Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Dua Lipa wants Cyndi Lauper to join her at Glastonbury

Dua Lipa is hoping Cyndi Lauper will join her at Glastonbury. The 'Levitating' hitmaker is set to headline the...
Home Royal

Royal

Prince Harry to promote boxing match?


Britain's Prince Harry will reportedly help promote a boxing match.
The 30-year-old royal dined with Filipino boxing champion Emmanuel 'Manny' Pacquiao - who is also a congressman in the Philippines - and his wife Jinkee last week after inviting him to London discuss charitable interests and they reportedly discussed the possibility of staging a fight in London.
And it is believed Manny also met with British boxer Amir Khan to discuss a possible bout if his much-touted match against Floyd Mayweather fails to happen.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com: "A lot of places around the world want to host a Manny Pacquiao fight. He's an international icon, and I have been approached by a number of people looking to host a Manny Pacquiao fight.
"Prince Harry has a group looking to put on a Manny Pacquiao fight in London. Khan would certainly make sense, and it's an interesting fight. But remember -- all that is a backup plan. We are still trying to nail down the Mayweather fight. We need Mayweather to say yes."
According to reports, proceeds from the proposed fight will be donated to charity.
Manny is said to be a big fan of the British royal family and has even named one of his daughters Queenie, after Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.

Christopher O’Neill victim of fraud


Christopher O'Neill claims he has been the victim of identity fraud.
The financier husband of Sweden's Princess Madeleine had been experiencing problems over unpaid US taxes but the warrant has now been cancelled after he informed investigators he had had his identity stolen at least 12 times.
He told Sweden's Expressen newspaper: "I am solely responsible for ensuring that all the tax and other fees... are paid on time. I have noticed that this has not been the case over the last few months."
Explaining the identity theft began on February 14 last year, he said: "In addition to the substantial problems that this entailed, it has also delayed my accountants' ability to continue ongoing negotiations with New York's fiscal and budgetary authority.
"My audit firm believe that it is this delay which caused a warrant to be issued."
The US-American banker has since paid off all his tax debts in Florida and New York but conceded they could take a few days to clear.
It had been reported he was being pursued for unpaid taxes of around $43,000, most of which was related to a failure to pay property taxes on a New York apartment he bought in 2013.
The couple - who have 11-month old daughter Princess Leonore together - have been living in New York since before they tied the knot in June 2013 but moved to Sweden last month ahead of the birth of their second child.

Prince William asked to appeal for sausages in China


Britain's Prince William is being urged to help sell sausages to China.
The 32-year-old royal will open the Great Festival of Creativity in Shanghai in March and has been asked to use the opportunity to appeal for the country's import ban on processed pork products, including sausages, to be overturned.
Peter Hardwick, of the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board, said: "We would love to sell sausages to China but it's a long process."
Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss added: "There's big excitement about the duke's visit.
"This is a big opportunity for us. The Chinese are focused on food safety and I'm pushing for more inspections so we can sell more pork."
China has recently relaxed its ban to allow non-processed pig products such as pork belly and spare ribs to be imported, and it is estimated if processed foods are allowed in, it could produce a £15 million-a-year filip for farmers in the UK, with one firm claiming they could sell 500,000 sausages a week to the country.
William's spokesperson said it was "too early" to discuss what will happen on his visit to China.

