hail ♪ at the twilight's last gleaming. ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight o' er the ramparts we watch ♪ ♪ so gallantly streaming ♪ ♪ and the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ gave proof through the night that the flag our blank that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ 0 say does that spar star spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ over of the land of the free ♪ ♪ ♪ and the home of the brave ♪ ♪ [applause] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [applause] we come here today to celebrate the life and legacy and the birthday of the father of a nation. the george washington of south africa, the abraham lincoln of south africa, nelson mandela. after appar tight ended congresswoman maxine waters attended the inauguration of nelson mandela as a part of the official united states delegation. she has said many times it's a day she'll never forget. a cull m nati

has had on his life that's right apparently obama has always considered mandela a personal hero like i did to say about him during his most recent speech in south africa. as i may be aware of this but i actually took my first step in the political life. because of south africa. and i knew that while brave people were imprisoned just off the shores on robben island. my own government and the united states was not standing on their side. and that's why i got involved in what was known as the divestment movement in the united states. it was the first time i ever attached myself to a cause you heard that right folks a young barack obama cared so much about justice in south africa that it actually drove him to get into politics or movie in tribute to bad i'm buying it see if obama's empty words actually hold water he would be standing on the right side of history the side that nelson mandela has always stood on as a young south african living under full apartheid mandela became involved in and to clone a politics that worked to dismantle the oppressive system of institutionalized racism i

it is also international mandela day. his daughter had good news to report. >> i would like to assure everyone gathered here today that my father is making remarkable progress, and we look forward to having him back home soon. lex that announcement was met with cheers in front of the hospital. cheers for a hero who never gave up. >> for more on nelson mandela on his 95th birthday, we are joined by a freelance writer who has been following his life from his trial which sent him to jail until now. thank you very much for joining us here in studio. what else have people been doing in south africa to celebrate mandela's birthday? >> we have heard it before, that this is international day for volunteerism and service to your community. people have just been amazing today, going into the communities, giving 60 minutes of their time for all sorts of raw jets, and it across all political parties. opposition leaders, people from other parties have been doing exactly the same, and in some ways, it shows a sort of unifying or stayed

it's nelson mandela international day. and people are been urged to mark this day with community service. reena ninan are in pretoria. >> reporter: people have come here from all over the world to pretoria hospital, where nelson mandela remains on his 95th birthday, to pay their respects to the man who helped bring down apartheid. >> thank you for all you have done. >> reporter: south africans have been asked to celebrate mandela's life by offering 67 minutes of their time, to do charity projects or community service. 67 is the number of years mandela served his country through public service, prison and politics. mandela remains in critical but stable condition. family members tell abc news, even from his hospital bed, he is galvanized by the well-wishes. ♪ >> reporter: they are impressed how he continues to remain as a man in charge of his destiny. south african president jacob zuma's office is also in touch with mandela's doctors. the family will host a lunch at the hospital today and sing "happy birthday." ♪ how old ar

two years ago mandela's grandson at the dodd is dug up in a village women nelson mandela grew up. he then have them moved to mandela's birthplace. it is believed mandela wants to be buried next to his children. a court statement filed by more than a dozen of his family members says his health is parentless and he is assisted in breathing by life support machine. this is his fourth week in the hospital and people are still leaving flowers and cards wishing him well. but the family dispute has shocked and angered a lot of people. >> it could not have come at a worse moment. even the context of the feud is very, very strange for us. it is so sad to think that bodies who had remained in the ground had to be moved without, it seems, proper authority, and now the same remains have to be brought back here to this, i think, is a tragedy for the mandela family at a time they do not need more tragedy in their life. be one thing, so that the old man should not get more worries. he should get well. thehree mandela children judge ordered exhumed and reburied are an infant girl who died in 1948

it is also international mandela day. his daughter had good news to report. >> i would like to assure everyone gathered here today that my father is making remarkable progress, and we look forward to having him back home soon. lex that announcement was met with cheers in front of the hospital. cheers for a hero who never gave up. >> for more on nelson mandela on his 95th birthday, we are joined by a freelance writer who has been following his life from his trial which sent him to jail until now. thank you very much for joining us here in studio. what else have people been doing in south africa to celebrate mandela's birthday? >> we have heard it before, that this is international day for volunteerism and service to your community. people have just been amazing today, going into the communities, giving 60 minutes of their time for all sorts of raw jets, and it across all political parties. opposition leaders, people from other parties have been doing exactly the same, and in some ways, it shows a sort of unifying or stayed

