Mandela seeks world fight against Aids as birthday gift

The world’s elder statesman Nelson Mandela, 86 on Sunday, said he could receive no better birthday gift than a global commitment to take “real and urgent action against Aids”.

In a speech interrupted by loud applause and capped by a standing ovation at the closing ceremony of the International Aids Conference in Bangkok, Mandela said he “cannot rest until I am certain that the global response is sufficient to turn the tide of the epidemic”.