The Sultan of Brunei: The Opulent World of Hassanal Bolkiah in Pictures

Brunei has begun phasing in a version of Sharia Islamic criminal law that allows for penalties such as amputation for theft and stoning for adultery.

Citizens can now be fined or jailed by Islamic courts for offences like not performing Friday prayers, pregnancy out of wedlock and indecent behaviour. More severe punishments such as flogging, amputation of limbs and stoning for offences such as theft, adultery and sodomy will be introduced in phases over the next two years.

May 5, 2014: People protest outside the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, over Brunei's strict sharia law penal code. Stephen Fry, Richard Branson and Ellen DeGeneres also joined the boycott of the Sultan's hotels which include the Dorchester in LondonReuters

The ruler of the tiny oil-rich southeast Asian nation, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, called the introduction of Sharia law as a "great achievement" for Brunei.

Once the world's richest man, Bolkiah acceded to the throne in 1967, following the abdication of his father. His worth is estimated at £12 billion, he lives in an 1,800-room palace and owns one of the world's most valuable collections of high-performance supercars.

1 August 1993. Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei watches a parade marking his 47th birthday with his youngest son, Prince Abdul Marteen, and his second wife, Hajjah Mariam – a former stewardess for Royal Brunei Airlines. He divorced her in 2003, stripping her of all her royal titles. In August 2005 he married a former Malaysian TV presenter, Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, 33 years younger than him. They divorced five years laterReuters

July 15, 1996: Prince Charles talks to the Sultan of Brunei during the Sultan's 50th birthday celebrations. The lavish festivities included a concert by Michael Jackson, who was reportedly paid $17 million, in a stadium built for the occasionReuters

September 18, 1998: The Queen and Prince Philip pose with the Sultan of Brunei, his son the Crown Prince and the Sultan's two wives before a banquet in the honour of the queen's three-day state visitAFP

August 11, 2001: A woman walks past a giant rocking horse at a multi-million dollar auction of 10,000 items that once belonged to Prince Jefri, the Sultan's estranged younger brotherReuters

September 9, 2004: The Sultan walks past his newly-wed son, Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah Bolkiah and his bride, Princess SarahAFP

July 15, 2006: Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, flanked by his first wife Queen Saleha and second wife Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, delivers a speech during his 60th birthday celebrationsReuters

May 23, 2008: The Sultan inspects weapons during his visit to the Parachute Regiment Training Centre of the Indian Army in BangaloreAFP

October 31, 2008: The Sultan of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah talks to Prince Charles as Camilla, talks to the Sultan's second wife, Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim,. His first wife Queen Saleha sits next to Charles during a royal banquet at the Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri BegawanReuters

February 23, 2009: Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah salutes the guard of honour during the country's 25th National Day celebrations in Bandar Seri Begawan. He was made an Honorary Admiral of the Royal Navy by the Queen in 2001Reuters

May 6, 2011: A Bruneian man kisses the hand of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah as he arrives for The 18th ASEAN Summit in JakartaReuters

July 15, 2011: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah salutes the royal guard of honour during his 65th birthday celebrations in Bandar Seri BegawanReuters

July 15, 2012: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah walks to inspect the royal guard of honour during his 66th birthday celebrations in Bandar Seri BegawanReuters

October 22, 2013: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announces the phased introduction of tough Islamic punishments including death by stoning for crimes such as adulteryAFP

February 12, 2014: The Sultan looks into the heads-up display of a Republic of Singapore Air Force Lockheed F16-D Fighting Falcon at the Singapore AirshowReuters

April 30, 2014: Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah delivers a speech to mark the implementation of Sharia Law, a controversial new penal code featuring tough Islamic criminal punishmentsAFP

May 5, 2014: Jay Leno protests outside the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, against the draconian punishment of women and gay people announced by the Sultan. Brunei is implementing a brand of Sharia Penal Code which calls for the stoning of people for offences including homosexual acts, adultery, sodomy and extramarital sexual relationsGetty

YOU MIGHT LIKE THISSponsored Content by Taboola

Oscar Pistorius Murder Trial: 'Sinister' Disgraced Runner Makes 'Very Disturbing' Approach to Kim Myers

Oscar Pistorius accused of 'sinister' approach to Kim Myers during trial adjournment.Reuters

Oscar Pistorius loomed over a woman and whispered to her in a "sinister" tone: "how do you sleep at night?" at his murder trial, it has been alleged.

Murder-accused track star Pistorius reportedly said it to a friend of Reeva Steenkamp during a break in proceedings, in what was branded a "very disturbing" incident by her lawyer.

Kim Myers claimed she was approached by the runner and he could yet be investigated for intimidation as a result, according to reports from South Africa.

Myers was a friend of Steenkamp and the sister of Gina Myers, who was best friends with the model gunned down by Pistorius in a hail of bullets on Valentine's Day last year.

Her family lawyer, Ian Levitt, said: "My client Kim Myers was approached by Oscar Pistorius in court today and, in a very sinister tone, was asked: "how do you sleep at night?"

"My client views this unwelcome approach as extremely disturbing and I have been in contact with the national prosecuting authority."

Lawyers for the Paralympian and Olympian denied the contact between Pistorius and Myers ever happened. Brian Webber said: "I'm not even going to dignify that with a comment. It's grossly untrue. He never said anything of the sort."

Following that, Levitt responded by accusing Pistorius of "lying". He told reporters Myers had been approached "in the presence of some witnesses, so his denial is obviously a lie".

Steenkamp stayed occasionally with the Myers' family in Johannesburg when Pistorius and she began dating. Kim Myers' father Cecil has spoken previously about having a negative impression of the disabled runner based upon his "hasty, impatient and very moody" behaviour.