. >>> nelson mandela turned 95 years old today. it is a huge milestone for this man the world has been worrying about and wondering about and praying for. he has now been hospitalized in critical condition for just short of six weeks. and while it has looked awfully grim at times, there were celebrations today, especially when word came forth from his family that he is making, in their words, remarkable progress. we get our report tonight from nbc's ron allen in pretoria, south africa. ♪ >> reporter: today in south africa, celebration after weeks of worry. nelson mandela, his health now said to be improve willing, has reached his 95th birth day. students across the country, like these at a school mandela himself attended, began their day in song. ♪ >> we all praying for you to get better soon. >> reporter: outside the hospital, thousands of well wishers, family members gathered in his hospital room. former wife, winnie mandela. >> thank you for showing how much you love your country. >> reporter: throughout the celebrations, encour

this involved mandela's grandson, a man named mandla mandela, a man who took it upon himself to move the bodies to another village, qunu, where mandela wants to be buried. he's trying to establish a mandela tribute shrine and tourist attraction as a way of garnering money into the future. now the mandela family has gone to court and received a court order ordering that those bodies be removed from mvezo. yesterday the local sheriff's office moved in and broke in to the property and removed the bodies. the bodies are now in a morgue in a nearby town presumably ready for reidentification and ready to be reburied in qunu. the effect on the mandela situation itself is he still lies here in critical condition. the family admitted in court that he is now on life support effectively breathed for. whether the resolution of the bodies question now puts the family in a position where it will deal with how much medical care and intervention to continue to provide to a very gravely ill nelson mandela is the question. anne-marie? >> mark phillips in pretoria. thank you, mark. >>> south haven, mic

he was basically walking in the footsteps of nelson mandela, where nelson mandela spent 18 years of imprisonment. took the first lady and the daughters down to the limestone quarry where he spent many hours doing back breaking work in the hot sun during imprisonment, the president saying nelson mandela going onto become the first black president of the nation was inspiration not just for him but for millions around the world. in a big final speech on the week long journey, tried to use the mandela legacy to talk about how the u.s. wants to help bring the continent up. take a listen. >> if the dignity of the individual is upheld across africa, then i believe americans will be more free as well because i believe that none of us are fully free when others in the human family remain shackled by poverty or disease or oppression. >> now, as part of this commitment the president laid out about $7 million from the u.s. government to help vastly expand the amount of electricity going into sub saharan africa, a big idea the president hopes he can realize in the years ahead. >> and ed, i am reading the pre

mandela's grandson. >> three of nelson mandela's children were reburied here today, rock back to the cemetery where the president will one day be laid to rest. this prompted other relatives to go to court. today, the grandson had condemned his relatives for challenging his authority. , they decided to jump on the mandela wagon. >> well-wishers outside of his hospital today. the infighting has reached hereto. relatives are trying to find documents that he is in a vegetative state. that is not true. >> he has a two into his lungs so cannot speak. but, he is moving his mouth, he is trying to speak. that he wastisfied responsive to what i was saying. wasoday, nelson mandela sounding upbeat. he isetimes, uncomfortable. but, he is fine. the best gift which he has given to this nation again is the gift of unity. >> that unity may not extend to nelson mandela's relatives but there is say strong desire to focus on his achievement and on his legacy, not on the squabbles of his relatives. tonight, i'm another candlelight vigil for the man in everyone's thoughts. >> you are watching "bbc world n

has had on his life that's right apparently obama has always considered mandela a personal hero like i wanted to say about him during his most recent speech in south africa. as i may be aware of this but i actually took my first step in the political life. because of south africa. and i knew that while brave people were imprisoned just off the shores on robben island. my own government and the united states was not standing on their site. and that's why i got involved. what was known as the divestment. in the united states. it was the first time i ever attached myself to a cause you heard that right folks young barack obama cared so much about justice in south africa that it actually drove him to get into politics we're moving tribute too bad i'm buying it see if obama's empty words actually held water he would be standing on the right side of history the side that nelson mandela has always stood on as a young south african living under full apartheid mandela became involved in and to clone a politics that worked to dismantle the oppressive system of institutionalized racism in one n

mandela will be buried.eak to you right now, we're expecting that family lawyers will be meeting in a court in the eastern cape to deal with this matter. we don't know how much detail we will get of this particular case because it may be heard in chambers. but the whole country is looking at the situation, and many people quite disappointed at the behavior of some members of the mandela family at a time when not only south africans but the world is worried about his ailing health. natalie? >> but he does have a very large family and one might understand that he is just so revered that they would have trouble trying to figure out where to honor him best if and when he does pass away if he's in the hospital and doesn't get out. >> reporter: exactly. he has a very, very large family. mr. mandela has been married three times. of course his current wife, graca machel, has spent every single day of the three weeks next to mr. mandela. and of course he was married twice before, to winnie mandela and evelyn masegh.

