Japanese emperor to have heart surgery

true lilly wrote:200 elephants killed in Cameroon 'massacre'

true lilly wrote:Dutch Prince Friso buried by avalanche, badly hurt (updated)
Christian Science Monitor‎ - 29 minutes ago

Prince Johan Friso, son of Queen Beatrix,
smiles during his wedding in the Oude Kerk in Delft
in this April 24, 2004 file photo.

Dutch Prince Johan Friso
was in critical but stable condition
at an intensive care unit in an Innsbruck hospital
after being buried by an avalanche in Austria,
the Dutch government said on February 17.

A statement from the Dutch government said
the prince's condition was stable,
but his life remains at risk.

Royal families: Europe's last monarchies

He most recently worked as financial director at Urenco,
the European uranium-enrichment consortium.

After the pair announced their intention to marry in 2003,
Dutch media revealed that Wisse Smit's previous friendships
included contacts while she was in college with
a well-known figure in the Dutch underworld,
a drug dealer who was later slain.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0217/Dutch-Prince-Friso-buried-by-avalanche-badly-hurt-updated

true
lilly wrote:
Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
July 6, 2010
(8 of 11)
KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS:
The constitutional monarchwas established in 1848.
Prior to that, the Dutch hereditary monarchy was initiated in 1815
with King William I. Queen Beatrix Wilhemina Armgard,
succeeded her mother as queen of the Netherlands in 1980.
She will be succeeded by her eldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander.
Crown Princess Maxima (l.), Crown Prince Willem-Alexander,
and their daughter Catharina-Amalia
pose for the media outside a hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 17.
Marc Feminia/AP

THE Australian dollar rose to a one-week high
after encouraging US economic data
and as the delivery of a Greek bailout package
looked more certain.

At 5.00pm AEST today,
the local unit was trading
at 107.77 US cents,
up just over one US cent
from 106.68 cents yesterday.

Since 7.00am AEST today,
the local unit traded between
107.46 US cents and 108.01 cents.

The local unit in intraday trade
rose to a seven-month high at against the yen.

from:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/australian-dollar/dollar-up-on-positive-us-jobs-data/story-fn7j1bhl-1226273433488

Dutch Prince Friso buried by avalanche, badly hurt (updated)
Christian Science Monitor‎ - 29 minutes ago

Prince Johan Friso, son of Queen Beatrix,
smiles during his wedding in the Oude Kerk in Delft
in this April 24, 2004 file photo.

Dutch Prince Johan Friso
was in critical but stable condition
at an intensive care unit in an Innsbruck hospital
after being buried by an avalanche in Austria,
the Dutch government said on February 17.

A statement from the Dutch government said
the prince's condition was stable,
but his life remains at risk.
Related stories

Gallery: Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
July 6, 2010
(1 of 11)
PRINCIPALITY OF ANDORRA: The sixth-smallest nation in Europe
lies in the eastern Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France
and is ruled by two co-princes:
the head of state of France (currently Nicolas Sarkozy)
and the bishop of Urgell, Catalonia, Spain (currently Joan-Enric Vives Sicilia).
The Principality of Andorra was established in 1278.
Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, are seen in London on June 18.

Royal families: Europe's last monarchies

He most recently worked as financial director at Urenco,
the European uranium-enrichment consortium.

After the pair announced their intention to marry in 2003,
Dutch media revealed that Wisse Smit's previous friendships
included contacts while she was in college with
a well-known figure in the Dutch underworld,
a drug dealer who was later slain.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0217/Dutch-Prince-Friso-buried-by-avalanche-badly-hurt-updated

truelilly wrote:Trillions in fake US bonds seized

ITALIAN anti-mafia prosecutors
have ordered the seizure in Switzerland
of fake US Treasury bonds
with a face value of $US6 trillion
($A5.6 trillion) -
or over a third of US national debt.

true lilly wrote:

true lilly wrote:High Aussie dollar 'helping households'

THE high value of the Australian dollar
has boosted the spending power
of households the past decade,
the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) says.

