Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 19 July 2007 — Page 45

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The Muncie Times • July 19, 2007 • Page 45

AFRICAN BRIEFS

continued from page 44 Afirca marks Mandela’s 89th with star - studded soccer meet (GIN) - During his incarceration on Robben Island, exPresident Nelson Mandela spent hours in his cell watching the spirited game of soccer played by an adept league of political prisoners. This week, on the occasion of his 89th birthday, Mandela will join 50 past and present soccer greats including Brazil’s Pele and threetime African player of the year Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon to honor the Makana Football (Soccer) Association. Makana, the local name for Robben Island, was a 19th century warrior of the Xhosa people. The British banished Makana to Robben Island in 1819, and he died trying to escape. On July 18, a "90 Minutes for Mandela" match in Cape Town, pits top African players against a “Rest of the World Team" including Pele and others. Proceeds of the match will go to programs aimed at helping young South Africans and will be coordinated with the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

On a more serious side, a humanitarian campaign led by Mandela is to be launched this week with former United States president Jimmy Carter, former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan and other "elders" of the global village. "This group of internal ional leaders will share how they intend to work together to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity in addressing some of the world's toughest problems," organisers said in a statement. Nurses charged with spreading AIDS slated for exoneration (GIN) - Families of Libyan children infected with AIDS have dropped demands for the death penalty in the case of six foreign medics on death row, a spokesperson said on

Tuesday.

Victims' families have started receiving millions of dollars in a compensation deal likely to result in a reprieve. "We have renounced the death penalty ... after all our conditions were met," said Idriss Lagha, mother of a victim. Compensation amounting to about $1

million per child has reportedly been paid by the Gadaffi Foundation. The medics, behind bars since 1999, were convicted of deliberately injecting 438 children in a Benghazi hospital with HIV-tainted blood. Fifty-six children have since died. Last week, the medics sought "pardon and mercy" from the council. Any deal is expected to see the death sentences commuted to prison terms that would be served in Bulgaria. Swiss banks agree to hand over Mobutu’s

. cash

(GIN) - In a closely watched case, a European country that froze funds of former Congo Mobutu Sese Seko has agreed to return some of the allegedly ill-got-ten funds.

have offered $6.6 m 1997 MobuF But current president Joseph Kabila said the amount si least a billidj^SgSSB The late die believed U stashed billions of dollars embezzled from the government treasury in Swiss accounts.

In 2001, items auctioned from his luxurious villa in Switzerland netted $100,000. All Africa games returns to Algeria Jul 17 (GIN) - Back to Algeria after a 29 years' absence, the All Africa Games kicked off last week in Algiers' Olympic Stadium with a spectacular show in African colors and beats. "One, two, three viva FAlgerie" (One, two, three, long live Algeria) and u 1 illations came from all sides conveying the overwhelming presence of women in the stadium. So far, host nation Algeria has maintained : table with 42 gold and 112 overall. South go] I and the track and ?n, raising the number of gold medals to 12 and ten silver and 12 bronze. The All Africa an until July 23. mhletes from 52 countries are competing in 27 sports. BRAZIL: freeing modern day slaves

By Mario Osava AgAILANDIA, Brazil, (IPS/GIN) - A young man with burns to his hands and feet which have become evilsmelling open wounds arrives, assisted by a co-worker. He suffered an electric shock on the hacienda (estate) where he works, when a metal rod he was carrying made contact with a high-tension cable.... U.S. social forum forges common ground. By Matthew Cardinale ATLANTA (IPS/GIN) - In all, the crowds were huge, the workshops passionate and inspiring, and participants made ideological, relational and personal gains, both large and small. 'The U.S. Social Forum wrapped up Sunday in the southern city of Atlanta with a People's Assembly, where civil society and native leaders read declarations on the meeting's main issues: Gulf Coast reconstruction in the post-Katrina era; militarism and the prison industrial complex; indigenous, sexual and immigrant rights; and labour struggles in the global economy....