in court earlier today, the rest of the mandela family implied that he was looking to make money from tourists. they asked for a quick decision, saying nelson mandela's held this perilous and that he is or has been on a life-support machine. the judge ruled that the body should be returned to this village where nelson mandela has always said he wants to be buried beside his children. the timing of this could hardly be more uncomfortable. the tensions within the extended mandela family have been no secret for years, but now it is all coming to the surface and the south african public can hardly bear to watch. >> that is very nice. >> it is not good for mandela? >> tonight, police say the bitterly contested remains of three mandelas have been found and removed. >> after a very busy day in egypt, let's get a quick look at other news from around the world. the 79-row king of belgium has announced he will stand down later this month in favor of his son. king albert said his agent held no longer allow him to carry out his functions as he would like to. a court in turkey has canceled the con

. >> happy birthday, tata nelson mandela.praying for you to get better soon. >> holman: across the country, people marked the occasion by volunteering 67 minutes to charitable work. that's one minute for each of the years mandela spent fighting apartheid, and then serving as the nation's first black president. the current president, jacob zuma, welcomed families into newly-built, low-income housing outside pretoria. and he spoke of the man known to all by his tribal name. >> what is being done by everybody today, is to take some time and do something for people in honor of madiba. that's why we came today to do our own here. >> holman: elsewhere, hundreds flooded into a johannesburg convention center to pack meals for the poor. >> it's important for me, because i am doing something, like for example i sleep everyday with a meal, there are people out there who don't have any meal to eat, so for me it's like wow, it's something that i do for someone who doesn't have anything. ( singing ) >> holman: and in capetown, archbishop d

mandela denies this.s says it's the rest of the family that's cashing in on the mandela brand name. so the great reconciliator who taught a whole nation not to fight, perilous now to do anything about his own warring, family. thankfully it seems unaware. >> sreenivasan: mandela has been hospitalized since early june for a recurring lung infection. those are some of the day's major stories. now, back to jeff. >> brown: we return now to syria. in an interview published today, president bashar al-assad said that only direct foreign military intervention can threaten his government. he added that he believed that would never happen. while direct intervention remains off the table for the united states, there has been a change to strengthen assad's enemies on the battlefield. margaret warner reports on those efforts and moves to back rebels in past conflicts. >> warner: three weeks ago the obama administration, in a policy shift, announced it would provide what it called "dramatically increased assistance" to

south africa, awaits news of nelson mandela.a family feud over his final resting place lays out in court. nine in the transit area of the moscow airport for edward snowden, and his options are narrowing. >> he has been lost in transit for nine days now. edward snowden is reportedly still stuck at moscow airport, unable to officially enter russia or continue his journey. in russia, he has been dubbed the invisible man, because no one has seen him. today, the 30-year-old american broke his silence. wikileaks issued a statement attributed to him, slamming america. after promising not to do so, he wrote, president obama ordered his vice president to pressure the leaders of nations from which i have requested a texan to deny my asylum requests. he had asked her russia for asylum, but is said to have committed applications to at least 14 other countries. so far, no one has agreed to take him in, and that includes venezuela. the president, in moscow today for talks with vladimir putin, has praised him, but will he take mr. snowden back

en roben de la costa de sudáfrica, dio discurso por su legado de mandela que estuvo 18 de 27 años en antes de ser el primer presidente negro de sudáfrica . >> manifestación en egipto para que el presidente deje el cargo , se reúnen en el cairo, .