RBA Deputy Governor Phillip Lowe today said
households were reaping the benefit of the currency's high value.

He said that while household incomes had grown by around 60 per cent
in the past decade, the Australian dollar's rise meant that the price paid
for many manufactured goods had remained, on average, virtually unchanged.

"The stable prices for many goods, combined with strong disposable income growth,
means there is more disposable income to be spent on services," he said in
an address to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) in Sydney.

He said that a once-in-a-century investment boom, fuelled by demand for Australian
resources, was the main reason for the currency's strength.

However, he said, the boost to disposable incomes had come at the expense of
a number of industries.

"The effects of the high exchange rate are evident in the manufacturing,
tourism and education sectors, as well as some parts of the agriculture
sector and, more recently, in some business services sectors.

"In some cases, this is prompting renewed investment to improve firms' international competitiveness.

"But in other cases, businesses are scaling back their operations in Australia and
some are closing down."

Dr Lowe said that both the investment boom and the Australian dollar's
high value were historically unusual events and it was difficult to assess their
net effect on the economy.

However, he said, the two forces appeared to have balanced each other out
relatively evenly in the past few years.

He said that the outlook for the Australian economy remained strong with
gross domestic product (GDP) and inflation expected to grow around
trend over the coming years.

As a result, he said, the country was well-placed to deal with any flow-on effects
from Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

"We have much more flexibility to deal with unfolding events
than almost any other developed economy."

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/money/cost-of-living/high-aussie-dollar-helping-households/story-fnagkbpv-1226272458073#ixzz1mesoUMxW

10:25PM
German president quits over lack of trust
GERMAN President Christian Wulff
has admitted to making mistakes,
but said he had always acted
within the bounds of the law,
as he announced his resignation
over corruption allegations.

true lilly wrote:German president resigns in blow to Merkel

true lilly wrote:German president quits in scandal
German president quits in scandal

German President Christian Wulff
announces his resignation,
after prosecutors called for
his immunity to be lifted
amid a home loan scandal.
German president quits Watch
Duel of two German heavyweights

(3 0f 11)
KINGDOM of BELGIUM:
Belgium established itself as a constitutional monarchy in 1831,
after it gained independence from the Netherlands.
The king (currently King Albert II) is also the head of state and,
as in England, appoints the prime minister who
has received majority support in parliament.
The Belgian royal family arrives for a gala concert at
the Laeken Royal Palace in Brussels in July 2.


(4 of 11)
KINGDOM OF SPAIN: King Juan Carlos I has been king since 1975.
His grandfather, King Alfonso XIII fled the country in 1931
with establishment of a republic.
General Francisco Franco appointed himself head of state in 1936,
but passed a law of succession that a new king would be named.
Juan Carlos pushed for the democratization of Spain
and helped restore democratic rule
after an attempted military coup in 1981.
Prince Felipe (r.) and Princess Letizia
smile during a visit to the Infanta Leonor nursery
in Piedras Blancas, Spain, on May 20.
Eloy Alonso/Reuters


Spain v Argentina - Davis Cup World Group Final - Day Three
In This Photo:
King Juan Carlos I
King Juan Carlos of Spain looks on during the third and last day
of the final Davis Cup match between Spain and Argentina
on December 4, 2011 in Seville, Spain.
(December 3, 2011 - Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Europe)
more pics from this album »

true lilly wrote:Oh, and Libya didn’t work out that great, by the way
Andrew Bolt – Saturday, February 18, 12 (12:11 am)

So, how goes liberated LIbya, freed from the tyrant’s yoke?

Armed militias in Libya are committing human rights abuses with impunity,
threatening to destabilize the country and hindering its efforts to rebuild,
Amnesty International said Thursday.

Militias have tortured detainees, targeted migrants and displaced entire
communities in revenge attacks, according to a report the organization
released a year after the start of popular uprisings that eventually
ended Moammar Gadhafi’s 42-year rule.

“Hundreds of armed militias, widely hailed in Libya as heroes
for their role in toppling the former regime, are largely out of control,” the report says.


