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TOKYO, April 30, 2019 (AFP) – Draped in ornate golden-brown robes and wearing a towering black hat, Japan’s Emperor Akihito on Tuesday kicked off ceremonies for his abdication, the first in 200 years for the world’s oldest monarchy. Akihito is handing over the Chrysanthemum Throne to his eldest son, 59-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, in a series of solemn rituals that also usher in the new imperial era named “Reiwa” — meaning beautiful harmony — that […]
by Hiroshi HIYAMA Japan’s outgoing Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko dramatically modernised the tradition-bound monarchy, bringing themselves closer to the public and boosting popular support for the household. Akihito has broken new ground with everything from his decision to marry for love to his outspoken calls for peace and expressions of regret over Japan’s wartime role. His approach has at times unsettled those who view the emperor as a divine priest meant to inspire awe, […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan on Saturday kicked off an unprecedented 10-day holiday, including celebration days for the imperial transition, as airports were packed with record travellers while people queued at teller machines in the cash-dominated nation. Japan is preparing for the abdication of Emperor Akihito on Tuesday the day before Akihito’s eldest son, 59-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, takes the throne. The long holiday for the famously hard-working Japanese combines two celebration days with […]
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrived Saturday night in Morocco for their last official trip abroad before the birth of their first child, which is due in spring. The royal couple, Harry in a light grey suit and Meghan in a red dress, were welcomed with a tray of dates, a traditional ritual of hospitality in Morocco, after they landed in Casablanca. “Medical provisions” have been made for the pregnant former American actress, who […]
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Spain’s King Felipe VI on Wednesday visited special forces helping Iraq fight jihadists, during the first trip by a Spanish monarch to the war-ravaged country in four decades, a diplomat said. The king, whose country is a member of an international coalition battling the Islamic State group, also later met President Barham Saleh. Iraq in 2017 declared victory over IS following a bruising months-long campaign backed by the coalition, which continues […]
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia’s royals prepared Monday to pick a new king to replace Sultan Muhammad V, who abdicated in a historic first after reportedly marrying a Russian former beauty queen, holding a special gathering at the national palace. The king stepped aside Sunday following intense speculation about his future after reports surfaced in recent weeks that he had taken medical leave, and then wed the former Miss Moscow. As the country […]
In a rare emotional address ahead of his abdication next year, Japanese Emperor Akihito said he took “deep comfort” that his long reign had been one of peace as he remembered the “countless lives” lost in World War II. Akihito, in a pre-recorded speech to mark his 85th birthday Sunday, also paid tribute to the Japanese people and Empress Michiko, the first commoner to join the tradition-bound imperial family who has been at his side […]
by Andrew BEATTY Agence France Presse SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — British royals Harry and Meghan kicked off their shoes and donned tropical garlands Friday as they hit Sydney’s famed Bondi beach for the latest stop on their Australian tour. Expectant Meghan put on a summer dress and set aside her high heels, while Harry ditched his usual suit for chinos as the couple lapped up cheers from Australian fans and enjoyed Bondi’s surf. Despite […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s ageing Emperor Akihito resumed his official duties on Thursday after three days of treatment for insufficient blood supply to the brain, a palace spokesman told AFP. The 84-year-old had cancelled engagements from Monday after suffering dizziness and nausea caused by the condition, known as cerebral anemia. A palace spokesman said the monarch on Thursday was “doing his official duties as usual,” declining to comment further. On Wednesday the palace had […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s 84-year-old Emperor Akihito cancelled his official duties on Monday after being taken ill, the country’s top government spokesman said. Akihito “had a sudden feeling of sickness and heavy sweating” in the early morning and Empress Michiko “immediately brought in the palace doctor,” Yoshihide Suga told reporters. The doctor diagnosed the emperor with “symptoms of vertigo and nausea due to cerebral anemia, which require a complete rest and follow-up checks,” […]
by Mussa Hattar Agence France-Presse AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) – Prince William flew in to Jordan on Sunday at the launch of a Middle East tour that will see him become the first British royal to pay official visits to both Israel and the Palestinian territories. He was greeted at Amman’s Marka military airport by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, hosting William for the two-day visit in Jordan. The 36-year-old Duke of Cambridge’s Royal Air Force […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — The Spanish king’s brother-in-law was jailed Monday after losing an appeal against a graft conviction, the prison authorities said. Inaki Urdangarin, the husband of King Felipe’s sister Cristina entered the prison in Brieva, just over 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Madrid at 8:00 am (0600 GMT), a spokesman for the facility said. The former Olympic handball player was sentenced to five years and 10 months in jail in a case which […]
