Emperor Akihito Consoles His People in Television Address

Emperor Akihito of Japan comforted his people in a rare televised address on Wednesday. In his speech, he told the country not to "abandon hope" despite the devastation caused by last Friday’s earthquake and tsunami. The emperor also expressed his sorrow and conveyed sympathy for the deaths and damages caused by the catastrophic event.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are awaiting confirmation from officials to go visit the affected areas.

Queen Rania Discusses Her Children’s Book on “The View” and “Good Morning America”

Queen Rania of Jordan appeared on the US television shows “The View” and “Good Morning America” this week to promote her new children’s book “The Sandwich Swap.” It continues the queen’s quest to encourage cross-cultural dialogue by relating to an actual event in her life.

Below is Queen Rania’s interview on ABC’s “The View.”


Below is Queen Rania’s interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Rania Endorses Toys of Hope

A couple of weeks ago, Queen Rania of Jordan advocated for world peace on British television, but this time she used another venue to broadcast support for a toy fund drive at a local Jordanian radio station. She praised the staff at the radio station for launching the community initiative Toys of Hope and said, "You've managed, through a very simple project, a very simple idea, to capture what Ramadan is about – it's about compassionate giving and caring for others and to really channel that spirit into something very productive and positive. So I hope through your initiative you've managed to bring a lot of 'play time' to all of our children."

The donated toys are given to orphanages and day care centers around Jordan.