[The Netherlands] Queen Beatrix hosts dinner for Mali's president, Amadou Toumani Toure and his wife

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December 2nd, 2011 - Official photo of President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré and and Mrs Touré Lobbo Traoré with Queen Beatrix, Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima. The President was in the Netherlands for a 3 day official visit in The Netherlands

Princess Charlene of Monaco gives back to charity in South Africa

Princess Charlene of Monaco has pledged over R1 million to charity in honour of Archbishop Desmond Tutu's 80th birthday, The Giving Organisation Trust said on Thursday. Charlene informed the trust of her R1,080,000 donation on Saturday evening, said spokeswoman Lesley O'Connor.

The princess, co-patron of the Trust with Tutu, said in a statement she hoped her contribution would encourage the public and corporate sector to honour the Archbishop by donating to those in need.

The trust represents ten charities in South Africa. The donation was to be divided equally among them.

Trust chairmen Kelvin Glen said the charities deeply appreciated the princess's generosity and her continued support of the trust.

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FYI, and according to xe.com, 1 million rands = 75,000 pounds / 87,000 euros / 118,000 dollars

[Swaziland] King Mswati III bans & kicks out wife # 12 after "affair".

The 12th wife of Swaziland's autocratic king, who allegedly had an affair with his justice minister, has been thrown out of the royal palace without her children.

Inkhosikati LaDube, 23, who married King Mswati III at the age of 16, says she has been kept under virtual house arrest in her official residence since she and Ndumiso Mamba were caught in a hotel in Mbabane, the capital, last year.

She told a South African newspaper that after more than a year in captivity, she was ordered "immediately to leave the palace" on November 12.

It followed a row with a security guard who blocked her from taking the youngest of her three children, a two-year-old boy, to hospital after he injured himself while playing, she said.

"He threatened to hit me, saying I am not going anywhere with my child, who was bleeding from a deep wound," she said.

An altercation ensued, she told South Africa's Sunday Times, and she was "physically prevented" from leaving the palace. "I had to protect myself, so I pepper-sprayed him in the eyes," she said.

The matter was reported to the Queen Mother, who shares power with her son and is known as the Indlovukazi, or Great She-Elephant. She is said to have decided that LaDube had been disrespectful and should be evicted from the royal household.

LaDube said she was forced to leave behind her children and her belongings.

The King, who is 43 and has 23 children by 13 wives, is on his annual period of seclusion. He has not seen LaDube for a year and, she alleges, knows almost nothing about the couple's children.

Swaziland Solidarity Network, a South Africa-based umbrella organisation of pro-democracy organisations, lambasted the king for his wife's "brutal eviction".

"The ill-treatment that LaDube has endured and the subsequent separation from her children is a very inhumane act," Lucky Lukhele, a spokesman, said. He said the king had "never forgiven" LaDube for embarrassing him with her alleged affair.

"Mswati has never again set foot in her house after the scandal. He further instructed her bodyguards to deliberately frustrate her to the point where she could no longer take it and then hopefully leave," he said. He added that without their mother, LaDube's children were at risk of being "terribly neglected" in the royal household.

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Crown Princess Mary of Denmark visits mothers and children in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya

The world has been moved by the harrowing pictures of the Somalian families left homeless and hungry by the country's civil war. Princess Mary felt compelled to help.

The popular Danish royal travelled to Africa on an awareness-raising mission.

Mary visited Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya – which hosts people that have fled various conflicts in East Africa, including the civil war in southern Somalia.

The Tasmanian-born royal met with mothers of malnourished children to hear their stories.

A mum-of-four herself, Mary could no doubt empathise with their wishes to do their best for their children.

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Royalty vs Hollywood: Charlene Wittstock's obvious twin sister would be...

Charlize Theron. 

No, I am not saying this because Charlene and Charlize sound so similar. Neither because they are both South African. Neither because they are blonde. Neither because they were/are internationally successful and famous out of their countries. Neither because they are tall and lean. Neither because they have about the same age. Neither because they are a pure product of the South African melting pot. 

