My Africa Today

Miss Tanzania, Flaviana Matata, an electrical technician whose country is participating for the first time, is also challenging stereotypes of beauty with her shaved head. ''I never let anyone define me neither by hair nor clothing as I believe God made me perfect as a pure, natural African woman,'' she said.

Donald Trump, who now co-owns the contest with NBC, says the Miss Universe Organization has redefined beauty pageants.

''With each passing year our ratings continue to get better because of the beautiful and intelligent women who participate in our competitions,'' he declared.

But the Miss Universe competition is still judged solely on an interview and swimsuit and evening gown competitions, continuing a tradition that began with a spat over a swimsuit more than 50 years ago. California's Pacific Mills clothing company launched the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants after the 1951 Miss America, Yolande Betbeze, refused to pose in its swimsuit.

Miss Universe is considered a wilder rival to Miss America, which offers scholarships and values its talent contest more than its swimsuit competition. Other than Vanessa Williams, who stepped down in 1984 after Penthouse published her nude photographs, Miss America has had relatively few scandals. But risque photos and public drunkenness have increasingly landed Miss USA and Miss Universe contestants in the tabloids.

Khadijah Shamillah Kiptoo a customer care representative is Miss Kenya.

Canadian playboy Calvin Ayre went down to Costa Rica a decade ago and began taking illegal bets over the Internet.

Now he’s worth $1 billion (see cover story). Making a billion just isn’t what it used to be. In its inaugural ranking of the world’s richest people 20 years ago FORBES uncovered some 140 billionaires. Just three years ago we found 476. This year the list is a record 793, up 102 from last year. They’re worth a combined $2.6 trillion, up 18% since last March. Their average net worth: $3.3 billion.

Strong stock markets around the world (the U.S. being the notable exception) contributed to this surge in wealth. India, whose BSE SENSEX market was up 54% in the past 12 months, is home to 10 new billionaires, more than any other country besides the U.S.

Notable newcomers include Tulsi Tanti, a former textile trader whose alternative energy company owns Asia’s largest windfarm; Vijay Mallya, the liquor tycoon behind Kingfisher beer; Kushal Pal Singh, India’s biggest real estate developer; and Anurag Dikshit (pronounced “dix-sit”), another online gaming mogul, who made his fortune when he and two Americans took their PartyGaming poker company public in London last June.

Russia, whose RTS stock exchange was up 108%, benefited from strong gains in commodities prices. The surge swelled the fortunes of its 33 billionaires, including 7 newcomers who join the list. China now has 8 billionaires, four times as many as last year. The U.S. is home to 44 new billionaires and commands nearly half of the fortunes on the roster.

Bill Gates retains his title as the world’s richest person for the twelfth straight year, proving that while it’s getting easier to make a billion, the same can’t be said for making $50 billion.

Twelve people return to the list. Thirty-nine people depart from it. Seven fortunes were broken up among family members, usually siblings, adding 15 individuals to the ranks. Seventy-eight women make the list, 10 more than last year, though only 6 are self-made. Hind Hariri, daughter of slain Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, who is eight months younger than Germany’s Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis, is, at 22, the list’s youngest member.

Swaziland's King Mswati III has bought 10 new BMW series 5 cars for his wives.

Swaziland's media reports that it has cost him $820,000. The 36-year-old king frequently hits the headlines with stories about his lavish lifestyle.

The Fon( King ) is the brother of courageous and powerful animals. At night, he has the power to transform himself into a panther, where he haunts the forest, runs through the savana and drinks from torrents. When a panther is killed by a hunter, the Fon from Bamileke region are afraid. Will one of them not perish from the death of his double.

Formerly a chief administator and cabinet chief for the finance Minister of Cameroun in 1964, Kamga Joseph is the thirteenth Fon of Bandjun. On the day of his predecessor's funeral, he was stopped in the Bandjun market by two Bamileke chiefs, "the hangmen", in the middle of the nobles and princes who wept the deceased King. Wearing a head dress made of sisal as a sign of humility, he was taken to the noblemen, the "tafo meru", where he learned during nine weeks how to be a King. Formerly this apprenticeship lasted nine months. During his retreat, the souverain is accompagned by the "nrounq"( love ), a woman he married before his coronation, and the "djvikam", the wife of a nobleman who becomes the first queen. He then returns to the palace, "tsa", where he is responsible for the wives of the defunct Fon, who become his wives.

In 1980, Sijuwade became the fiftieth Oni( King ) of Ife, one of the most ancient African Dynasties.

Formerly, during his coronation, an Oni had to embrace the sword of justice, and enter into his palace on a cloth stiffened by the dry blood of sacrificed men and women.

Today the Oni is a rich businessman, with several vaste properties in Nigeria and England.

According to legend, Oduduwa, the first king of Ife, was expulsed from Mecca by the moslem party. In order to avenge him, Oranyan his great grandson, undertook a punitive expedition which never made it, because of a quarrel with his brothers. Vexed, Oranyan refused to return to Ife. He installed himself in Oyo, leaving his treasures and fetishes with Adimu, his loyal servant. Adimu was the son of a slave, spared from being sacrificed because she was pregnant.

With time, Adimu became the king of Ife, under the name of Oni, which is a contraction of the phrase "omo olowoni", meaning the child of the victim to be sacrificed.

Representing the Abomey dynasty, Joseph Langanfin is the president of CAFRA, the council of Abomey's royal families. With this title, he is considered as the official representative of the kings of Abomey.
He presided at the centenary ceremonies for the death of King Glele, who was his great granfather.

In 1889, following the funeral services of King Glele, his son Kondo was coronated under the name of Gbehanzin, a contraction which means, "the world holds the egg that the earth desires", and took the shark as his royal emblem. The Shark-King wanted to push back Europeans comming from the sea. Since the Berlin treaty in 1884, which divided Africa between European powers, the Kingdom of Abomey excited the envy of the French, who wanted to stop the English progression into the gulf of Guinea.

" The King does not give his country to anyone, ancestral lands are sacred" he told the French, who found with him a serious opponent.