South Africans Celebrate Nelson Mandela's Birthday; Global Events in Mandela's Honor; Life Under Apartheid; Birthday Wishes for Madiba
ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD, I'm Becky Anderson for you. The top stories this hour. News just in: the US city of Detroit has filed for bankruptcy, making it the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history. We'll, of course, bring you more information on this story as we get it. Also coming in, tech giants Google and Microsoft have both just posted quarterly earnings that badly missed expectations. Google recorded a second quarter with over $14 billion in revenue. Microsoft announced a quarterly revenue of $19.9 billion. Again, we'll keep on this story. After hours trade, of course, at this point, we'll find out what their shares are doing as we move through the hour. Western governments condemning the jailing of Alexei Navalny, one of the fiercest critics of Russian president Vladimir Putin. A Moscow court sentenced the opposition leader to five years in prison after convicting him of embezzlement. His supporters say the trial was a farce. Egypt's interim president is calling for calm and reconciliation on the even of a national holiday and Friday prayers. Supporters of the deposed president calling for mass demonstrations. Adli Mansour, the interim president, said Egypt is committed to fight to maintain security across the country. And Nelson Mandela is spending his 95th birthday in hospital in Pretoria. The former president has been hospitalized, as I'm sure you know, since June the 8th and remains in a critical but stable condition. Events have been held in South Africa and around the world to honor the ailing anti-apartheid icon. Well, for South Africans, today is particularly special, as you can imagine, honoring the man many consider to be the father of the rainbow nation. Huge crowds gathered outside the hospital where Mandela is, celebrating his live and wishing him well. Robyn Curnow is there, and she joins us now. The nation's celebrating, Robyn, and we are hearing that Mandela is doing better. Do we have any concrete details about his health at this point?</s>ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We haven't, have we, Becky? All the way through this hospitalization and the many others he's had over the past six months, not a lot of detail, particularly medical detail. The presidency coming out today saying there's been a steady improvement, one of his grandchildren telling me today he's comfortable considering the circumstances. But still, no real underlying change to the fact that he's in a critical but stable condition in this hospital behind me. And as you saw those pictures, there were lots and lots of people here today, celebrating, partying, singing, balloons. There's just a really joyful atmosphere. It's quiet now, as you can also see. Everybody seems to have gone home. And I think many people reflecting on what was a really happy, fun day. With all this bad news over the past few weeks about Mandela's health, many people got together and really enjoyed celebrating him, even the youngest of South Africans.</s>CURNOW: How old is Tata Mandela?</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: He's three!</s>CURNOW: He's three? Oh! Do you know he's 95? That's old, eh?</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Yes.</s>CURNOW: Yes. How old are you?</s>UNIDENTIFED CHILD: Ninety-five!</s>CURNOW (voice-over): These children, all of them abandoned or orphaned, might not know just how old he is, but they know Nelson Mandela deserves a party.</s>CURNOW: Many of Mandela's grandchildren came to the SOS Children's Village in Mamelodi Township to hand out gifts and food in honor of their grandfather.</s>TUKWINI MANDELA, NELSON MANDELA'S GRANDDAUGHTER: This is where our future leaders are going to come from, so we thought that we would come here as cousins and as a family to come and contribute all that we can.</s>CURNOW: All walks of life, untied in celebrating one man. In Johannesburg, they made a human chain, holding hands for the former president who held their nation together after apartheid.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: He's recovering, he's in my prayers, and he's the father of this nation, and without him, we didn't have anything.</s>CURNOW: South Africans joined President Jacob Zuma outside Mandela's hospital to wish him happy birthday and to sing the national anthem. Inside, Mandela remains in a critical but stable condition.</s>T. MANDELA: He's comfortable and he's doing well, as well as can be expected under the circumstances, but I mean, it's a huge milestone for us and the family.</s>CURNOW: A milestone for a man born in 1918 and who's still here to give hope to his people.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Mandela is here. Happy birthday to you!