Had this been the work of George Bush and not Barack Obama, I suspect
you’d have seen a little more media curiosity about the results of the
West’s prolonged and largely counterproductive intervention.

July 6, 2010
(5of 11)

true lilly wrote:
'Wallace wants a Wife' is on again
IT’S been one year since the inaugural Wallace Wants a Wife,
and the region’s farmers are still looking for love.
In just a few weeks up to 500 people are expected
to descend upon the farming town for the second annual event,
with a date now set for March 3.
BY JENNIFER GREIVE
18 Feb, 2012 12:12 AM

IT’S been one year since the inaugural Wallace Wants a Wife,
and the region’s farmers are still looking for love.

In just a few weeks up to 500 people are expected to descend upon the
farming town for the second annual event, with a date now set for March 3.

Wallace Hotel publican Andrea Wilson said she had already sold
tickets to 200 people, including a group of girls who put their names
down to attend 12 months ago – the day after attending last year’s event.

“I said to them, ‘How do you know you’ll still be single then?’
and they said they just didn’t want to miss out,” Ms Wilson said.

“It turns out they are still single and they’ve bought tickets.”

The matchmaking night is open to anyone aged between 25 and 95,
and so far people of all ages have registered.

“I think the eldest person to register is one of our farmers – who’s 72,” Ms Wilson said.

“We have a lot of people – especially girls – coming on their own,
and a lot of people coming from Melbourne.

“It’s about just having a bit of fun and breaking the ice.”

Ms Wilson said she knew of a few couples who were still together after meeting
at the event last year.

But she said many of the romances had been fleeting.

“Most of the couples who are still together today are on the mature side – a
lot of the younger ones seem to have broken up,” she said.

Twenty-five-year-old Gordon farmer Stuart Miller said he and his friends
had attended last year’s event, and were planning on returning this year.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to is pretty much going,” he said.

“I met one girl (last year), and we went on a few dates, but that was it.”

Mr Miller was coy on whether this year would be the year he found love.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said.

Tickets to the event are $20 and are available to purchase by contacting

5334 0322.


matchmaker: Wallace Hotel owner Andrea Wilson
hopes the event will attract people of all ages.
Picture: Kate Healy

true lilly wrote:200 elephants killed in Cameroon 'massacre'

true lilly wrote:Dutch Prince Friso buried by avalanche, badly hurt (updated)
Christian Science Monitor‎ - 29 minutes ago

Prince Johan Friso, son of Queen Beatrix,
smiles during his wedding in the Oude Kerk in Delft
in this April 24, 2004 file photo.

Dutch Prince Johan Friso
was in critical but stable condition
at an intensive care unit in an Innsbruck hospital
after being buried by an avalanche in Austria,
the Dutch government said on February 17.

A statement from the Dutch government said
the prince's condition was stable,
but his life remains at risk.

Royal families: Europe's last monarchies

He most recently worked as financial director at Urenco,
the European uranium-enrichment consortium.

After the pair announced their intention to marry in 2003,
Dutch media revealed that Wisse Smit's previous friendships
included contacts while she was in college with
a well-known figure in the Dutch underworld,
a drug dealer who was later slain.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0217/Dutch-Prince-Friso-buried-by-avalanche-badly-hurt-updated

true
lilly wrote:
Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
July 6, 2010
(8 of 11)
KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS:
The constitutional monarchwas established in 1848.
Prior to that, the Dutch hereditary monarchy was initiated in 1815
with King William I. Queen Beatrix Wilhemina Armgard,
succeeded her mother as queen of the Netherlands in 1980.
She will be succeeded by her eldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander.
Crown Princess Maxima (l.), Crown Prince Willem-Alexander,
and their daughter Catharina-Amalia
pose for the media outside a hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 17.
Marc Feminia/AP

THE Australian dollar rose to a one-week high
after encouraging US economic data
and as the delivery of a Greek bailout package
looked more certain.

At 5.00pm AEST today,
the local unit was trading
at 107.77 US cents,
up just over one US cent
from 106.68 cents yesterday.

