70,000 virgins dance for African king MSWATI according to the report of 2008 what about of 2012

           The princess of Swaziland (centre) dances in front of King Mswati III and his delegates. Photo: AFP

           Tens of thousands of virgin maidens danced today for Swaziland's King Mswati III in a traditional reed dance at Ludzidzini palace outside the capital Mbabane.
          The final day of the annual dance attracted a record 70,000 girls, some of them as young as six years of age.
            The girls - dressed in colourful Swazi regalia - came from all corners of the mountain kingdom in a display of pride in their culture and virtue.

               The ceremony has a more serious mission - to draw attention to AIDS and encourage abstinence among young women, in a small southern African nation ravaged by AIDS and poverty.
Swaziland has one of the highest AIDS prevalence rates in the world, with almost 40 per cent of adults affected, according to UN data.
             "As a young Swazi woman, it is very important for me to here. I have been attending the dance since I was 14 years of age," university student Landile Hlongwa, 24, told AFP.
        King Mswati has 13 wives, and he could pick another from among the dancers.
         "Being chosen by the king would be a bonus for me. I would like occupy one of the royal palaces one day," Hlongwa said shyly.
            In 2005 the monarch triggered an outcry when he selected a 17-year-old to be his 13th wife just days after he ended an official ban on sex for girls younger than 18.
              The bare-breasted maidens - led by the king's own daughters - sang and chanted traditional songs before thousands of spectators and tourists who gathered at a sports field outside the palace.
             Groups of girls, some clad in sarongs bearing the face of Africa's last absolute monarch, took turns in dancing to traditional rhythms while some of the queens and other royals joined in.
              "This year's record attendance is an indication that our children have more understanding of what our culture is about," said event co-ordinator Irene Ngwane.
             This year's ceremony precedes a controversial "40-40" celebration to mark the impoverished kingdom's 40 years of independence from Britain as well as the king's birthday.
           That much-anticipated event has touched off unprecedented demonstrations against international shopping trips by the royal family and the purchase of luxury cars at a time when most Swazis live in poverty.

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Mario Balotelli and said he had travelled to the Balkan country last year to warn the.............

            UEFA president Michel Platini on Monday condemned Croatia fans who racially        abused           Italy's Mario Balotelli and said he had travelled to the Balkan country last year to warn the authorities there about the problem.
           "I'm not happy for Croatia. I was in Croatia a year ago and I'm not happy. They have a good team which plays well but it's unacceptable when you've got a hundred or so arseholes among the crowd," he told reporters in Warsaw.
            Croatia's football federation are facing a possible stiff penalty after a UEFA-baced racism monitoring group reported that up to 500 Croatia fans taunted Balotelli throughout their Euro 2012 Group C match last Thursday.
           An AFP photographer positioned in front of the fans at the stadium in Poznan, western Poland, also reported seeing a steward picking up a banana from the pitch.
Platini said that during his trip to Croatia, the country's football authorities were warned about the possibility of racist fans at Euro 2012.
              "They (the Croatian federation) knew (that it could happen)," he added.
"Any form of racism is a problem. One case is too many."
               The case is the first for racism at Euro 2012, which is being held in Poland and Ukraine, and will be eyed closely given Platini's previous assertions that European football's governing body has a "zero tolerance" on the issue.
             The disciplinary committee is expected to give its ruling on Tuesday

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TAIFA STARS VS GAMBIA

taifa stars yatutoa kimasomaso watanzania kwa kuweza wafunga gambia 2-1 kwenye mchezo ulio chezwa uwanja wa taifa tarehe 9-6-12.... ikiwa ni miongoni mwa matokeo ambayo watanzania wengi hawa kupata yatarajia kua yaweza kuibuka nao..... shukrani kwa TFF and wachezaji wa Taifa stars kwa ujumla   .....do they will be motivated........

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