On Friday, Dubai’s Princess Haya arrived in Port-au-Prince to deliver 90 metric tons of humanitarian aid for the people of Haiti, following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake more than 10 days earlier. The Princess did this as a U.N. Messenger of Peace, and the supplies came from the International Humanitarian City (IHC), a global humanitarian and aid hub in Dubai which she is chairwoman of. This airlift was done out of the request of the UN World Food Program (WFP).
REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/FILE
“The entire world grieves for the suffering in Haiti. Dubai may be far away, but we join in reaching out to Haitian families who have lost so much and are struggling now just to survive,” said Haya. “The sad truth is that Haiti has long been neglected. This earthquake is a collective wake-up call for the international community. Yes, we need to deliver food, medicines and water today — fast. But we must stay committed to Haitians as they rebuild. After decades of failed aid, Haiti is the poorest and hungriest place in the Americas. We cannot let that stand.”
40 of the 90 metric tons were that of food, while the rest were that of hospital tents, water sanitation equipment, prefabricated offices, and computer and telecommunications equipment.
While in Haiti, the Princess met with the country’s top officials, plus United Nations officials.
She returned to Amman, Jordan, the country she was born and raised in, with 21 evacuees who originate from the Middle East. Upon boarding the plane with them, the evacuees applauded Haya and hugged her. Some of them had small children with them.
When Haya landed in Amman, she was welcomed by her brother, Prince Ali who is currently serving as regent as King Abdullah II is on state visits. The two siblings hugged and held hands, as Ali proudly showed he was proud of his sister.
Venezuela was the next stop for the Emir of Qatar and his wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned, as they tour Latin America. They were greeted by Hugo Chavez at the presidential palace, and right after a welcoming ceremony, got to work on trade agreements with their countries.
Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Chavez signed an accord which agreed that the companies from Qatar and Venezuela would work together. The accord also means to set up a joint venture on natural gas transportation and liquefaction.
Later, the Venezuelan leader awarded the Emir and Sheikha Mozah with some of his country’s highest honors. The Emir received the Order of the Liberator Simon Bolivar in recognition of his support on peace efforts, while Mozah got the Sword of Honor for her work on education and other social issues.
After Venezuela, the royal couple will head to Costa Rica, the final destination on their tour.
Yesterday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II arrived in Manama, Bahrain to be a spectator in the Bahrain International Air Show. The country was the first of the King’s brief trips to two gulf states, Oman being the other.
At the Air Show, Abdullah was one of several world leaders and diplomats watching the Bahraini military planes, but only he was allowed to sit alongside of King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa. About 40 companies from around the world took part in the show.
Later, the two men discussed bilateral issues and common interests.
Today, King Abdullah traveled to Oman for a three day visit. He was greeted in Muscat by Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed, whom he also discussed bilateral ties with.
Accompanying the King is his son and heir, Crown Prince Hussein.
Prince William said coming to Australia was a “realization of a dream.” Judging from his three days spent Down Under, it appears it certainly was for the 27 year-old Prince.
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On Wednesday, he enjoyed a hip-hop performance at a teen center, shot guns on a military firing range, and had another barbecue this time with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. He joked with the Prime Minister of getting a second-home in the country.
“I have had the most warm welcome ever – not just with the weather, but with all Sydney people,” William explained.
On Thursday, William went to Melbourne to see firsthand the devastation the 2008 wildfires caused in the area. He met with some families who were made homeless by the devastation and were pleased to be visited by royalty.
“It’s an honour, it’s not every day that royalty comes to walk on your lovely block of land,” said Diane Fox, adding that William’s visit would lift spirits and help the healing process.
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Later, William went to an official reception which in a way ended his three day visit to Australia. He gave a little speech about his time in the country, and how his mother, the late Princess Diana, often told him about her travels Down Under.
He also spoke about when his father was kissed coming out of the sea by an unknown woman in Perth in 1970s.
“My father had such a great time here at school – and is still misty-eyed about an immortal moment on Bondi (beach), when an Australian beauty planted a smacker on his cheek.”
He added: “It”s good to see this tradition is continuing.”
What William was referring to was the several woman who kissed or tried to kiss him as he greeted the large crowds gathered to see him.
The Prince went on to that Australia was “truly a country for the 21st century”.
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“What has struck me during this visit to the southern hemisphere is what shared heritage actually means. It really is about core values and our way of life,” William added.
“It really is about humour and decency and it is also about courage and an ability to face down adversity.”
After the reception, William then stopped by the Australian Open tennis tournament. He watched as tennis great Roger Frederer beat his opponent, and later met with such players as the Williams sisters. Afterward, the Prince took an overnight flight back to the U.K.