I am only comparing them because every time I see Charlene I think: "What is Charlize Theron doing with Prince Albert?"

photo source: found here from here

Guess who's back home from the Seychelles?

Britain's newly married Prince William and his wife, the former Kate Middleton, have left the island nation of the Seychelles after a 10-day honeymoon, officials said Saturday.

"They left happy and clearly content with their stay," said the head of the Seychelles tourism board, Alain St Ange, who saw the couple leave Friday.

The island nation's foreign minister said the nation was proud to host the couple.

"The people of Seychelles are truly honoured that Prince William and his wife chose to return to Seychelles for this special holiday and we are proud to have been able to offer them a peaceful and private getaway," Jean-Paul Adam said in a statement released by the government.

The string of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean about 1,600 kilometres off the eastern coast of Kenya is known for its sandy beaches, clear waters and secluded hideaways.

"We hope their stay was everything they had hoped for and we look forward to welcoming them back to our shores again in the future," Adam said.

The Seychelles coast guard helped ensure the couple's privacy as they stayed on North Island. On their last day the royal couple invited the coast guard ashore to personally thank them for their efforts.

The couple married last month before heading off to the island chain. The royal family and the Seychelles government had refused to disclose their location, saying the two were entitled to privacy on their honeymoon.

"In a world of so much turmoil they bring a welcome and much needed breath of fresh air with their warmth and humility," said the Seychelles High Commissioner to Great Britain, Patrick Pillay, who was also present to see them off.

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Do you miss William and Catherine? Here is what they have been up to!

Honeymooning! yes, in the Seychelles! [it had to be Africa, right?] Rumor has it that it was in the Seychelles that they reconnected after their break in 2007. Prince William said afterwards that it was one of his best breaks ever so I understand his choice with this destination. Yes, because in case you did not know, Kate didn't know where they were going either. A mystery wedding dress vs a mystery honeymoon, that is how they roll! 

As for news, we will not have new shots from them for a little while. But in the meantime, you can read a few news about them. It's a bit difficult to separate what is really information from what is mere gossip but we all do our best.

> Fresh off the wedding, William and Catherine to be separated (The Examiner)

> The Duchess of Cambridge plans to help girls become princesses for one day (The Telegraph)

> The Duchess of Cambridge allegedly said she doesn't need a Lady-in-waiting for North America tour in July (Daily Mail)

King Mohammed VI of Morocco receives King Juan Carlos I of Spain in Marrakech

King Mohammed VI of Morocco received, on Monday at the Royal palace in Marrakech, Juan Carlos I of Spain, with whom the Monarch held a private meeting.

The Spanish Sovereign, who is on a private visit to Morocco, was greeted by the Prime Minister, the Speakers of the two Houses of parliament, the Foreign Minister and the Interior Minister.

King Juan Carlos was also greeted by several high ranking officers of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, the Director of security police, the Wali of Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz region, Governor of Marrakech prefecture, as well as by local elected officials.

King Mohammed was greeted by the Chief of Spanish Royal Household, the Spanish Ambassador in Rabat and members of the delegation accompanying king Juan Carlos.

The meeting reflects the firmness of links between the two head of states and the two friendly peoples.

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[Monaco] Prince Albert II to host lavish South-African after party days after his wedding in the Rocher

Prince Albert II of Monaco and his swimming champ fiancée, Charlene Wittstock, will host a “lavish” party in her home country South Africa after their wedding in July, a newspaper said Sunday.

The couple will host 200 guests, including international royalty, at a seaside luxury hotel in the eastern city of Durban on July 7, five days after their wedding in Monaco, the Sunday Times reported.

“We're keeping everything under wraps, but I can say it will be a luxurious affair,” Wayne Coetser, general manager of the five-star Oyster Box Hotel, told the newspaper.

