Quiet birthday for Mandela

Nelson Mandela, who stood down as South Africa's head of state last month, has underlined his wish for a low-key retirement by celebrating his eighty-first birthday quietly.

The private gathering of family and friends at Mr Mandela's home in Johannesburg also marked the first anniversary of his marriage to Graca, the widow of the late Mozambican president, Samora Machel.

The only apparent concession to the outside world was the arrival of the American pop star, Michael Jackson, carrying a birthday cake. In a birthday message, President Thabo Mbeki said the occasion reminded the whole country of the gift of love and peace which Mr Mandela had given all South Africans, black and white.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service