Japan is now poised to create a one-time law to allow Emperor Akihito to abdicate the throne in favour of his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, and so the official debate is turning to the finer details. In particular need of clarity is the appropriate title for a former Emperor and whether women should remain part of the Imperial family after marriage to allow for the continuation of the…
Funeral plans finally released for Thailand's late King
5th March 2017
The Bangkok Post has released details for the five day funeral of Thailand’s late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the ceremony will take place at the end of December from the 25-29, 2017.
The death of the late monarch did not…
Former Empress of Iran: "We wanted to create progress"
25th February 2017
Within the basement of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, sealed away from public view the majority of the time, there lies a collection of images bearing silent testimony to a world now long passed. The scenes show men dancing to music, women wearing fashionable…
Queen Mother of Tonga dies at the age of 90
20th February 2017
The Queen Mother of Tonga, Her Majesty Queen Halaevalu Mata’aho, has died at the age of 90. She was flown to New Zealand last week to be treated for minor medical issues. However, she died in an Auckland hospital on Saturday. The Tongan consul in New Zealand, Stafford ʻAho confirmed her death.
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The Tongan consul in New Zealand, Stafford, confirmed her death on Sunday.
Japan’s ruling party to support one-off legislation for Emperor’s abdication
14th February 2017
It was announced this week that Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party have decided to support the creation of a one-time-use mechanism to legally allow 83-year-old Emperor Akihito to abdicate.
The decision was made after a number of meetings to decide the matter and is…
Princess Nouf bint Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud – daughter-in-law of King Salmon of Saudi Arabia – has been accused of withholding fees from her agent for property deals he helped broker in London and the Home Counties.
Mohamed Hussein cites the princess’s refusal to…
Princess Haya, the wife of prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates – Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, attended the Leaders in Healthcare conference earlier this week in Dubai.
What is the Leaders in Healthcare conference?
The conference is one of the most reputable healthcare conferences in the Middle East. The conference attracts healthcare experts and leaders…
The Dragon Prince of Bhutan celebrates his first birthday
3rd February 2017
The Kingdom of Bhutan is celebrating a milestone as Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck – son of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (aka The Dragon King) and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan – turns one this coming Sunday, 5 February.
Posing for his official birthday…
Emperor to enjoy brief rest following fever
2nd February 2017
Although the Emperor of Japan is afforded no political powers by the Japanese Constitution, he still must attend to numerous other ceremonial duties, such as his opening of the Japanese National Diet earlier this year. Many of these are purely ceremonial, maintained out of a…
Prince buys 80 seats on a plane for his 80 falcons
1st February 2017
Dogs, cats, even ferrets, all animals that are fairly common to see on a flight, however, falcons may be another story.
In most western civilisations seeing the large bird aboard a plane would come as a shock, in the Middle East, it is a fairly common sight to see one or two the birds on a flight. Yet, even to locals, a Prince from Saudi Arabia surprised passengers when he took up 80 seats on an…