mandela is nearly 95. he has inspired generations first as leader of the anti- apartheid movement and later as the first black president of south africa. deborah patta came across evidence of that inspiration back when mandela was 80. >> how are you? >> reporter: in this 1998 amateur video, former president nelson mandela visited a teenager also named nelson, who was dying of brain cancer. mandela appeared to have no fear of death as he spoke to the young man about keeping faith. >> reporter: but right now it is only modern medicine keeping mandela alive. his visit to the young patient seems to leave little doubt as to his own wishes for a peaceful farewell. >> reporter: 15-year-old nelson died less than three months later. tonight, the other nelson is critically ill and on life support in this hospital. deborah patta, cbs news, pretoria. >> glor: are higher interest rates on student loans hurting veterans? the big trees used to make baseball bats are being threatened by something very small. and hail in j

. >>> and nelson mandela turns 95. celebrations outside the hospital where mandela marks a milestone birthday. captioning funded by cbs >>> this is the "cbs morning news" for july 18th, 2013. good morning. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. well, a fast moving wildfire threatens to cause a disaster in the california desert. fire officials have told 6,000 people in 2,200 homes to get out now. they say hot and dry winds have shifted pushing the wildfire south and east of los angeles. >> reporter: the raging fire is prompting new evacuations. the blaze has already burned at least 22 square miles and destroyed several homes. officials called for the evacuation of hundreds more along with a camp serving children with cancer. >> my daughter's home burned down. it burned down flat with e'ering she had in it. residents say they feel helpless. >> this is hard because it's so big. there's not anything people can do about it. you just have to sit and look at it. >> we have active burning in the north and northeast. right

. >>> truly conflicting reports over nelson mandela's medical condition. >>> plus a major hailstorm in new mexico. police pinpoint of people in the search for madeleine mccann and a precocious pooch rescued from the engine of a car after hitching a ride. very good morning to you. i'm veronica de la cruz. nice to see you this morning. we begin with dramatic new video from a fourth of july celebration gone wrong in california. dozens injured after fireworks malfunctioned and were sent into the crowd. take a look. >> oh. oh my god. oh! >> now, at least 28 people were injured during that celebration in simi valley, california. local firefighters and park rangers set up a triage center to treat adults and children. >>> all the injuries are being described as mine for to moderate. of the 28 victims 20 were taken to a local hospital. as many as 10,000 people were attending the celebration in rancho santa susanna community park. >>> in new york spectators gathereded to watch the 37th annual fourth of july macy's fireworks spectacular. lady liberty was standing proud after months of repair. on

mandela turns 95 today.is still in the hospital suffering from a severe lung infection, but both south africa's press and nelson mandela's daughter say he is getting better. >> robin is live outside the hospital. robin, it is rather pleasant to be talking to you on a happy birthday here and people having a celebration unlike the conversations we have had over the last couple weeks. what is happening there and what is his condition like? >> reporter: absolutely. i think everybody here in south africa is focusing on the positive. you can hear the singing behind me. a lot have balloons and wear party hats. it is a festive atmosphere. even though they know nerlson mandela is critically ill, they're not just celebrating his liech but paying tribute to him and it is a happy and joyful nation and they have come together in a spirit that mandela created, this democracy. >> they don't like to talk about specifics but we spent weeks hearing reports that he was on life support. do we have any idea, a real sense of how

[applause] we said free nelson mandela. when we finally got to cape town, we went to a hotel and we got a call one night. the ministry said, you can stop raising hell. he is coming out tomorrow. [applause] so, we told all the people who were working in the hotel, and work stop. there was dancing and singing, may spread the message. the streets were full. we partied on my long when we waiting for long nelson to get out of jail. the next morning, i went over to the mayor's office where he was to be brought, and waited for him there. then finally, after all those years, of marching and singing, and even before that, i spent my whole life saying free nelson mandela, and apartheid, the door open, and this man came in looking like he looks, vibrant. not debilitated. we all worried about him. he came in, and he walked up and he hugged each one of us, and thanked us. we sat down, and we sat on the floor around him. we talked about the struggle. what had been done. finally, he just said, this is only the beginning. then he went out

the idea behind nelson mandela bay -- day. here, 67 families businesses involved, each one of is spending 67 minutes and this huge warehouse. each company will have packed 6700 food parcels. these ladies are packing one for us now. beans.t in dry there are smaller events like this one here. volunteers have been here planting a vegetable and herb garden. they are back to paint the outside of all of the buildings. for the pensioners, they will be able to instill a sense of pride and confidence in where they live. people want this idea to be extended beyond 67 minutes, beyond his birthday. they want members of the public and businesses to look for opportunities to do good in their communities every day of the year. >> the commander of syrian rebel fighters is expected to visit the united states next week. he is the head of the supreme may visitouncil washington. the opposition say they are frustrated because the u.s. congress has blocked plans to send them weapons. senior u.s. army officer says he has advised president obama for