Since 7.00am AEST today,
the local unit traded between
107.46 US cents and 108.01 cents.

The local unit in intraday trade
rose to a seven-month high at against the yen.

from:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/australian-dollar/dollar-up-on-positive-us-jobs-data/story-fn7j1bhl-1226273433488

Dutch Prince Friso buried by avalanche, badly hurt (updated)
Christian Science Monitor‎ - 29 minutes ago

Prince Johan Friso, son of Queen Beatrix,
smiles during his wedding in the Oude Kerk in Delft
in this April 24, 2004 file photo.

Dutch Prince Johan Friso
was in critical but stable condition
at an intensive care unit in an Innsbruck hospital
after being buried by an avalanche in Austria,
the Dutch government said on February 17.

A statement from the Dutch government said
the prince's condition was stable,
but his life remains at risk.
Related stories

Gallery: Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
July 6, 2010
(1 of 11)
PRINCIPALITY OF ANDORRA: The sixth-smallest nation in Europe
lies in the eastern Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France
and is ruled by two co-princes:
the head of state of France (currently Nicolas Sarkozy)
and the bishop of Urgell, Catalonia, Spain (currently Joan-Enric Vives Sicilia).
The Principality of Andorra was established in 1278.
Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, are seen in London on June 18.

Royal families: Europe's last monarchies

He most recently worked as financial director at Urenco,
the European uranium-enrichment consortium.

After the pair announced their intention to marry in 2003,
Dutch media revealed that Wisse Smit's previous friendships
included contacts while she was in college with
a well-known figure in the Dutch underworld,
a drug dealer who was later slain.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0217/Dutch-Prince-Friso-buried-by-avalanche-badly-hurt-updated

truelilly wrote:Trillions in fake US bonds seized

ITALIAN anti-mafia prosecutors
have ordered the seizure in Switzerland
of fake US Treasury bonds
with a face value of $US6 trillion
($A5.6 trillion) -
or over a third of US national debt.

true lilly wrote:

true lilly wrote:High Aussie dollar 'helping households'

THE high value of the Australian dollar
has boosted the spending power
of households the past decade,
the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) says.

RBA Deputy Governor Phillip Lowe today said
households were reaping the benefit of the currency's high value.

He said that while household incomes had grown by around 60 per cent
in the past decade, the Australian dollar's rise meant that the price paid
for many manufactured goods had remained, on average, virtually unchanged.

"The stable prices for many goods, combined with strong disposable income growth,
means there is more disposable income to be spent on services," he said in
an address to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) in Sydney.

He said that a once-in-a-century investment boom, fuelled by demand for Australian
resources, was the main reason for the currency's strength.

However, he said, the boost to disposable incomes had come at the expense of
a number of industries.

"The effects of the high exchange rate are evident in the manufacturing,
tourism and education sectors, as well as some parts of the agriculture
sector and, more recently, in some business services sectors.

"In some cases, this is prompting renewed investment to improve firms' international competitiveness.

"But in other cases, businesses are scaling back their operations in Australia and
some are closing down."

Dr Lowe said that both the investment boom and the Australian dollar's
high value were historically unusual events and it was difficult to assess their
net effect on the economy.

However, he said, the two forces appeared to have balanced each other out
relatively evenly in the past few years.

He said that the outlook for the Australian economy remained strong with
gross domestic product (GDP) and inflation expected to grow around
trend over the coming years.

As a result, he said, the country was well-placed to deal with any flow-on effects
from Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

"We have much more flexibility to deal with unfolding events
than almost any other developed economy."

