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Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on his stop in the kingdom during his world tour. The two discussed Middle Eastern politics on a one-on-one discussion.
The King met Obama in his royal palace in Amman. During their talks, Abdullah II told the Senator that an evenhanded U.S. policy would boost America’s credibility in the Middle East. In addition, the King told Obama that achieving Palestinian statehood was essential for ending the Arab-Israeli conflict, according to a royal palace summary cited by the Associated Press.
After the discussion, a dinner was held which included Queen Rania, and two Senators – Jack Reed and Chuck Hagel – whom accompanied Obama. After the dinner, King Abdullah drove the presidential hopeful to the airport, where Obama continued to Israel for his world tour. After Israel, Obama would then go to the European countries of France, Great Britain and Germany.
In a touching tribute to the late Princess of Wales, Prince William has put a small red sea shell in the centre of the design of his crest for the Order of the Garter Knighthood. The scallop originates from the Spencer family, and was used by Princess Diana herself. It is a break from tradition for the Royal Family, as they normally do not use maternal symbols for their embelms.
The scallop was included by Prince William’s insistence, who paid close attention to the design.
Peter Gwynn-Jones, garter principal King of Arms at the College of Arms, said: “It is a welcome innovation to incorporate maternal symbols into the Royal Family’s arms and it is something that Prince William and his family wanted to do.
“In the fullness of time, Prince William’s Arms will change as the Prince of Wales’ shall, but a precedent has been set here that others in the Royal Family may well follow.”
The crest will now be mounted above his seat at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle where the Prince was formally appointed to the elite order by the Queen in a ceremony last month, becoming its 1,000th member.
The Royal Family of Belgium, acting as a force of unity, celebrated the country’s 178th birthday – despite a political upheaval that threatens to split Belgium apart. 
King Albert II, along with his wife Queen Paola, Crown Prince Phillipe and Crown Princess Mathilde, attended a church service at the royal cathedral in Brussels and watched a military parade in front of the palace.
Both events were attended by Dutch and French speaking government officials, including Prime Minister Yves Leterme – who’s resignation was rejected by the King last week.
Leterme had wanted to resign after failing to make a deal between the the country’s Dutch and French speaking representatives – plunging the country into a fresh political crisis and renewing talk of a potential split.
It was after the resignation rejection that King Albert arranged for a group to bring about talks on power-sharing between the feuding politicians representing the different linguistic communities of Belgium.
The Prime Minister Leterme, leader of the Flemish Christian Democrats, says, “I am very honoured by king’s decision, still I think its very important that the institutional aspects of the government are respected that was not the case on July the 15th, so it must be respected.”
The country now waits for the two senior French speaking politicians and the premier of Belgium’s small German speaking community to establish a program of reform by the end of the month.
To watch a brief video of today’s events, click here
Kate Middleton was a guest a yet another royal wedding - showing she may just be one step closer to her own royal wedding.
Wearing a blue patterned dress with a light blue cardigan over it, Kate was all smiles as she appeared for the wedding of Lady Rose Windsor, the daughter of the Duke of Gloucester. It is not known whether Kate going to this wedding was for a stand-in for Prince William. That was something she did for Peter Phillips’ marriage to Autumn Kelly when William went to Africa to be a guest at another wedding for a friend.
The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales were not at this wedding – which was for Lady Rose and George Gilman at Queen’s chapel, near St James’s Palace. But the royal family members who were in attendance were Princess Anne, her son Peter Phillips and daughter in law Autumn, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
The tiny Himalayan country of Bhutan is now a democratic constitutional monarchy – thanks to King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who signed the constitution in gold ink.
“On this day of destiny, in the blessed land of Pelden Drukpa (glorious Bhutan) we, a fortunate people and king, hereby resolve to bring into effect the root and foundation — the very source — of all law in our nation,” the fifth king said. “This is the people’s constitution.”
The constitution was seven years in the making. It includes freedom of speech, thought and religion. It also requires that all monarchs to step down upon reaching the age of 65.
Five princes of five deposed or lesser known monarchies will be taking part in a BBC reality show called “Undercover Princes”. The point of the show will have the princes live in the UK as ordinary people for up to four weeks.
The princes who might take part in this include Prince Africa Zulu of Onkweni Royal House, Prince Leka of Albania, Prince Phillipos of Greece and Denmark, Prince Peter of Yugoslavia and Crown Prince Manvendra Singh of Rajpipia, India.
