Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, days after the International Criminal Court announced it was seeking his arrest for war crimes.
Top army generals, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leaders and representatives of regional militant groups were present in the capital as Iranian leaders mourned Mr Raisi, 63, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
It was Mr Haniyeh's first public appearance since the ICC announcement on Monday.
“I come in the name of the Palestinian people, in the name of the resistance factions of Gaza, to express our condolences,” he told mourners at Tehran University.
He recalled meeting Mr Raisi during Ramadan and repeated calls for support for the Palestinian cause, saying the Muslim world must “fulfil its obligations”.
The funeral ceremony was one of several planned before Mr Raisi's burial in Mashhad on Thursday.
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim, Tunisian President Kais Saied and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani were among regional leaders in attendance.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also travelled to Tehran for Mr Raisi's funeral, the Qatar News Agency reported.
Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya was attending on behalf of Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said.
Lebanon's National News Agency said a delegation including Parliament's Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib and other officials travelled to Tehran to offer their condolences.
Representatives from China, Pakistan and other nations were expected to arrive later on Wednesday.
Mr Haniyeh had met Mr Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who was also killed in Sunday's crash, during several visits to Iran since the war in Gaza broke out in October. He met with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later on Wednesday, state media reported.
Iranian leaders vowed to continue supporting Palestinian militant groups in a meeting with the Hamas leader in March.
The war in Gaza featured in the funeral ceremonies for Mr Raisi and his entourage, with one master of ceremonies chanting “Death to Israel” in Tehran and Palestinian flags flown during the funeral procession held in Tabriz on Tuesday.
Iran-aligned militant groups are fighting Israel on three separate fronts – Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah on Lebanon's southern border with Israel and Houthis in the Red Sea, where the Yemeni rebels have attacked commercial and military ships they claim are linked to Israel.
All paid tribute to Mr Raisi, with Hamas lauding him as a “tireless” supporter of the Palestinian resistance.
Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem was seen alongside Mr Haniyeh at the funeral ceremony.
The ICC's Chief Prosecutor on Monday said he would seek arrest warrants for Mr Haniyeh and fellow Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al Masri over the October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the Gaza war.
Karim Khan said he was also seeking a warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arguing that Israel had used starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza and was collectively punishing Palestinians for the Hamas attack.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant may also be issued with an arrest warrant as judges convene to consider the ICC application – a decision which may take months.
Brief scores:
Kashima Antlers 0
River Plate 4
Zuculini 24', Martinez 73', 90 2', Borre 89' (pen)
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Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
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Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
The specs
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Torque: 250Nm
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Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The years Ramadan fell in May
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Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
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Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
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Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
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Major honours
ARSENAL
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
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