Tokyo: Dignitaries gather for prince’s funeral

Japan’s royal family, government officials, foreign dignitaries and the public gathered today to mourn the death of Prince Takamado in a funeral high in religious ritual.

The guests filed somberly to bow before the coffin as a lonely echo of a Japanese flute wafted through the “Renso-no-gi,” which means “funeral and entombment ceremony,” at the Toshimagaoka Cemetery.

The Imperial Household Agency said about 800 guests attended the ceremony.

Later the public would be able to pay respects, and a long line of mourners had formed by noon.

Takamado no Miya – Emperor Akihito’s cousin and seventh in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne -collapsed during a squash lesson Nov. 21 at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo.

The prince – a soccer fan, cellist, dance critic and promoter of international exchange :quot; was taken to a hospital where he died of heart failure hours later. He was 47.

London: Miss World contestants rehearse in London

Prepped to perform after fleeing from Muslim-Christian rioting in Nigeria, Miss World contestants were back in action Thursday in their first day of rehearsals for the relocated pageant.

“I was a little bit sad as it was not our fault,” said Miss Italy, Susanne Zuber, 19, taking a break from practicing her catwalk moves at a west London film studio. “But we should go on. It is a great experience.”

The glamorous extravaganza pulled out of Nigeria last weekend after rioting in the northern city of Kaduna left more than 200 people dead. Fighting broke out after a Nigerian newspaper published an article suggesting Islam’s founding prophet would have approved of the pageant.

“Some of the girls did panic and that created panic among the other girls,” said India’s representative, 22-year-old model Shruti Sharma.

Miss World organizer Julia Morley has rescheduled the grand finale for Dec. 7 at a north London exhibition hall.