Pistorius' alleged conact with Kim Myers came on the day after proceedings resumed at North Gauteng High Court. It began in unusual fashion with a religious group calling on Judge Thokozile Masipa to not jail Pistorius for killing Steenkamp – because he was "controlled by Satan" when he did it.

Pistorius denies premeditated murder and claims he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder inside his luxury home on the outskirts of Pretoria. The prosecution alleges he killed her following an argument between the couple.

Pistorius also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, both of which he denies.

The trial continues.

US Investigates China Rig Movement as Vietnam Vents Anger

Tanker Yuri Senkevich sails near the Lufeng oil field, 250 kilometers south-east of Hong Kong in the South China SeaReuters

The United States is investigating the recent movement of a massive Chinese oil rig that Vietnam says is now in its waters.

The Vietnamese complaint comes after US President Barack Obama visited the region in a demonstration of the US's ties with a number of allies, including Japan and South Korea.

Vietnam condemned the Chinese rig's operation in what it claims are its waters in the South China Sea and demanded that the Chinese state oil company remove it.

China responded by saying the rig is actually operating wholly within its waters.

Daniel Russel, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told Reuters that all sides should show caution.

"We believe that it is critically important for each of the claimant countries to exercise care and restraint," he said.

"The global economy is too fragile and regional stability is too important to be put at risk over short term economic advantage," he added.

During Barack Obama's presidency, the US has trumpeted a 'pivot to Asia,' as the White House seeks to counter China's growing influence in the region. However, the so-called pivot has yet to materialise, as the US Secretary of State John Kerry has been side-lined with complicated diplomatic pushes in the Middle East.

China claims nearly all of the territory in the South China Sea, rejecting rival claims from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. The country with the world's second largest economy is also embroiled in a bitter dispute with Japan over contested islands.

China's Maritime Safety body warned on Saturday that all vessels should remain one mile away from the rig. The exclusion zone was expanded to three miles on Monday.

The rig is owned by China's state-owned CNOOC oil company and is valued at $1bn. It was previously drilling south of Hong Kong, before being moved to its current, disputed location.

Dubai Property Market Could Overheat, IMF Warns

An advertising sign for a real estate company reading 'Keep Calm There's no Bubble' is seen on a building in the Marina district of Dubai.(Reuters)

Dubai should take "stronger measures" to prevent another property bubble inflating, the International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday.

Construction is booming in the Gulf emirate and prices are rising at their fastest rate since the market crashed in 2009.

Dubai's leadership has already taken steps to try and the stop the market from overheating, doubling sales duties to 4%, while the United Arab Emirates' central bank has imposed stricter controls on lending.

"These measures are good," said the Fund's regional director Masood Ahmed, adding there was a need for stronger action.

"It is time to consider stronger measures particularly in ways to discourage a quick turnaround," Ahmed told a forum in Dubai, warning against a surge in market players looking to make quick profits.

"I think it is time to consider some stronger measures to try to dampen what could possibly be speculative transactions in real estate," he said.

During the talk, he mentioned rules in Singapore where property sales made within a year of purchase are subjected to a 30% tax, suggesting that similarly strong sales taxes could help protect Dubai.

While the market is expanding rapidly, it remains dominated by cash buyers. Ahmed warned that any increase in debt-funded home purchases should signal the need for tighter controls in the sector.

Fuelled by foreign investors, Dubai experienced a stellar housing boom in the noughties, followed by an equally spectacular crash in 2009.

The emirate has recently begun attracting foreign cash once more, as regional uncertainty elsewhere and favourable property laws entice international investors. Its real estate sector has expanded along with the emirate's trade and tourism sectors in recent years.

Hot Shots Photos of the Day: Thai Earthquake, Afghan Landslide, Syria Blast

A pro-Russian activist aims a pistol at supporters of the Kiev government during clashes in the streets of Odessa.Reuters

Villagers mourn over the dead body of a woman at the site of a landslide in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan.Reuters

Debris rises in what Free Syrian Army fighters said was an operation to strike Al-Sahaba checkpoint, which is considered a gateway to Al-Dayf valley, and remove forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad.Reuters

A Buddhist monk checks a statue that was damaged by an earthquake at the Udomwaree temple in Chiang Rai, in northern Thailand.Reuters

A sign is seen in front of a home that was damaged by a tornado that tore through town of Louisville, Mississippi.Getty

A paramilitary policeman crawls under obstacles during a drill at a military base in Chaohu, Anhui province, China.Reuters

Israeli scouts are reflected in the pool of a monument at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem during a ceremony marking Memorial Day.Reuters

Pope Francis greets the crowd as he leaves at the end of a mass for the Polish community at the St Stanislaw church in Rome.Reuters

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, jokes with a crowd of women priests on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral before a special service to mark 20 years since women were first allowed to be ordained as priests.Getty

Nissa Katerahong, the winner of the Miss Tiffany's Universe transgender beauty contest, poses with the two runners up in Pattaya, Thailand.Getty

Models display creations during the Hair and Beauty World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany.Getty

The head of Edith Piaf's waxwork, wrapped in plastic, is seen at the Grevin Wax Museum's workshop in Paris before it is shipped to a new branch in Prague.Reuters

A man throws himself down a giant 90m (295ft) water slide that was installed along Park Street in Bristol.Getty

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Joe Allen react after drawing 3-3 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and putting their title bid in doubt.Reuters

Amir Khan of Britain punches Luis Collazo of the US during their welterweight fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.Reuters

Andy Murray of Great Britain serves during a practice session on day one of the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament.Getty

China's Ding Ning serves to Japan's Yuka Ishigaki during their women's final match at the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo.Reuters

A light projection transforms City Hall in London into a giant rugby ball to mark 500 days to go until the start of Rugby World Cup 2015.Getty