“It's a lavish affair, with a menu that will feature some South African delicacies” and the “best champagne”, he added.

Albert and Wittstock had already announced they would travel to South Africa after the wedding to attend a July 5-9 meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Durban, when the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics will be decided.

The two former Olympians - he was a bobsleigh racer, she a backstroke swimmer - in August moved their wedding up by six days to be able to attend the meeting.

Albert, the 53-year-old son of late Hollywood star Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, has been a member of the IOC since 1985.

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[Morocco] King Mohammed VI visits site of Marrakesh bombing

Morocco's King Mohammed VI flew into Marrakesh on Saturday to visit survivors of a devastating bombing that killed 16 people, and to see the site of the attack itself.

Amid tight security, King Mohammed visited the popular Argana cafe in the city's main Djemaa el-Fna square where the bomb went off Thursday, and where floral tributes now lie scattered outside the building's wrecked facade.

Several hundred people, mainly women and children stood nearby, waving Moroccan flags and photos of the king. Several of them shouted: "Long live the King!"

The king spoke briefly to investigators still working at the site of the bombing and also shook hands with some members of the crowd. From there, the monarch went on to Ibn-Tofail hospital and a military hospital in the city to visit some of those injured in the blast, the deadliest here since the 2003 Casablanca attacks, which killed 33 people.

Those still being treated in the hospitals include three Moroccans, seven French and two Dutch patients, the country's Map news agency reported. Others among the 25 injured had already left hospital, a medical source told AFP.

A French diplomatic source said two French citizens injured in the blast had been flown home.

Police and security officers were out in force in the square and also stepped up their presence at the Ibn-Tofail hospital.

Experts from the United States and Europe have joined Moroccan investigators in the hunt for those behind the bombing, the interior ministry said Saturday.

"American, French and Spanish experts are taking part in the inquiry," the ministry official said.

"It is an international incident as many foreigners have died," he added.

Thanks to two Dutch tourists they have a photofit portrait of the suspected bomber: a young, long-haired clean-shaven Arab the couple saw with two large bags in the cafe shortly before the blast.

On Friday, Interior Minister Taeb Cherkaoui said 13 of the 16 people killed in the attack had been identified: seven French nationals, two Canadians, two Moroccans, a Dutch national and a British national.

A 10-year-old French girl was among the victims, said Marie-Francoise Auger, the mayor of her home town Herlies, near Lille, in northern France. Her father was also seriously wounded, she added.

The British victim was identified as Peter Moss, 59, a father of two and a writer from London, according to the Jewish Chronicle newspaper.

"The way in which this act was carried out reminds us of the style normally used by the Al-Qaeda organisation," Cherkaoui said on Friday.

The device had been triggered by remote control and the bomb had been made up of nitrate and ammonium and two TATP explosives, as well as nails, he said.

Triacetone triperoxyde, or TATP, is relatively easy to make and has surfaced in a number of recent investigations into attacks, including the July 2005 London bombings that killed 56 people and injured another 700.

A video posted on the Internet three days before the bombing and attributed to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) included a threat to attack Morocco.

It showed five young men, armed, dressed in desert fatigues, their faces covered by the Arab headdress, or shemagh. AQIM has been active in countries in the region, notably carrying out a series of kidnappings for ransom.

In a statement to parliament Friday, Cherkaoui promised the attack would not stop the country's pursuit of democracy and respect for human rights.

New York-based Human Rights Watch also called on Morocco's authorities to pursue the perpretators while heeding "the king's directive to do so in accordance with the law".

Moroccan authorities had commited "grave abuses" including "arbitrary arrest and detention, torture during interrogations, forced confessions, and convictions after unfair trials" during past investigations, said the group.

After three demonstrations by pro-democracy campaigners earlier this year, the Moroccan monarch announced major political changes including greater judicial independence. In mid-April, he pardoned political prisoners, including Islamists.

Thursday's attack was the deadliest in Morocco since 33 people were killed by 12 suicide bombers in Casablanca in 2003.

