In a long-overdue vote, U.S. lawmakers have erased the stigma of “terrorist” attached to former South African President Nelson Mandela.
 
As the former anti-apartheid leader was being honored in London’s Hyde Park for his anti-AIDS activism, U.S. Senators unanimously passed legislation lifting the designation. The House of Representatives approved the same action on May 8.
 
Mandela's name was placed on the U.S. terrorist watch list for his militancy in the African National Congress,

 Safe Travel Tips for the 4th of July Holiday Weekend
ST. PAUL — As the statewide July DWI enforcement crackdown prepares to blast off over the Independence Day holiday weekend, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) urges safe driving during one of the deadliest holiday travel periods of the year. In the last three years on Minnesota roads (2004–2006), 30 people were killed surrounding the holiday and 16 of the victims were killed in alcohol-related crashes.

Minneapolis, Minn, – Glow sticks, bracelets, and necklaces have become part of July Fourth holiday. These toys are cheap, portable, and emit a colorful glow making them perfect for evening celebrations.  
 
A Glow Stick consists of a small fragile glass vial containing a chemical activator housed inside a larger plastic vial containing the dye solution.  When the inactivated Glow Stick is bent, the glass vial breaks allowing the previously separated chemicals to mix.

Senator Amy Klobuchars Salutes Minnesotans on World Refugee Day with a rare rally message

By A. Irshad

“I believe that it must be our goal as a nation to help and support refugees worldwide, whether they are fleeing violence, natural disaster or political persecution", representative Joe Campbell for U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, said. Speaking at World Refugee Day, designated every year across the globe, Sen. Klobuchar’s representative added, "many in this state have an acute awareness of the magnitude of the hardships that refugees face".

MINNEAPOLIS – UCare has hired Guled Abdirahman as its marketing representative for the health plan’s disability Special Needs Plans (SNPs).

Abdirahman is responsible for supporting sales goals by enrolling new members in two of UCare’s five SNPs: UCare Connect, a Special Needs Basic Care (SNBC) plan designed to meet the unique needs of adults with a physical disability, developmental disability, and/or mental illness; and UCare Complete, a plan created to serve the special needs of adults with physical disabilities.

By Peta Thornycroft, Harare

According to the official Zimbabwe Election Commission, President Robert Mugabe had a landslide victory in the run-off presidential election. But observers from the Pan African Parliament say the election was neither free nor fair and condemned the conduct of the ruling Zanu PF party in the election campaign. Peta Thornycroft reports from Harare that Mr. Mugabe was being sworn in for another five-year term, before attending the African Union Summit in Egypt.

A high court in South Africa has ruled that Chinese-South Africans be reclassified as “black,” a term that includes black Africans, Indians and others who were subject to discrimination under apartheid.
 
As a result, ethnically Chinese citizens can now benefit from government affirmative action policies.
 

The Liberian union of workers at the Firestone rubber plantation will be recognized for their “courageous struggle” to win their right to fair representation at this year’s AFL labor rights award ceremony in Washington, DC.

SAINT PAUL, Minn.,--Minnesota Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Perry Aasness announced today that enrollment for the 2008 Direct and Counter-cyclical Program (DCP) begins June 25, 2008, and continues until September 30, 2008. The 2008 DCP direct payment rates are: corn, $0.28 per bushel; soybeans, $0.44 per bushel; wheat, $0.52 per bushel; barley, $0.24 per bushel. Producers may request a 22 percent advance payment to be paid by September 30, 2008, with the remainder to be paid after October 1st.

St. Paul, Minnesota -  Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties (Community Action) announced today that Clarence Hightower, who has over 20 years experience leading organizations, has been named as the Executive Director.

“We are very pleased that Clarence Hightower is joining Community Action as the Executive Director,” said Abukar Ali, Board of Directors’ President. “I think he will be a good leader for Community Action.”

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Tuesday, June 13, 2008 elected Paschal O. Nwokocha as Chair of their Minnesota/Dakotas chapter. This marks the first time in the history of AILA that an African American has headed an AILA chapter.
Minneapolis based immigration attorney, Nwokocha reached the milestone becoming the first African-born chairman and leader of a major national organization in a critical year for immigration reform.

By A. Kiatamba

The Brooklyn United Methodist Church, also called BUMC, launches a massive HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in Minnesota. “The project is in response to efforts aimed at fighting against the further spread of HIV/AIDS, especially in minority communities”, said Richmond Tobii, Coordinator of the project.

By Peter Heinlein, Addis Ababa

The two top mediators on Darfur have painted a grim picture of the prospects for peace in the western Sudanese region. But as VOA's Peter Heinlein reports from Addis Ababa, U.N. special envoy Jan Eliasson and his African Union counterpart Salim Ahmed Salim differ in their views of why peacemaking efforts are failing.

 In a closely watched case, British mercenary Simon Mann is being tried in Equatorial Guinea's state court for his role in a failed 2004 coup. He faces a sentence of 32 years behind bars.
 
A former soldier in the British elite military force – Special Air Service - Mann was arrested in Zimbabwe in 2004 with 70 mercenaries en route to Equatorial Guinea where he reportedly planned to install an exiled opposition leader, Severo Moto. He was extradited from Zimbabwe to Malabo earlier this year.

 (GIN) - Youssef Chahine, renowned Egyptian filmmaker, writer and director, who defended the rights of the oppressed, has lapsed into a coma following a brain hemorrhage, according to local sources.
 
The 82 year old Egyptian cineaste flew out of Cairo Monday to a French hospital accompanied by his niece and producer Marianne Khoury.
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During a long career and over 40 films, he never shied away from controversy, turning a critical lens on US foreign policy, Egypt and the Arab world.