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/11911/
 Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito is currently in Spain for a six day trip which includes a meeting with King Juan Carlos and a visit to Water Expo. Noticably absent from this tour is Naruhito’s wife Crown Princess Masako.
The Crown Princess has once again stayed behind in Japan to recuperate from an illness brought on by stress. Naruhito asked for the public to understand Masako’s condition before leaving for Spain.
Upon arriving in Spain, the Crown Prince was greeted by Crown Prince Felipe.
On Thursday, Naruhito visited the Prado Art Museum in Madrid, and earned the keys to the city. In addition, he had dinner with the Spanish royal family, including with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
Naruhito then will leave Madrid for the northern city of Zaragoza on Sunday to visit Expo 2008, an international exposition on water and sustainable development, an issue of longstanding interest for the heir to the Japanese Throne.
Norway’s Princess Martha Louise always keeps people guessing over what would she do next. Her latest project though, as gained little profit despite the media attention.
Last year, Martha Louise began the Astarte Education with partner Elisabeth Samnøy, which was meant to help students “come in contact with their own angels,” and offered healing and meditation among other alternative courses.
“It was while I worked with horses that I took up contact with angels,” Princess Martha Louise wrote on Astarte’s web site. “I’ve later realized the value of this enormous gift, and will gladly share it with others.”
The school though, has seen little profit, and a venture logged an operating loss of NOK 92,376, reported NA24.no. That resulted in an after-tax loss of NOK 61,729.
Despite this, Martha and Samnoy are keen in keeping the business going.
The Astarte Education is latest career move for the unpredictable princess. She has ventured into writing children’s books and acting out fairy tales. She has received criticism for taking advantage of her royal role, and enjoying many privileges. A recent Swedish documentary called a “royal Pippi Longstocking” and that she is “not like other royals.”
“I’ve also grown more confident over the years,” she said. “It has to do with finding out what you really want to do, and not just doing all the things that other people demand of me.”
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article2543728.ece
As Russians marked the 90th anniversary of the execution of Czar Nicholas II and his family, investigators reaffirmed that the two charred remains found in a forest in the Ural Mountains were indeed those of the Czar’s son and one of his daughters.
At the same time, Russians are honoring the Czar as the greatest Russian of all time in a recent poll. Many see him as a martyr and as a symbol of the imperial glory which plenty are now seek to recapture.
Hundreds of Russians packed the Church of the Blood in Ekaterinburg, which was built over the site where the last Czar and his family were murdered. Across Russia, church services were held in memory of the events.
During the night of July 16 -17 1918, Czar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, their four daughters, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, and their son Aleksei, were awakened and told to go to the basement of the house their were imprisoned in. Four servants followed them. It was in that room that all 11 people were gunned down by Bolsheviks. The gunmen then put the bodies in a mine shaft in a forest, before bringing up the bodies the following night and then burying them in another forest outside Ekaterinburg. Two bodies – that of Maria and Aleksei – however were separately burned and buried 77 yards from where their family was buried and kept for nearly 75 years. When the remains were uncovered, the two skeletons were missing, prompted many to believe that some of the family had survived the shootings, particularly Anastasia. DNA tests in the 1990s proved that the remains were those of the Czar and his family. In 1998, the remains were buried in St Petersburg in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the traditional burial site of Romanov czars.
Read more here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25704389/
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia arrived in Spain today for the opening of an interfaith conference set for Wednesday, July 16th. The conference will include leaders and representatives from all religions in the world, including Islam, Judaism and Christianity – as well as Buddhism and other faiths
Spanish King Juan Carlos was on hand to greet the Saudi King. Both Juan Carlos and Spanish Prime Minister are expected to open the conference tomorrow, along with King Abdullah. Other than that, the conference would be closed to the media.
It is believed Spain was chosen for the site because of its historical symbolism as a place where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in peace under Islamic rule between the 8th and 13th centuries. In addition, Saudi Arabia is the location of two of the most holiest sites in Islam – and having non-Muslims present in the country may upset some of the more conservative clerics of Saudi Arabia – which adheres to Wahabbi Islam, the most strictest form of the religion.
The event will take place against a backdrop of tensions between the Islamic world and the West. They range from restrictions on the use of the veil by Muslim women in some European countries to cartoons regarded as blasphemous by Muslims and the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080715/wl_mideast_afp/spainsaudireligion
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