- Liverpool to mark Slavery Remembrance Day
LIVERPOOL is to become one of the first cities in Europe to make International Slavery Remembrance Day an official part of its cultural calendar.
The city council is expected to agree today to formally adopt 23 August - the International Day for the Slave Trade and its Abolition,
as an annual civic occasion for the city.
Liverpool City Council, National Museums Liverpool and the city's black communities will work in partnership to develop a number of events for the date, including a Remembrance Day lecture, acts of libation - or cleansing, and events organised by the city's faith groups.
City Council Leader, Councillor Mike Storey, said:- "By making International Day for the Slave Trade a permanent part of the city's cultural calendar we can make sure this part of Liverpool's history is never forgotten. It also gives us the opportunity to come together and celebrate the wonderful harmony that exists between the city's diverse ethnic groups."
And Liverpool hopes to encourage the government and other councils to follow Liverpool's lead, and make August 23 a national slavery remembrance day.
Garry Morris, of the Slavery Remembrance Day Project, said:- "We are delighted National Museums and Galleries Liverpool, the city council and our communities are working together to establish International Day for the Slave Trade as an annual, civic event for the city.
The Slavery Remembrance Day Project will allow us to continue developing a range of inclusive, educational events, which will reach out to the whole city, and help teach the lessons of equality and freedom. We are looking forward to 23 August becoming a special date for the people of Liverpool
and hopefully for cities throughout the UK." 
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Tennis legends serve into heart of community
TENNIS legends Mansour Bahrami and Peter McNamara are the latest players to sign up with Northern Vision Ltd for the 2004 Liverpool International Tennis Tournament.
And together with Ilie Nastase and Guillermo Vilas, Bahrami and McNamara are teaming up with leading Liverpool charities Habitat or Humanity and the Liverpool ECHO Sunrise Fund when they arrive for the tournament.
The legends are part of a five-day grass court tournament that will take place in Calderstones Park on June 9-13. On court there will also be eight ATP-players who Northern Vision are in the process of signing.
The Liverpool International Tennis Tournament, supported by Liverpool city council, is the only event outside Wimbledon that shows ATP-players and legends within the same week.
Anders Borg, of Northern Vision Ltd, said:- "We are very pleased to be working closely with the Liverpool ECHO Sunrise Fund and Habitat for Humanity, which will now benefit from the exciting evening program that we have planned in partnership with them. The Northern Vision Sun never sets in Liverpool. When the tennis is finished, the evening charitable entertainment begins.
We are working closely with the Tradindex Liverpool Tennis Legends to generate money. This is our way of serving into the heart of the community with the selected charities that we support. We believe we will find future Tennis champions in Merseyside and these guys will help this become possible."
Mansour Bahrami was born in Iran where he proved to be an extremely talented youngster. A fundamental Moslem regime, however, stopped him from playing tennis for years, until he left his country in 1980. Bahrami never had a coach during his career, but that did not stop him from reaching the doubles final in the 1989 French Open, aged 33.
Peter McNamara reached his peak as a player in 1979-1980, with doubles victory at Wimbledon and in the Australian Open, and reaching several single and doubles finals and semi-finals in world tournaments between 1979 and 1982.
After his playing career, McNamara engaged in developing junior and underprivileged children in Victoria, Australia.
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