Nelson Mandela dead

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Hometown Lays Mandela to Rest

South African icon buried in Qunu amid fanfare, tears

(Newser) - South Africa has laid Nelson Mandela to rest in the gentle hills where he began his "long walk to freedom," burying the anti-apartheid icon in his hometown of Qunu as military jets and helicopters flew overhead in tribute. Some 4,500 people, including many foreign dignitaries, attended a...

Mandela's Body Lies in State
 Mandela's Body Lies in State 

Mandela's Body Lies in State

Thousands pay their respects in Pretoria

(Newser) - Thousands of visitors—ordinary people, dignitaries, and a few celebrities—are thronging the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where Nelson Mandela was sworn in as president of South Africa and where his body is lying in state today. His casket was greeted by a military honor guard upon its arrival, and...

Obama: Mandela 'Makes Me Want to Be a Better Man'

Bushes join Obamas on flight to memorial service

(Newser) - President Obama offered a stirring eulogy to his personal hero Nelson Mandela in South Africa today, calling him "a giant of history." Some highlights of the speech (the full text of which is here ):
  • Obama said it was tempting to imagine Mandela as a perfect icon. "
...

Leaders, Crowds Mass for Mandela Farewell

More than 90 heads of government at Soweto ceremony

(Newser) - The weather is wet but spirits are high as tens of thousands of South Africans and dozens of world leaders gather in a Soweto stadium to celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela, the BBC reports. President Obama—who flew in with George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton —is just...

Maya Angelou: 'Blood Running in Streets' if No Mandela

Hails 'gentle giant' as tributes continue for Madiba

(Newser) - Maya Angelou led the latest round of tributes to Nelson Mandela today, telling CBS that "had there been no Mandela, we would see the blood running in the streets" after apartheid fell. The author and poet met the iconic anti-apartheid icon in the 1960s through her former husband, a...

In Day of Prayer, S. Africa Holds Close Mandela Legacy

Madiba celebrated in church services, vigils

(Newser) - South Africa is continuing to celebrate the legacy of Nelson Mandela with a day of prayer today, with church services and vigils dotting the country ahead of next Sunday's official state funeral for the anti-apartheid icon. "We never cry when somebody dies," says one Soweto mourner who...

Mandela Family Issues First Statement

'We've lost a son of the soil'

(Newser) - Nelson Mandela's family has issued its first statement since the former president's passing, the AP reports via Politico . "The pillar of the royal Mandela family is no more with us physically, but his spirit is still with us," a family spokesman read to reporters. "We...

Santorum: Mandela Fought Injustice ... Like ObamaCare

Comment came within seconds of Bill O'Reilly calling Mandela a 'communist'

(Newser) - Bill O'Reilly and Rick Santorum each managed to produce grist for the outrage mill in the space of less than two minutes last night, while discussing the recently departed Nelson Mandela. First O'Reilly described Mandela thusly: "He was a communist, this man. He was a communist, all...

'Mythic' Mandela Dominates Front Pages

Papers around the world pay tribute to a hero

(Newser) - As the world mourns Nelson Mandela , newspapers around the globe have turned their front pages into tributes to the South African statesman who died yesterday at 95 . Here's a look at some highlights:
  • "Mr. Mandela was that rarity among revolutionaries and moral dissidents: a capable statesman, comfortable with
...

Mandela Funeral Poses Massive Challenge

World leaders will descend on remote village

(Newser) - The death of Nelson Mandela is certain to plunge South Africa into a near-standstill of national mourning for around two weeks—but the country still faces the challenge of holding one of the biggest state funerals ever seen, the Guardian finds. Scores of heads of state, royals, other dignitaries, and...

World Unites to Mourn Mandela
 World Unites to Mourn Mandela 

World Unites to Mourn Mandela

Crowds sing all night in Soweto

(Newser) - Flags are at half-mast around the world today to mark the death of one of the most universally respected statesmen who ever lived. Leaders from dozens of countries have paid heartfelt tributes to Nelson Mandela, who has died at the age of 95 , and newspapers worldwide have turned their front...

Obama: Mandela 'Belongs to the Ages'

President says Mandela's example made his own life possible

(Newser) - President Obama today paid homage to Nelson Mandela shortly after the former South African leader's death was announced , reports Politico and AP . "He no longer belongs to us," said Obama. "He belongs to the ages." Some other highlights:
  • Mandela was “a man who took
...

Nelson Mandela Dead at 95

 Nelson Mandela 
 Dead at 95 

Nelson Mandela Dead at 95

'Our people have lost a father,' says South Africa's president

(Newser) - Nelson Mandela is dead at age 95, the president of South Africa told the world today. "Our nation has lost its greatest son," Jacob Zuma announced to his nation, as quoted by CNN . "Our people have lost a father." The anti-apartheid icon had been in failing...

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