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/money/cost-of-living/high-aussie-dollar-helping-households/story-fnagkbpv-1226272458073#ixzz1mesoUMxW

10:25PM
German president quits over lack of trust
GERMAN President Christian Wulff
has admitted to making mistakes,
but said he had always acted
within the bounds of the law,
as he announced his resignation
over corruption allegations.

true lilly wrote:German president resigns in blow to Merkel

true lilly wrote:German president quits in scandal
German president quits in scandal

German President Christian Wulff
announces his resignation,
after prosecutors called for
his immunity to be lifted
amid a home loan scandal.
German president quits Watch
Duel of two German heavyweights

(3 0f 11)
KINGDOM of BELGIUM:
Belgium established itself as a constitutional monarchy in 1831,
after it gained independence from the Netherlands.
The king (currently King Albert II) is also the head of state and,
as in England, appoints the prime minister who
has received majority support in parliament.
The Belgian royal family arrives for a gala concert at
the Laeken Royal Palace in Brussels in July 2.


(4 of 11)
KINGDOM OF SPAIN: King Juan Carlos I has been king since 1975.
His grandfather, King Alfonso XIII fled the country in 1931
with establishment of a republic.
General Francisco Franco appointed himself head of state in 1936,
but passed a law of succession that a new king would be named.
Juan Carlos pushed for the democratization of Spain
and helped restore democratic rule
after an attempted military coup in 1981.
Prince Felipe (r.) and Princess Letizia
smile during a visit to the Infanta Leonor nursery
in Piedras Blancas, Spain, on May 20.
Eloy Alonso/Reuters


Spain v Argentina - Davis Cup World Group Final - Day Three
In This Photo:
King Juan Carlos I
King Juan Carlos of Spain looks on during the third and last day
of the final Davis Cup match between Spain and Argentina
on December 4, 2011 in Seville, Spain.
(December 3, 2011 - Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Europe)
more pics from this album »

true lilly wrote:Oh, and Libya didn’t work out that great, by the way
Andrew Bolt – Saturday, February 18, 12 (12:11 am)

So, how goes liberated LIbya, freed from the tyrant’s yoke?

Armed militias in Libya are committing human rights abuses with impunity,
threatening to destabilize the country and hindering its efforts to rebuild,
Amnesty International said Thursday.

Militias have tortured detainees, targeted migrants and displaced entire
communities in revenge attacks, according to a report the organization
released a year after the start of popular uprisings that eventually
ended Moammar Gadhafi’s 42-year rule.

“Hundreds of armed militias, widely hailed in Libya as heroes
for their role in toppling the former regime, are largely out of control,” the report says.


Had this been the work of George Bush and not Barack Obama, I suspect
you’d have seen a little more media curiosity about the results of the
West’s prolonged and largely counterproductive intervention.

true lilly wrote:
Princess Mary of Denmark busts the husband of the Finnish president -
ironically called the First Gentleman - staring down her dress at a state dinner.
Watch the video.
Read More

true lilly wrote:Finnish staring yet?


Noithing that the husband of Finland’s president ever did or does
will replace this in the world’s memory.
He may have to shave off those
whiskers just to distance himself from it.

true lilly wrote:
Princess Mary of Denmark busts the husband of the Finnish president -
ironically called the First Gentleman - staring down her dress at a state dinner.
Watch the video.
Read More

true lilly wrote:Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
July 6, 2010
(11 of 11)

KINGDOM OF SWEDEN:
At the age of 27, King Carl XVI Gustav became king.
Swedish kings date back to 980.
He succeeded his grandfather (his father died in 1947,
a year after the king was born) in 1973.
He will be succeeded by his daughter, Crown Princess Victoria.
Crown Princess Victoria and her fiance Daniel Westling
are seen on stage on June 18
at the Royal Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden,
ahead of their wedding on June 19.
Henrik Montgomery/Reuters
http://www.csmonitor.com/CSM-Photo-Galleries/Lists/Royal-families-Europe-s-last-monarchies/%28photo%29/286289

Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
July 6, 2010
(5 of 11)

KINGDOM of DENMARK:
The country established itself as a
constitutional monarchy in 1849.
The current leader, Queen Margrethe
II, is largely ceremonial.
The Danish royal family is seen here on April16
on the balcony of Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Tariq Mikkel Khan/AP


Mary was born and raised in
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark,
Countess of Monpezat,
RE (Mary Elizabeth; née Donaldson;
born 5 February 1972)
is the wife of
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark.