The media has been analyzing this official visit from all angles. Some say it has sparked an interest in the monarchy in both Australia and New Zealand. Others have complained about it being too casual, using Prince William flipping burgers at several BBQs as an example.
Even so, the Prince displayed a lot of charm reminiscent of his mother, and that apparently is what pleased many people who came to see him during his tour.
Today, the official wedding photos of Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria and her fiancé Daniel Westling were released. The portraits were taken by fashion photographer Micke Jansson and the hairstyling was done by Sweden’s it-stylist Peter Andersson.
Micke Jansson
At the same time, souvenirs for the upcoming royal wedding were also released. Items such as mugs, coasters, key chains, magnets trays, boxes of chocolate and so much more have been put on the market, less than five months before the actual wedding.
Unlike previous royal weddings, the Swedish Royal Court is involved in the distribution of the souvenirs. According to the Court’s website, this is being done to strengthen national unity and to control where the profits go, specifically to good causes, such as The Crown Princess Couple’s Wedding Foundation. The Royal Court has asked most of the companies that are part of what is called The Official Wedding Series, to launch the items and sell them in time for the wedding – which is June 19th.
The companies involved in the Series include, Arvid Nordquist, Cloetta, Frödinge Mejeri, Gustavsbergs Porslinsfabrik, Kiviks Musteri and Mema/GAB. These companies will have the official Series stamp on their products.
Ingrid Alexandra, the daughter of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, celebrates her sixth birthday today. According to the Norwegian Royal Court, the little Princess will have a private celebration at home with her family.
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Ingrid Alexandra is the first female to be in direct line to the Norwegian throne. In the past, males went before any elder sisters, as in Haakon’s case. But a law was passed in the early 1990′s to allow whoever is the first child – male or female – to be the heir to the throne.
Norway’s future Queen may be just six, but she is already becoming famous around the world. On a recent episode of the U.S. animated sitcom, The Simpsons, Ingrid Alexandra was mentioned as a famous princess to admire.One of the teachers on the show’s teachers announced to the class, “Okay. So far for inspirational women day, we’ve had 1 Princess Anne, 15 Dianas, 2 baby Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway and 1 Princess Leia.”
To mark her special day, Ingrid Alexandra had royal photographer Jo Michael come to the royal palace Skaugum in Asker.
During his one-day visit to Brazil, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani signed several deals to further cement ties with the South American nation.
AP Photo/Eraldo Peres
The Emir and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva witnessed the signing of a number of pacts. They included agreements on the prevention of double taxation, air services, economic and trade cooperation, establishment of a cooperation committee between their two governments, on visa exemptions, and finally a memorandum of understanding between the Qatari Foreign Ministry and the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations.
Also witnessing those deals was Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani and other ministers from Qatar.
AP Photo/Eraldo Peres
While this was going on, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned was with Marisa Leticia Lula da Silva, the First Lady of Brazil and Mariza Campos Gomes da Silva, wife of the Vice-President of Brazil at Brazil’s Ministry of External Relations.
The three women discussed ways to boost co-operation, particularly in social and educational fields, which is close to Sheikha Mozah’s areas of concern.
In the evening, the Emir and his wife attended a state dinner host by the President in their honor.
On Monday, royals from three countries were among the participants in the World Future Energy Summit, taking place in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik, the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Spain and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan took part in the event, which focuses on finding ways to create environmentally friendly products in an increasingly energy reliant world.
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Crown Prince Felipe of Spain gave a speech to open the summit. Before he went in depth on the event, he gave his condolences to the people of Haiti. “The sheer magnitude of tragic human loss and general devastation is very hard to conceive and makes for such a prompt and generous large scale multinational effort in emergency and humanitarian relief that is currently. We wish that this will be sustained in all fields to help Haitians regain hope and put their country back on its feet as soon as possible”
After paying homage to the founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, the Crown Prince then discussed the summit and how the world could benefit from it.
“In the energy sector, interdependence has become an even more pressing issue. Major energy sources are geographically concentrated. Transport and distribution infrastructures often require transnational agreements. Moreover, greenhouse gases, wherever their origin, affect the environmental balance all over the planet.
“Such growing interdependence explains why international cooperation and, especially, multilateralism are so important in the energy sector; hence the high value of jointly analysing the energy challenges of the future at this Summit. Although interdependence means sharing our problems, fortunately it also means working together on to solve them.
“Therefore I am very pleased to underline how the development of renewable energy is offering the international community a course of action able to reconcile the demands of future economic growth with the necessary respect of the environment,” Felipe said.
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Next, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark delivered his speech. He spoke out the environment and his account with climate change.
