ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Credit Union Network hosted participants of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) as part of the group’s three-week visit to the United States. Seven international visitors visited the league’s headquarters to discuss the difference between cooperative financial institutions and for-profit financial institutions in the U.S. and to learn about credit unions’ involvement in their communities.

Madison, Wis. - South Africa’s government has passed the Cooperatives Banks Act, marking the first financial cooperative-specific legislation to be passed in English-speaking Africa, according to the World Council, which assisted the Savings and Credit Co-operative League (SACCOL) of South Africa in drafting and reviewing the new legislation. Musa Mbingo, general manager of SACCOL, sees the formal recognition of financial cooperatives as a way to deepen and strengthen outreach to South Africa’s poor.

MELBOURNE, Australia - National Australia Bank Ltd. (NAB) said it will extend a offer a $1 million, interest-free loan to help underwrite the building of credit union branches to serve indigenous populations in this country’s Australia’s Northern Territory.

LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Virginia Credit Union League (VCUL) has signed a partnership agreement with the Estonian Union of Credit Cooperatives (EUCC) to provide support and expertise to that country’s cooperative movement.

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil - The Florida Credit Union League (FCUL) and Confederação Interestadual das Cooperativas Ligadas ao SICREDI (SICREDI), a trade association for 130 Brazilian credit unions, have signed a partnership agreement in an effort to improve services to member CUs in both countries.

SHOREVIEW, Minn. – Deluxe Financial Services said it has integrated its DeluxeDetect antifraud screening system with Jack Henry & Associates’ platform automation.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Virginia Beach woman who kited checks between seven local credit unions and two banks was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison and $42,000 in restitution.

AUSTIN, Texas – The state Credit Union Commission adopted a new parity provision that will allow the state regulator to approve any field of membership already approved by NCUA.

LANSING, Mich. – State regulators have expanded the powers of state chartered low-income credit unions to give them parity with federal charters.

McLEAN, Va. – Mortgage rates were little changed this week, as economic indicators gave mixed signals, according to Freddie Mac.

PHOENIX – Desert Schools FCU announced that it has received a $1 million Affordable Housing Program grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco to finance construction of a 157-unit residential development for low-income families in Phoenix.

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. – First Citizens FCU said yesterday it has joined other credit unions and banks in a new state-backed program to provide subsidized mortgages to military veterans.

RICHARDSON, Texas – One lucky member of Texans CU and his wife will be watching next week’s major league All-Star Game in person at New York’s Yankee Stadium, courtesy of the credit union’s summer check and check card promotion.

SAN DIEGO – Acknowledging her low point at NCUA was the 2005 grilling before Congress on the credit union tax exemption, outgoing NCUA Chairman JoAnn Johnson said yesterday the incident was orchestrated by the banks.

SAN DIEGO – Credit unions that have long been strong CAMEL 1 and CAMEL 2 operations could see downgrades during the rest of the year, according to a supervisory examiner with NCUA.In addition, ongoing balance sheet problems, risks, and a sluggish economy will combine to lead to more supervisory agreements that many credit unions have ever experienced, said Linda Thompson, a supervisory examiner in the agency’s MidAtlantic Region V office, during NAFCU’s annual convention here yesterday.

WORCESTER, Mass. – Representatives from 11 area lenders joined city officials yesterday at the Digital CU Center to launch a new program aimed at pumping as much as $75 million into the ailing local housing market.

CINCINNATI – Fifth Third Bank announced yesterday that six credit unions have signed processing deals with its Fifth Third Processing Solutions unit.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A former employee of Sperry Marine FCU pleaded guilty Tuesday to using members’ names to take out more than $83,000 in false loans from the credit union.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Altura CU announced yesterday it had awarded $1,000 scholarships to 42 graduating high school seniors, almost double last year’s $20,000 in awards.

SPOKANE, Wash. – Numerica CU said it is opening a new branch in nearby Moses Lake in August, the credit union’s 17th service facility.