Crowds gathered in Tehran for the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday morning, where several events will be held before his burial in Mashhad in north-eastern Iran.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has declared five days of national mourning, led funeral prayers at Tehran University, attended by foreign dignitaries and representatives of Iran-backed militant groups from across the region.
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was seen among mourners surrounding Mr Raisi's coffin as state TV broadcast footage of large crowds gathering across the capital, where black flags and Iranian flags intermingled on Tehran’s main thoroughfares.
Mourning ceremonies were held in Tabriz, north-western Iran, and the holy city of Qom on Tuesday, after the death of the Iranian leader in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
Mr Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and several other officials were killed in the crash while returning from the inauguration of a dam on the border with Azerbaijan.
The funeral cortege moved through central Tehran to the city's Enghelab Square on Wednesday afternoon.
State TV ran footage of clerics, army generals and other mourners crying at the university gathering, while crowds of Mr Raisi's supporters prayed in Enghelab Square and other sites across the city.
Tehran residents received phone messages urging them to “attend the funeral of the martyr of service”, AFP reported, while Wednesday was declared a national holiday.
Everyone onboard the helicopter died immediately except for Mohammed Ali Ale Hashem, Mr Khamenei's representative for East Azerbaijan province, the president's chief of staff said on Wednesday.
Mr Raisi's helicopter was the second of three travelling in a presidential convoy, Gholamhossein Esmaili said.
He said the weather was “good” before the convoy encountered fog in a “limited area".
Mr Ale Hashem used the pilot's phone to make a call, saying he was injured and surrounded by trees. He answered calls for three or four hours after the crash as rescue teams scoured the mountainside in heavy fog.
Tehran has refuted Ankara's claims a Turkish drone found the wreckage, claiming its own drones possess superior radar.
The Iranian army said one of its drones was recalled from the Indian Ocean and found the wreckage after a Turkish drone had scoured the area.
In his first public appearance since the International Criminal Court announced it would seek his arrest, Mr Haniyeh told mourners Mr Raisi was a “steadfast” supporter of the Palestinian cause and recalled meeting him on the Palestinian issue during Ramadan.
Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem was seen alongside Mr Haniyeh.
Egypt, Iraq, Armenia and China were among countries that sent representatives to Mr Raisi's funeral.
The hardline president, 63, who took office in 2021, had been widely expected to succeed Mr Khamenei, 85, as supreme leader.
State-run and affiliated media outlets published conflicting reports on the number of foreign dignitaries attending the funeral.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said more than 50 foreign delegations attended the ceremony in Tehran, including 10 heads of state.
Other media outlets suggested 15 heads of state and 40 foreign delegations had travelled to the capital.
Large crowds turned out in Tabriz on Tuesday as a lorry carrying the caskets of the deceased moved slowly through streets lined with portraits of Mr Raisi and his colleagues.
Their coffins were then transferred to Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport, where a guard of honour awaited, before a procession through the clerical heartland of Qom, south of Tehran.
Ceremonies will continue in Birjand, in eastern Iran, on Thursday morning, before the burial of Mr Raisi at the Imam Ali Reza shrine in Mashhad.
Mr Amirabdollahian will be buried in the Shah Abdol Azim shrine, in the city of Rey, in Tehran province, the final resting place of numerous clerics and politicians.
Mr Raisi's time in office was marked by some of the most tumultuous periods in Iran's history, including nationwide protests caused by the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
The 22-year-old died after being detained by the morality police in Tehran for wearing her hijab “improperly”.
Hundreds of people were killed in the ensuing clampdown on protests, with at least 20,000 arrested and several executed for joining demonstrations.
Iran also hastened its nuclear activity during Mr Raisi's presidency, enriching record levels of uranium despite international sanctions and banning UN inspectors from visiting nuclear sites. It also drew the ire of the EU for weapons sales to Russia.
Mr Khamenei has led tributes for the late president, while mourning from the general population has been muted, noting his role in the execution of political prisoners and oppression of regime critics.
The family of the IRGC's Quds Force Maj Gen Qassem Suleimani, who was assassinated by the US in Iraq in 2020, said Mr Raisi “lived as a martyr” and “came to a good end”.
Mr Raisi's predecessor, Hassan Rouhani, said a “bitter page has been turned in the book of the Islamic Revolution”.
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if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
Victims%20of%20the%202018%20Parkland%20school%20shooting
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
FIGHT%20CARD
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Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Racecard
%3Cp%3E%0D5pm%3A%20Al%20Maha%20Stables%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E5.30pm%3A%20Al%20Anoud%20Stables%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E6pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E6.30pm%3A%20Arabian%20Triple%20Crown%20Round%202%20%E2%80%93%20Group%203%20(PA)%20Dh%20300%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E7pm%3A%20Liwa%20Oasis%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(PA)%20Dh300%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%3A%20Dames%20Stables%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Moving%20Out%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SMG%20Studio%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Team17%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20One%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 592bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Price: Dh980,000
On sale: now