“The impact of climate change is global, but the signs are more evident in extreme climatic areas, for example, the Arctic,” he said. “Greenland holds a special place in my heart. From my first meeting with Greenland and the Greenlandic people to my 3 months expedition with dog sledges covering more than 2000 km along the northern and north-eastern coastline during spring. A grueling expedition that honored the way the Greenlandic people have always travelled and survived. Since then my visits have been regular, the last with my cousins and colleagues Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. A visit that again illustrated that Climate change is changing the way the Greenlandic people live. Hunting and Fishing are their primary sources of income and food and this is being threatened by rising temperatures. For me, this is a clear example of the necessity to adapt. How are we as a global community able to adapt in order to combat the negative impact of climate change? How can we adapt by rethinking our use and conservation of energy? Tough questions….questions that are to be addressed in the course of this Summit.”
Frederik than used his country as an example of how new forms of energy can be used.
“In Denmark the oil crisis of the ‘70s pushed us to search for alternative energy solutions. Over the last 30 years, we have had an economic growth of 78 %, but almost zero growth in energy consumption. And 28% of our electricity supply comes from renewable sources such as wind and biomass. It proves that economic prosperity and climate friendly solutions can co-exist.
“Denmark has shown that no country is too small to become a leader within green and clean technology and providing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”
The royals were then given a tour of the many vehicles, computers and other products on display.
The World Future Energy Summit ended today. The royals involved left Abu Dhabi the day the summit began.
The Emir of Qatar and his wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned, are currently on tour of Latin America. Their first stop was Argentina, arriving on Sunday but got down to business the following day.
AFP/Juan Mabromata
At the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani met with Argentine President Cristina Kirchner. After a round of talks, the two leaders oversaw the signing of three agreements between their countries. The agreements were on economic and commercial cooperation, air transportation and one on sports.
While this was happening, Sheikha Mozah was shown around the Museum of Latin American Art, where she was briefed on the region’s artistic history. Accompanying her was one of her daughters, Sheikha Hind.
Later in the night, there was a state banquet held the Emir and Sheikha’s honor.
Tomorrow, the Qatari royals head for Brazil. Their Latin America tour will include Venezuela and Costa Rica.
Britain’s Prince William enjoyed the remainder of his New Zealand trip these last few days, before heading west to Australia on Tuesday as he continued his tour of the Oceania region. He attracted enthusiastic crowds while in the Kiwi nation, met with Maoris, and opened the country’s new Supreme Court building in Wellington.
Upon arriving in New Zealand’s capital to open the building, William was greeted by an eight foot deep crowd – and a group of anti-monarchists. But that didn’t seem to bother the Prince who shook some of their hands during a walkabout.
At the new Supreme Court, he was welcomed by Chiefs of the local Te Atiawa tribe who said hello in the traditional Maori way – a hongi, or by pressing noses together. William was then given a Maori cloak before entering the building.
During his speech to officially open the place, the Prince took the time to mention Haiti by saying, “How much the people of Haiti are in our thoughts and prayers at this terrible time.”
Later in the day, he went to Kapiti Island near Wellington, where he saw a Kiwi, a flightless bird that is New Zealand’s national symbol.
Afterward, Prime Minister John Key hosted a barbeque where the Prince donned an apron as he helped flip the burgers.
On Monday, William did his last engagement in the country by going to a Wellington hospital to visit sick children. When he was told his interaction with the children was reminiscent of his mother, the late Princess Diana, he refused to think he was “anywhere near her level”.
“I just go and meet people and just enjoy their company … I really enjoy it, I get a buzz out of it. Seeing kids smile means a lot to me.”
AP Photo/Dan Himbrechts, Pool
And with that, William headed to neighboring Austrlia, a place he hadn’t been to since he was an infant as his parents toured the country. He was greeted by a group of Aborigines, wearing body paint and holding smoky gum leaves as part of the welcoming ceremony.
“We’re over the moon that he’s come to this part of the city to spend time with us,” said Aboriginal Australian Lewis Kelly who went to Sydney’s poor Redfern area to see Prince William.
“I was surprised when I heard it on the grapevine that he was coming here to see the indigenous people, the real Australians.”
William went on to go to a community center where the Aborigines presented him with a 1937 petition to his great-grandfather King George VI asking for help in finding and returning the head of indigenous warrior Pemulwuy.
“I said Pemulwuy was a mighty Aboriginal warrior. It’s part of our history and a lot of our history is not acknowledged,” elder Marlene Cummins said.
“He was really interested. When he talks to you, he really talks and when he listens, he really listens. That’s what I love about this boy.”
After the meeting, William was given a brief tour of the Sydney skyline.
The British monarchy is struggling with popularity Down Under. At the same time, recent polls found most Aussies want William to become King over his father when Queen Elizabeth II passes away.
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