The funeral procession for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi began on Tuesday, with events to be held across the country before he is buried in the north-eastern city of Mashhad on Thursday.
Funeral rites began in the city of Tabriz, in East Azerbaijan province, where a lorry carrying the remains of the president and his entourage were paraded through tightly packed streets as government officials gave speeches to the crowd.
Mourners also gathered in Tehran's Valiasr Square ahead of the cortege arriving in the capital on Wednesday.
The hardline president, 63, died in a helicopter crash in north-western Iran on Sunday night. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, East Azerbaijan provincial Governor Malik Rahmati and Mohammed Ali Ale Hashem, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative to East Azerbaijan, were also killed.
State TV broadcast scenes of large crowds of mostly men in Tabriz, where streets were adorned with images of the Mr Raisi and others killed in the crash.
The remains were then flown to Tehran's Mehrabad Airport before being transferred to the holy city of Qom, where Mr Raisi studied at a seminary as a teenager.
Some Tabriz mourners held Palestinian flags, while many others held pictures of Mr Raisi with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani, who was killed in a US air strike in January 2020.
Mr Raisi was travelling to Tabriz when the helicopter crashed in heavy fog, near the village of Tavil. On Tuesday night, a “people's farewell” ceremony is to be held at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran.
About 70 rescue teams searched mountainous terrain on foot overnight before finding the wreckage of their Bell 212 helicopter on Monday morning.
As mourning ceremonies got under way, Iran's Assembly of Experts – a body which appoints the supreme leader – met in Tehran for the first time since elections in March, with a portrait of Mr Raisi placed on an empty seat.
The assembly appointed Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani, Tehran's Imam for Friday Prayers, as its new chairman.
Mr Raisi's body will be taken on Wednesday morning from Tehran University towards the city's Azadi Square, before a ceremony is held involving delegation of high-ranking foreign officials. Mr Khamenei will also pray over Mr Raisi's body in Tehran.
Another funeral ceremony will be held in the eastern city of Birjand, before Mr Raisi is buried in his hometown of Mashhad, state news agency Irna reported.
Five days of national mourning were declared by Mr Khamenei following the death of the president, who was widely expected to succeed the 85-year-old as supreme leader.
Iranian authorities have declared Wednesday to be a national holiday. The second Wednesday in June has also been declared an official holiday from now on.
National exams scheduled for this week have been cancelled and governors may decide to “close” provinces where funeral ceremonies are held, Iran said.
While flags are flying at half-mast and black banners have been raised at shrines in Qom, where Mr Raisi studied in a seminary as a teenager, the mood among the Iranian public has varied.
Mr Raisi was unpopular with many and was known as the “butcher of Tehran” for his role in the execution of about 5,000 political detainees in the 1980s.
More recently, the arrest and killing of demonstrators during the Mahsa Amini protests, and the tightening of restrictions on women's freedoms, also hardened opposition towards the president.
Critics of the regime have held events outside Iranian embassies in the UK and Canada since his death was announced.
Iran's First Vice President Mohammed Mokhber was named interim president, while Ali Bagheri Kani, who lead Iran's nuclear negotiations with western powers, has replaced Mr Amirabdollahian as foreign minister.
Iran is to hold presidential elections on June 28. Iran held parliamentary polls in March that were marred by a record low turnout of voters, with public apathy compounded by crackdowns on critics of the regime and an economy hit hard by sanctions.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
Kibsons%20Cares
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
HOW TO WATCH
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The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Read more about the coronavirus
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