July 6, 2010
(9 of 11)

PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN:
Founded in 1719 as part of the Holy Roman Empire,
the current head of state is Prince Hans-Adam II.
A new constitution was adopted in 2003
that expanded the monarch’s powers.
Princess Sophie (l.) and Erbprinz Alois
arrive at the Swedish Parliament's concert
at the Royal Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden,
on June 18.
Maja Suslin/AP

true lilly wrote:
'Wallace wants a Wife' is on again
IT’S been one year since the inaugural Wallace Wants a Wife,
and the region’s farmers are still looking for love.
In just a few weeks up to 500 people are expected
to descend upon the farming town for the second annual event,
with a date now set for March 3.
BY JENNIFER GREIVE
18 Feb, 2012 12:12 AM

IT’S been one year since the inaugural Wallace Wants a Wife,
and the region’s farmers are still looking for love.

In just a few weeks up to 500 people are expected to descend upon the
farming town for the second annual event, with a date now set for March 3.

Wallace Hotel publican Andrea Wilson said she had already sold
tickets to 200 people, including a group of girls who put their names
down to attend 12 months ago – the day after attending last year’s event.

“I said to them, ‘How do you know you’ll still be single then?’
and they said they just didn’t want to miss out,” Ms Wilson said.

“It turns out they are still single and they’ve bought tickets.”

The matchmaking night is open to anyone aged between 25 and 95,
and so far people of all ages have registered.

“I think the eldest person to register is one of our farmers – who’s 72,” Ms Wilson said.

“We have a lot of people – especially girls – coming on their own,
and a lot of people coming from Melbourne.

“It’s about just having a bit of fun and breaking the ice.”

Ms Wilson said she knew of a few couples who were still together after meeting
at the event last year.

But she said many of the romances had been fleeting.

“Most of the couples who are still together today are on the mature side – a
lot of the younger ones seem to have broken up,” she said.

Twenty-five-year-old Gordon farmer Stuart Miller said he and his friends
had attended last year’s event, and were planning on returning this year.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to is pretty much going,” he said.

“I met one girl (last year), and we went on a few dates, but that was it.”

Mr Miller was coy on whether this year would be the year he found love.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said.

Tickets to the event are $20 and are available to purchase by contacting

5334 0322.


matchmaker: Wallace Hotel owner Andrea Wilson
hopes the event will attract people of all ages.
Picture: Kate Healy

true lilly wrote:200 elephants killed in Cameroon 'massacre'

Japanese emperor to have heart surgery

JAPANESE Emperor Akihito has gone into hospital
accompanied by Empress Michiko
ahead of a planned bypass operation.
Read more

true lilly wrote:Dutch Prince Friso buried by avalanche, badly hurt (updated)
Christian Science Monitor‎ - 29 minutes ago

Prince Johan Friso, son of Queen Beatrix,
smiles during his wedding in the Oude Kerk in Delft
in this April 24, 2004 file photo.

Dutch Prince Johan Friso
was in critical but stable condition
at an intensive care unit in an Innsbruck hospital
after being buried by an avalanche in Austria,
the Dutch government said on February 17.

A statement from the Dutch government said
the prince's condition was stable,
but his life remains at risk.

Royal families: Europe's last monarchies

He most recently worked as financial director at Urenco,
the European uranium-enrichment consortium.

After the pair announced their intention to marry in 2003,
Dutch media revealed that Wisse Smit's previous friendships
included contacts while she was in college with
a well-known figure in the Dutch underworld,
a drug dealer who was later slain.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0217/Dutch-Prince-Friso-buried-by-avalanche-badly-hurt-updated

true
lilly wrote:
Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
July 6, 2010
(8 of 11)
KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS:
The constitutional monarchwas established in 1848.
Prior to that, the Dutch hereditary monarchy was initiated in 1815
with King William I. Queen Beatrix Wilhemina Armgard,
succeeded her mother as queen of the Netherlands in 1980.
She will be succeeded by her eldest son, Prince Willem-Alexander.
Crown Princess Maxima (l.), Crown Prince Willem-Alexander,
and their daughter Catharina-Amalia
pose for the media outside a hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 17.
Marc Feminia/AP

THE Australian dollar rose to a one-week high
after encouraging US economic data
and as the delivery of a Greek bailout package
looked more certain.