they are encouraging him to take part in nelson mandela day. >>> the bay area also honored mandela for the grace cathedral. he brought together many people with different races and religions. we can show many the path to justice equality and freedom. >> and the healthcare reform law man insurance companies are spending and if they don't, insurance companies are required to give rebates to their customers. many will receive rebates 100 per family. >>> they will return to enter a plea on child sexual abuse charges. he cried during a hearing in a morgan hill courtroom. he is accused of hurting a 6- year-old and keeping information on his computer. he faces life in prison if convicted. >>> and there are charges of breaking into a female neighbor's home. sheriff's deputies said he was only in underwear and socks. now they are trying to avoid any conflict of interest and they will oversee the prosecution for the sonoma district attorney's office. >>> and they are forcing 6,000 people to evacuate. the fire is southwest of palm springs. it has burned nearly 20,000 acres and is started to move

doctors are disputing reports that mandela is a vegetative state.essionals. taking care of him 24 hours a day. mandela's wife adds her 94-year-old husband is some times uncomfortable seldom in pain. >> president obama and the first family head to camp david today after honoring the u.s. military at a white house fourth of july celebration. 1,200 from all branches of the service and their families were there, and the president thanked all for their service and called the u.s. the greatest nation on earth. >> what makes us great is not our size or our wealth, but our values and our ideals and the fact that we are willing to fight for them. a land of liberty and opportunity, a global defender of peace and freedom, a beacon of hope for people everywhere who cherish those ideals. >> the president reminded everyone not only is july fourth the nation's birthday it is his daughter malia's birthday. she turned 15 yesterday. my goodness. 15. wow. >> you are not kidding. >> breaking news from a fireworks display in southern california left several spectators i

mandela has been a shadow over this entire trip. the president hoped to meet with nelson mandela.en able to do that because of the grave condition. >> i want to listen to gale smith of the national security council speaking to chuck todd over the course of this trip. chuck, of course, traveling with the president. take a listen. >> we get two returns. we get american companies that are investing. but again, we get countries that once they are producing that electricity, that allows them to attract more investment, but also allows them to educate more kids, extend health services, have healthier, more productive populations, it's a win. >> and i want to talk to you -- we were talking a little while ago about the unique challenges that exists for this president. where the expectations were set so high, particularly in the african continent. as we learn he's going to be visiting tomorrow with president 43, president bush, w. bush, all of a sudden w. bush is celebrating africa for having done so much and this president has not having done enough. >> obviously president obama has stron

. >>> truly conflicting reports over nelson mandela's actual medical condition. >>> plus, a major hail storm in new mexico. >>> police pinpoint people of interest in the madeleine mccann disappearance. "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for friday, july 5th. >>> very good morning. i'm veronica de la cruz. nice to see you this morning. we begin with dramatic new video from a fourth of july celebration gone wrong in california. dozens were injured after fireworks malfunctioned and were sent into the crowd. take a look. >> oh, my god! oh! oh! >> at least 28 people were injured during that celebration in simi valley, california. local firefighters and park rangers already on scene set up a triage center to treat adults and children hit by flying debris. all the injuries are described as minor to moderate. of the 28 victims, 20 were taken to a local hospital. as many as 10,000 people were attending the celebration in rancho santa suzanna community park. >>> meanwhile, other celebrations went off safely across the country. in new york, spectators gathered fro

nelson mandela has been in the hospital behind me. mandela is still critically ill. so much so that he remains on life support. he needs help to breathe. doctors, though, denying that he's in a vegetative state. he's responding to stimuli. if somebody speaks to him, he responds and opens his eyes. a week ago, his daughter telling me he responded to touch and still squeezed hands. a lot of conflicting information on how ill he is, whether the doctors think he was so sick that the life support machines needed to be turned off a week ago. things have improved because that didn't happen. still, nelson mandela is not going to improve or recover from this bout. >> still so many people standing outside that hospital where you are tracking every development in his condition. of course, this is all happening during a family fight about burial sights, correct? >> reporter: it really hannan emotional month. as you say, the family is been fighting not just about the bones of where his descendents are buried, but where he will be buried. it's a fight that's played out in the publ