Cuba to mark "Nelson Mandela Day"
13:41, July 16, 2010 
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Former South African President Nelson Mandela smiles at Soccer City stadium during the closing ceremony for the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg July 11, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)
The Cuban parliament Thursday decided at an extraordinary session to mark the first international "Nelson Mandela Day" which falls on Sunday.
In response to a call of the UN General Assembly in 2009 to laud the former South African president, the country's first black president, Cuban lawmakers decided to make the "Nelson Mandela Day" a national holiday celebrated across the country, said the Foreign Relations Committee of Cuban People's Power National Assembly in a statement.
The document highlighted "the example of resistance and the indomitable spirit of Mandela who never gave up his principles during his 27 years in prison and dedicated his life to serve the humanity."
It also stressed the close friendship between Mandela and Fidel Castro, former top Cuban leader and the Cuban people's admiration for the South African leader.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on November 10, 2009 to commemorate every year starting in 2010 on July 18 -- Mandela's birthday -- to recognize the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's contribution to resolving conflicts and promoting racial reconciliation and human rights.
After 27 years of imprisonment under the then-Apartheid government in South Africa, Mandela managed to reconcile with his oppressors and lead the country peacefully through the transition from 46-year racial segregation.
Source: Xinhua
（Editor：张茜）
On Sept. 28, tourists travel around the Mingshashan Scenic Area in Dunhuang, Gansu province by camel. With the National Day vacation right around the corner, more and more tourists from home and abroad are going to Dunhuang. Riding on a camel, they travel in the desert to enjoy the cities rare form of natural scenery. (Xinhua/Zhang Weixian)
Chinese forest armed forces work together with forest firefighters on Sept. 28. (Xinhua/Chai Liren)
Photo taken on Sept. 29, 2011 shows strong wind blows trees in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. Typhoon Nesat heads towards south China and is moving at an average wind speed of 20 km per hour toward the west coast of China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Hou Jiansen)
A fallen tree is seen on a road in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 29, 2011. Typhoon Nesat was predicted to land in Hainan later Thursday, bringing heavy rainfalls to the island. (Xinhua/Meng Zhongde) 
Arash Kamalvand (L) of Iran spikes the ball during the semifinal against South Korea at the 16th Asian Men's Volleyball Championship in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 28, 2011. Iran won 3-1 to advance to the final. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz) 
A man visits "Thy Word Is Truth, the Bible Ministry Exhibition of the Protestant Church in China", during its opening at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Washington DC, capital of the United States, Sept. 28, 2011. Through the Bible's various Chinese versions, ancient or modern, as well as pictures, paintings, calligraphy, art works and historical documents, the exhibition was expected to give an overall understanding of how Bible was brought into China, how it was translated, published, distributed and loved. (Xinhua/Zhang Jun)
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/7069069.pdf