Prince Philip gets Australian knighthood


Britain's Prince Philip has been made a knight of Australia.
The country's Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, announced on Australia Day today (26.01.15) that the 93-year-old royal - who is married to Queen Elizabeth - deserved the accolade in recognition of a "long life of service and dedication".
He added: "Prince Philip has been a great servant of Australia, he's been a great servant of all the countries of the Commonwealth.
"He's the patron of hundreds of organisations. He's the inspiration and wellspring of the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards."
The knighthoods - which were only reinstated by the leader last year - must be approved by Queen Elizabeth and Mr. Abbott's decision has sparked fury among opposing politicians.
Leader of the Labor party, Bill Shorten, said it was "anachronistic" to give the top award to a British royal on Australia Day and admitted he thought the news was a joke at first.
Geoff Gallop, the former premier of Western Australia, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): "As we try to reflect upon our nation... one of Australia's highest honours goes to someone who's not part of our community really.
"In effect this is the eccentricity of Tony Abbott's views on our constitution coming through. It certainly doesn't reflect the view of the Australian people through a meritocratic process."
And Northern Territory Country Liberal Party chief minister Adam Giles worried Philip's knighthood made Australia seem "a bit of a joke".
He said: "It takes away from the legitimacy of the knighthood role and I think it makes us a bit of a joke in a range of areas."

Prince William in weathervane row


Britain's Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have upset local residents by adding "bling" to a historic weathervane.
The couple - who are currently holidaying in Mustique with their 18-month-old son Prince George and the pregnant duchess' family - have updated the 17th century ship-shaped object at their Anmer Hall residence by adding gold gilt highlights and removing its St George's Cross flag, much to the fury of their neighbours in Norfolk, East England.
Former blacksmith Neville Manley, 55, who renovated the weathervane around 20 years ago but was not involved in the recent renovation, said: "I think it has been painted black and gold for the bling effect.
"It is not original and it has spoiled it in my opinion.
"Maybe the flag was taken down for political reasons.
"It is ridiculous in my view. I find it a bit annoying that they would do that, but there you go.
"The flag was part of the original structure of the vane and it should have been kept.
"When we restored it, we put back all the masts and rigging and tried to keep it as original as possible. We took it right back to the original colours and painted it as it was previously.
"I was asked specifically to not spoil the originality of it.
"There were a lot of dents which we knocked out and it looked like it may have fallen off the roof at some point because it was so badly damaged."
The weathervane is said to be at least 100 years old, but the blacksmith believes it to be around 200 and sat previously on another building.
Karen Green, of Greens Weathervanes in Hereford, admitted it was "strange" the flag has been removed but said it was likely the ship's sail and small mast flags along with its cannon port holes had originally been gilded with gold leaf.
She told the Daily Express newspaper: "It was a tradition for many copper weather vanes to be gilded to reflect the importance of a particular building. There is no way of knowing if this particular one would originally have been gilded.
"The flag might have been so damaged that it could not have been kept or it could have been taken off for political reasons.
"It is strange because the flag would have served a practical purpose, making the vane move in the wind. It is likely that the sail may be enough to move the vane, but it might not be enough to do so in a light breeze."
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson refused to comment because the building is a "private residence".

Princess Eugenie wants to support Prince Andrew


Britain's Princess Eugenie is planning to return to the UK because she is "worried" about her father Prince Andrew.
The 24-year-old princess reportedly wants to ask online auction house Paddle8 if she can take leave from her work in New York in order to support her dad, who has been accused of having sex with Virginia Roberts when she was just 17 years old.
A source told the Daily Express newspaper: "This whole business has really taken its toll on Andrew; more than most people realise.
"Eugenie is very worried about him. She cannot bear to see him go through this. She wants to be there to hug him and cheer him up."
Meanwhile, Eugenie's mother, Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, could reportedly be the key to proving the prince's innocence in the allegations.
Andrew's accuser has alleged one of the three times she slept with the prince in 2001 was during a group sex session with eight other girls at the royal's former friend Jeffrey Epstein's home in the Virgin Islands, with flight logs from the billionaire showing she was flown there around Easter that year.
At the same time, Andrew, Sarah - who is nicknamed Fergie - and their daughters Eugenie and Princess Beatrice were in the Bahamas, a 90-minute flight away.
And though Buckingham Palace - who have vehemently denied the allegations on Andrew's behalf - have refused to give any details of his movements over the period, Sarah could prove he was with her the whole time.
A source said: "If Fergie is confident that her ex was with her the entire time in the Bahamas and did not take a flight to the Virgin Islands she can end his nightmare.
"There will be records of their movements as both he and the girls will have had royal protection officers accompanying them."
On Thursday (22.01.15), Andrew spoke publicly of the allegations for the first time, saying he wanted to "reaffirm" the previous statements from Buckingham Palace that they were "categorically untrue".
The Duchess has also defended her former husband, insisting he is a "good man" and the claims are "salacious lies".