At 5.00pm AEST today,
the local unit was trading
at 107.77 US cents,
up just over one US cent
from 106.68 cents yesterday.

Since 7.00am AEST today,
the local unit traded between
107.46 US cents and 108.01 cents.

The local unit in intraday trade
rose to a seven-month high at against the yen.

from:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/australian-dollar/dollar-up-on-positive-us-jobs-data/story-fn7j1bhl-1226273433488

Dutch Prince Friso buried by avalanche, badly hurt (updated)
Christian Science Monitor‎ - 29 minutes ago

Prince Johan Friso, son of Queen Beatrix,
smiles during his wedding in the Oude Kerk in Delft
in this April 24, 2004 file photo.

Dutch Prince Johan Friso
was in critical but stable condition
at an intensive care unit in an Innsbruck hospital
after being buried by an avalanche in Austria,
the Dutch government said on February 17.

A statement from the Dutch government said
the prince's condition was stable,
but his life remains at risk.
Related stories

Gallery: Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
Royal families: Europe's last monarchies
July 6, 2010
(1 of 11)
PRINCIPALITY OF ANDORRA: The sixth-smallest nation in Europe
lies in the eastern Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France
and is ruled by two co-princes:
the head of state of France (currently Nicolas Sarkozy)
and the bishop of Urgell, Catalonia, Spain (currently Joan-Enric Vives Sicilia).
The Principality of Andorra was established in 1278.
Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, are seen in London on June 18.

Royal families: Europe's last monarchies

He most recently worked as financial director at Urenco,
the European uranium-enrichment consortium.

After the pair announced their intention to marry in 2003,
Dutch media revealed that Wisse Smit's previous friendships
included contacts while she was in college with
a well-known figure in the Dutch underworld,
a drug dealer who was later slain.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0217/Dutch-Prince-Friso-buried-by-avalanche-badly-hurt-updated

truelilly wrote:Trillions in fake US bonds seized

ITALIAN anti-mafia prosecutors
have ordered the seizure in Switzerland
of fake US Treasury bonds
with a face value of $US6 trillion
($A5.6 trillion) -
or over a third of US national debt.

true lilly wrote:

true lilly wrote:High Aussie dollar 'helping households'

THE high value of the Australian dollar
has boosted the spending power
of households the past decade,
the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) says.

RBA Deputy Governor Phillip Lowe today said
households were reaping the benefit of the currency's high value.

He said that while household incomes had grown by around 60 per cent
in the past decade, the Australian dollar's rise meant that the price paid
for many manufactured goods had remained, on average, virtually unchanged.

"The stable prices for many goods, combined with strong disposable income growth,
means there is more disposable income to be spent on services," he said in
an address to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) in Sydney.

He said that a once-in-a-century investment boom, fuelled by demand for Australian
resources, was the main reason for the currency's strength.

However, he said, the boost to disposable incomes had come at the expense of
a number of industries.

"The effects of the high exchange rate are evident in the manufacturing,
tourism and education sectors, as well as some parts of the agriculture
sector and, more recently, in some business services sectors.

"In some cases, this is prompting renewed investment to improve firms' international competitiveness.

"But in other cases, businesses are scaling back their operations in Australia and
some are closing down."

Dr Lowe said that both the investment boom and the Australian dollar's
high value were historically unusual events and it was difficult to assess their
net effect on the economy.

However, he said, the two forces appeared to have balanced each other out
relatively evenly in the past few years.

He said that the outlook for the Australian economy remained strong with
gross domestic product (GDP) and inflation expected to grow around
trend over the coming years.

As a result, he said, the country was well-placed to deal with any flow-on effects
from Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

"We have much more flexibility to deal with unfolding events
than almost any other developed economy."