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[Pre-wedding Dinner] King Mwsati III of Swaziland (and one of his 14 wives whom I don't know the name)

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[Swaziland] Concert controversy on King Mswati III's over-expending taxpayers' money

US rapper Jadakiss gave a concert linked to the embattled royal family early Sunday, performing in a nearly empty hall in Swaziland's main city Manzini following an opposition boycott call.

The event, billed as a fundraiser for a charity bearing the name of the son of King Mswati III, Lindani, was supposed to start at 6:00 pm Saturday.

But Jadakiss finally took to the stage around 1:00 am Sunday, giving an "excellent" performance to a small audience of under 500 people, including several princes and princesses, according to Mphikhelele Msibi, a reporter of the state-run Observer newspaper.

VIP tickets for the Jadakiss show were sold for 100 dollars (69 euros), the equivalent of a month's salary for many workers in this impoverished African nation.

The banned Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), who had called on young people to shun the "royal" event, hailed the poor turnout as a success.

Several big name South African acts who had been billed to perform -including DJ Tira and Jozi, did not travel to Swaziland for the concert.

Neighbouring South Africa's ruling ANC party's Youth League also called for a boycott of the event, saying it is a "celebration of the suffering and starvation of the people of Swaziland by the king, his friends and family".

"We have no problem with Jadakiss personally we have a problem with taxpayers' money being used to organise activities of this kind," SWAYOCO's national organiser Mxolisi Nghamphalala told AFP, adding: "Jadakiss performed and he got his money."

But he dismissed the concert as "a publicity stunt by the royal family," saying: "It is about winning the hearts and minds of the Swazi youth. Bear in mind the timing -- it comes immediately after April 12th."

On that date Swazi police stopped anti-government protests from going ahead by detaining, beating and tear-gassing demonstrators.

Swaziland's trade unions have embarked on a campaign of mass action demanding that the government step down and that multi-party democracy be introduced in sub-Saharan Africa's last kingdom.

King Mswati III, at 43 Africa's last absolute monarch with a fortune estimated at $100 million by Forbes magazine, has ruled tiny Swaziland for 18 years.

The landlocked country wedged between Mozambique and South Africa is fast running out of money to pay for the day-to-day running of state, including civil servants' salaries.

The economy depends almost entirely on South Africa, which finances most of the Swazi government's income through a regional customs union that sees Pretoria lavish money on its smaller neighbours.

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[VIDEO] Interview with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in Botswana (2009)

This visit to Botswana occurred in November 2009. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway completed his studies in 2003 at the LSE - London School of Economics with a Master of Science in Development, International Trade and African studies.

I think he is incredibly intelligent, involved, conscious of the world we live in and interested in discovering new culture throughout his travels. What an awesome (and handsome) future leader!

UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway calls to action during the Mali Youth Summit on HIV

UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway travelled to Bamako, Mali to participate in the Youth Summit on HIV, an event convened under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, and co-hosted by UNAIDS.

HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway addressed an audience of more than 150 young leaders at the youth summit. Speaking at a session on transformative social movements, the Crown Princess highlighted the opportunities offered by the social media tools to empower young people in new areas of advocacy.

“Young people must be mobilized to respond to deeply entrenched stigma and discrimination and a growing conservative backlash which threatens their access to sexual and reproductive health services, sexuality education, sexual expression, harm reduction and safety as human rights defenders,” said HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

She encouraged young people to learn from different social movements to engage others in the AIDS response. The Crown Princess emphasized that it is the young who are sitting with the solutions and must have the opportunity to be heard.

“My message to you is: when you experience, lack of core funding, lack of data on young people, lack of personal rights or lack of access to treatment, use your courage, use your ideas and start your own social movements,” said the Crown Princess. “Use your networks to create a momentum so that our leaders can't afford not to listen. Make them so powerful that world leaders cannot neglect them.”

