This week was a week of waiting. In the U.K. (and let's face it, much of the world), all eyes were on the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, searching for signs that the first stages of her baby's birth might be beginning. And those conducting the royal babywatch are so on edge that even the smallest things set them off. When the Queen left a cricket match early on Thursday, many decided that was a sure sign Duchess Kate was in labour. But as of Saturday night, there was still no sign of a new arrival (or even of the royal water breaking).
Meanwhile, a more sombre watch has been focused on former South African president Nelson Mandela, who remains in a Pretoria hospital after weeks of treatment and rumours that he was near death. But on Thursday, the date of his 95th birthday, a statement was released saying that his condition is steadily improving. No matter how powerful, famous, or celebrated a person might be, birth and death are two things that remain immune to man's predictions and plans.