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/money/cost-of-living/high-aussie-dollar-helping-households/story-fnagkbpv-1226272458073#ixzz1mesoUMxW

10:25PM
German president quits over lack of trust
GERMAN President Christian Wulff
has admitted to making mistakes,
but said he had always acted
within the bounds of the law,
as he announced his resignation
over corruption allegations.

true lilly wrote:German president resigns in blow to Merkel

true lilly wrote:German president quits in scandal
German president quits in scandal

German President Christian Wulff
announces his resignation,
after prosecutors called for
his immunity to be lifted
amid a home loan scandal.
German president quits Watch
Duel of two German heavyweights

(3 0f 11)
KINGDOM of BELGIUM:
Belgium established itself as a constitutional monarchy in 1831,
after it gained independence from the Netherlands.
The king (currently King Albert II) is also the head of state and,
as in England, appoints the prime minister who
has received majority support in parliament.
The Belgian royal family arrives for a gala concert at
the Laeken Royal Palace in Brussels in July 2.


(4 of 11)
KINGDOM OF SPAIN: King Juan Carlos I has been king since 1975.
His grandfather, King Alfonso XIII fled the country in 1931
with establishment of a republic.
General Francisco Franco appointed himself head of state in 1936,
but passed a law of succession that a new king would be named.
Juan Carlos pushed for the democratization of Spain
and helped restore democratic rule
after an attempted military coup in 1981.
Prince Felipe (r.) and Princess Letizia
smile during a visit to the Infanta Leonor nursery
in Piedras Blancas, Spain, on May 20.
Eloy Alonso/Reuters


Spain v Argentina - Davis Cup World Group Final - Day Three
In This Photo:
King Juan Carlos I
King Juan Carlos of Spain looks on during the third and last day
of the final Davis Cup match between Spain and Argentina
on December 4, 2011 in Seville, Spain.
(December 3, 2011 - Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Europe)
more pics from this album »

true lilly wrote:Oh, and Libya didn’t work out that great, by the way
Andrew Bolt – Saturday, February 18, 12 (12:11 am)

So, how goes liberated LIbya, freed from the tyrant’s yoke?

Armed militias in Libya are committing human rights abuses with impunity,
threatening to destabilize the country and hindering its efforts to rebuild,
Amnesty International said Thursday.

Militias have tortured detainees, targeted migrants and displaced entire
communities in revenge attacks, according to a report the organization
released a year after the start of popular uprisings that eventually
ended Moammar Gadhafi’s 42-year rule.

“Hundreds of armed militias, widely hailed in Libya as heroes
for their role in toppling the former regime, are largely out of control,” the report says.


Had this been the work of George Bush and not Barack Obama, I suspect
you’d have seen a little more media curiosity about the results of the
West’s prolonged and largely counterproductive intervention.

'KING' LEER.

true lilly wrote:
Princess Mary of Denmark busts the husband of the Finnish president -
ironically called the First Gentleman - staring down her dress at a state dinner.
Watch the video.
Read More

true lilly wrote:Finnish staring yet?


Noithing that the husband of Finland’s president ever did or does
will replace this in the world’s memory.
He may have to shave off those
whiskers just to distance himself from it.

true lilly wrote:
Princess Mary of Denmark busts the husband of the Finnish president -
ironically called the First Gentleman - staring down her dress at a state dinner.
Watch the video.
Read More

HRH the Crown Princess of Denmark
attends the wedding of the Crown Princess of Sweden.
She is pictured here surrounded by Princess Máxima of the Netherlands;
the Prince of Orange, heir-apparent of the Netherlands;
the Crown Princess of Norway; and the Queen of the Netherlands.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark stands at the far left.

true lilly wrote:
Tomorrow will be the 70th anniversary
of
the first Japanese air raid on Darwin.

The bombing, which killed
an estimated 300 people,
shocked the nation in its ferocity.

Picture: Getty Images
Read More

true lilly wrote:Japanese emperor to have heart surgery

JAPANESE Emperor Akihito has gone into hospital
accompanied by Empress Michiko
ahead of a planned bypass operation.
Read more