</s>CURNOW: As you know, just to give some sense of what a big milestone it is, just think about it. He was born at the end of the first World War. He faced a death sentence at the age of 46, was put in prison for 27 years, emerged at the age of 72, became the president at 76, got remarried for the third time at 80. And of course, in the past few years, many people just thought, well, he might not make 95, but always the fighter, always the survivor, never capitulating, Nelson Mandela is still here fighting it out. And I think South Africans very proud, very thankful that they were here to celebrate that day with him today.</s>ANDERSON: Robyn, it's just exhausting as you list those achievements and events in his life. That little kid at the beginning of your report, so sweet. And if I look as good as he does at 95 -- and I know he's only 3, but idea that he told you he was 95, I will be absolutely delighted. Super stuff, thank you. A long day for you. We appreciate it. Robyn Curnow outside the hospital there in Pretoria. Around the globe, events have been taking place in Mandela's honor. Bill Clinton and Reverend Jesse Jackson were among those present at a special meeting at the UN. The US Congress held a ceremony on Capitol Hill, and people everywhere have been dedicating 67 minutes -- now, that's a minute for every year Mandela committed to public service -- to help others and give back to the community. It's been a big day for charity around the world. Well, many of us know the story of apartheid, but I want to give you an insight into what life was like back then, how separated people were just because of the color of their skin. The South African photographer Ernest Cole made it his life mission to capture the injustice of the apartheid system. Here's a look at a recent exhibit of his work at UCLA's Fowler Museum.</s>GUNILLA KNAPE, CURATOR, UCLA FOWLER MUSEUM: The whites and the blacks were very differently treated, and it was very obvious with signs. The blacks, they could clean the stairs and the toilets, but they were not allowed to use them. But this was an area where blacks and whites had fun together. They drank together and they enjoyed themselves. Here, it -- they liked being together. So, for them, it was natural. But for the government, it was completely forbidden. So, that was the problem. Then, we had the black nannies. So, that's when people could be together, blacks and whites. And everyone had these black servants. And one thing I think Ernest is quite good at, that we can see in some of the pictures, are the gates. And looking at this small boy going with his nanny to school and realizing that a black photographer is taking his picture. When Ernest started to work at "Drum" magazine, then he had to travel, to commute every day, two and a half hours in each direction. And then he learned about how the train system worked or didn't work. The white trains were very frequent and very empty, but the black ones -- the black one was full and the trains were more than full. And the worst thing was that if they didn't catch the last train, they would be caught by the police, because they were not allowed to be in the cities. OK, so this one is one of his pictures from the forced removals, and there you can see how the bulldozers have just erased the area and the people were moved. This series is about mine labor, and the miners had about the same situation as the maids. And when they arrived to the mines, they had examinations and this one picture shows where the humiliating situation when they were really medically examined to -- they were herded around to different doctors and they were told yes or no. This is one of my favorite pictures, to see the little schoolboy being so concentrated and sweating, so for me, it's like an icon for schooling. They didn't have anything to write on, but still, eager to learn. I think it's -- important to show the new generations what has happened and to give them an understanding for their roots. And I think you can learn a lot of history in order not to repeat it.</s>ANDERSON: That really drums home how significant Nelson Mandela's vision of unity was, doesn't it? And why he is such an inspiration for people around the world. Well, here at CNN, we've been inundated with messages for Madiba.</s>CHUCK DARDEN, IREPORTER: Happy birthday, Mandela. You're my favorite fellow. Hope you get well.</s>ANDERSON: Reporters -- iReporters from every corner of the globe have been sending in photos and messages. You can, too. If you'd like to send him a birthday message or say what you would do for your 67 minutes or, indeed, what you did do today, just head to our Facebook page at facebook.com/CNNconnect. Live from London, you're watching the show here on CNN. Some may like it hot, others are hoping for a little relief from the heat. Your global weather update is just ahead. And we introduce you to one man working to give us all a brighter future.