Cressida Bonas ‘envious’ of Prince Harry?


Cressida Bonas has hinted she is "envious" of Britain's Prince Harry.
The 25-year-old beauty dated the 30-year-old royal - who shares a close bond with his grandmother, the Queen, and grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh - for two years.
And she is now starring in a play titled 'There's A Monster In The Lake', which discusses themes such as ageing, dementia and death, but she admits she's not had much direct experience of these issues as, unlike Harry, she never had the chance to form a relationship with her grandparents.
She explained: "I never got to know my grandparents and I am envious of my friends who have a special relationship with theirs."
Cressida did not enjoy the attention that surrounded her and Harry's relationship but is likely to remain in the limelight as she continues her career as an actress and performer.
She said: "It is completely different. It is my trade and what I have studied. It's not my personal life."
The dance graduate claims she can't imagine having any other job, as she knew from a young age she wanted to be an entertainer.
She told London's Evening Standard newspaper: "I have always loved creating and entertaining. It started with music, singing. I grew up in a household filled with music - not pop but old-school stuff, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong."

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has died


Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has died.
Abdullah - who has ruled the country since 2005 - is believed to have been aged 90 when he passed away in hospital from a lung infection in the early hours of this morning (23.01.15).
His half-brother Salman, 79, has now been confirmed as the new King and has vowed maintain the same policies as Abdullah and their predecessors.
Speaking in a broadcast on state television he said: "We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment."
King Abdullah's exact time of death was confirmed in a statement from the Saudi royal family's Allegiance Council.
It reads: "His Highness Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and all members of the family and the nation mourn the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who passed away at exactly 01.00 this morning."
A number of world leaders including US President Barack Obama and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron have since offered their condolences.
In a touching tribute, Obama said: "As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions. One of those convictions was his steadfast and passionate belief in the importance of the US-Saudi relationship as a force for stability and security in the Middle East and beyond."
David Cameron said that Abdulla would be remembered for his "commitment to peace and for strengthening understanding between faiths."
Britain's Prince Charles is expected to attend the funeral service later today (23.01.15) which will see the late King's body laid to rest in an unmarked grave, in keeping with tradition.

Prince Charles to attend King Abdullah’s funeral?


Britain's Prince Charles is expected to attend the funeral of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah.
The 66-year-old royal is said to have tasked officials at Clarence House with urgently arranging transport to the country's capital city of Riyadh in time for the procession later today (23.01.15).
The Prince of Wales has visited Saudi Arabia regularly throughout his life and counted the King - who passed away in the early hours of this morning (23.01.15) after a battling a lung infection - as a personal friend.
According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper a source said it was "likely" Prince Charles would attend the service if a scheduled or royal aircraft can get him there in time.
The heir to the throne would be attending the funeral on behalf of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who no longer makes long distance journeys overseas.
King Abdullah has now been succeeded on the throne by his half-brother Prince Salman.
A statement from the Saudi royal family's Allegiance Council reads: "His Highness Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and all members of the family and the nation mourn the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who passed away at exactly 01.00 this morning."
King Abdullah will be buried in an unmarked grave later today (23.01.15) in keeping with tradition.

Must Read

Linkin Park ‘planning reunion tour with female vocalist’

Linkin Park are reportedly planning a reunion tour with a new female vocalist. The 'In The End' hitmakers have...

Dionne Warwick won’t listen to her own songs

Dionne Warwick refuses to listen to her own music. The iconic singer - whose songs 'Walk On By', 'Alfie'...

Daniel Bedingfield will finally release long lost Mariah Carey duet

Daniel Bedingfield is finally set to release his long lost duet with Mariah Carey. The 'Gotta Get Thru This'...