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Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit in Ghana

Ghana is to receive a grant of $6.5 million from the Norwegian government. The money will be used for the protection of the country’s eco-system as well as address other challenges posed by oil exploration.

This was disclosed during the visit of the Crown Prince of Norway to Accra. Prince Haakon is on a three-day visit with the Crown Princess.

Environment Minister Sherry Aryeetey says Ghana will also tap the rich experience of Norway to maximize the benefits of oil exploration.

She said while Ghana greatly appreciated the gesture, “It is our hope that Norway will continue to support us in strengthening the capacity of relevant institutions so that we can also leverage the resources of the oil and gas sector to precipitate accelerated sustainable development of this industry.”

She regretted that although African countries were endowed with abundant natural resources, many of them remained poor, stressing that “We in Ghana are focused on breaking the ironic trend and we are grateful to Norway for the support.”

Norwegian Minister for Environment, Erik Solheim, called for transparency in the distribution of the country’s oil revenue to avoid associated conflicts. He said the country’s political leaders must remember that oil the resource belongs to the people and must therefore serve their supreme interest.

The couple enjoying the local food and dressing style.

Very animated moment at a women police school.

And they even had time for affection. Ohhh...

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[Norway] Crown couple promise oil investments in Ghana

Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has pledged the government’s commitment to emulate the best examples of oil-producing nations to appropriately manage its oil and gas find to improve the lives of Ghanaians.

He said although Ghana was a developing nation, the lessons learnt from oil-producing countries such as Venezuela, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Libya, among others, would guide it to strive to make the resource a blessing and not a curse.

The Vice-President made the promise when the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway and the Norwegian Minister of Environment and Development called on him at the Flagstaff House ahead of the launch of the Ghana-Norway Agreement on Oil for Development.

In October 2007, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) applied for assistance from Norway under its Oil for Development (OfD) programme.

The application was followed up with a call from the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan, for Norway to grant Ghana’s request.

Based on the subsequent dialogue and thorough assessment of the scope for co-operation, a decision was made to make Ghana a core co-operation country in the OfD programme.

In February 2008, during the National Forum on Oil and Gas Development in Accra, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Ghana’s Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway regarding long-term co-operation within the petroleum sector under the OfD.

In December 2010, the governments of Norway and Ghana signed an agreement following a request by Ghana for support to strengthen the resource management of oil and gas in Ghana.

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Dutch crown couple asked to sell mansion in Mozambique over controversy

A holiday home on a private estate in Mozambique, built for crown prince Willem-Alexander and princess Máxima, has not yet been sold, 18 months after the prince pledged to do so, the NRC reports on Saturday.

In addition, sources told the paper the prince and his family has stayed in the house on several occasions. The state information service RVD admits they used it during last year’s football World Cup in South Africa.

The couple said they would sell the house in November 2009 following a wave of negative publicity about the project, including claims of corruption, environmental damage and a lack of benefits for the local population.

'The prince will tell the prime minister as soon as the house is sold,' a spokesman for the RVD said.

The house, which is not on the open market, is thought to be worth about €2m.

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The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visiting the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco

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[Norway] Crown couple off to Ghana

News bureau NTB reports that the royal couple will have a full program during their two-day visit, which runs from April 12-14, just before Norway’s annual Easter holidays set in. Their visit will coincide with a large oil industry conference called Ghana Summit, to be held in the capital of Accra.

Norway and Ghana have bilateral cooperation in several areas, not least in the development of the country’s oil and gas industry. Norway is a partner in the development and management of the country petroleum resources, reported NTB, and Norwegian oil companies have shown “considerable interest” in the country.

In addition to meetings with authorities in Ghana, the couple will meet with UN officials, visit a Norwegian studies center at Cape Coast and visit the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center.

King Harald, meanwhile, was to officially greet Ghana’s new ambassador to Norway, Hajia Fati Habib-Jawula, in a meeting at the Royal Palace in Oslo on Thursday.

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