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The funeral for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with his burial in his hometown, the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, on July 9, state media reported Saturday.July 4, the start date of the national funeral, will coincide with the United States's Independence Day, which this year celebrates its 250th anniversary.Khamenei was killed on the first day of Israeli and US airstrikes against Iran on February 28.The 86-year-old cleric had been at the helm of the Islamic Republic for 36 years.The funeral arrangements will include ceremonies on July 7 in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, media said.Islamic law requires the deceased to be buried as soon as possible, and ideally within 24 hours of death, but exceptions are allowed, for example in time of war.During his rule, Khamenei built Iran into a powerful anti-US force, spreading its military sway across the Middle East through proxy forces such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, while using an iron fist to crush outbreaks of unrest at home.Khamenei remained a strong critic of the United States throughout his rule, while successive administrations tried unsuccessfully to resolve a dispute with Iran over its nuclear programme.The airstrike that killed him pulverised his central Tehran compound.His 56-year-old son Mojtaba, who also lost his wife in the airstrike and was himself injured, succeeded his father as Supreme Leader.Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since his appointment and communicates only through statements attributed to him.Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that Iran and the United States had agreed on a framework for a peace deal after more than three months of war and are expected to sign the initial deal in the next 24 hours. 

 Citizens turned out in large numbers to bid farewell to HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah as he was laid to rest in Al Kharaitiyat Cemetery, northern Doha.He passed away on Wednesday in London, after a distinguished public service career spanning more than five decades, leaving behind a legacy widely recognised for shaping Qatar’s modern energy sector and its international diplomatic standing.Born in Qatar on December 5, 1952, Al Attiyah began his professional journey in 1972 at the Ministry of Finance and Petroleum. Early in his career, he served from 1973 to 1986 as Head of International and Public Relations at the ministry, building foundational experience in international energy relations and government administration.Between 1986 and 1989, he served as Director of the Office of the Ministry of Interior, before becoming Acting Minister of Finance and Petroleum from 1989 to 1992. In 1992, he was appointed Minister of Energy and Industry, as well as Chief Executive and Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum, marking a pivotal stage in his leadership of Qatar’s energy development.His influence extended far beyond national borders. In 1993, he served as President of OPEC, contributing to key decisions on oil production coordination among member states. He also held membership in OPEC’s production quota compliance committee. Throughout his career, he played a central role in advancing Qatar’s position within global energy markets.Al-Attiyah’s international leadership continued with his election in 2006 as President of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. In 2012, he chaired the 18th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP18) in Doha, a landmark event that produced the “Doha Gateway” outcomes, including the extension of the Kyoto Protocol and important commitments on climate finance and support for developing countries. The conference also helped establish a roadmap toward the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015.In 2009, he was elected President of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), where he contributed to strengthening the organisation and securing Doha as its permanent headquarters. He also served as Acting Secretary-General of the forum during its transitional period.Domestically, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in 2003 and later Deputy Prime Minister in 2007. In 2011, he became President of the Amiri Diwan, and subsequently held key positions including Head of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority and Chairman of the State Planning Committee. His final role was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Al Attiyah Foundation.Over the course of his career, he received numerous honours, including Qatar’s Independence Collar awarded by the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Order of Orange-Nassau from The Netherlands, and Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun. He also received honourary doctorates from Texas A&M University and the University of Tor Vergata in Italy, in recognition of his contributions to governance, transparency, and global energy policy. 

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani performed the funeral prayer for the martyrs of the nation who passed away while performing their national duty after a Qatar Armed Forces helicopter crash in the country's territorial waters. The prayer was held after Maghrib prayer at Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha Sunday.Also performing the prayer were His Highness the Personal Representative of the Amir Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani; His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani; His Excellency Sheikh Jassim bin Khalifa al-Thani; and His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani.It was also attended by His Excellency Speaker of the Shura Council Hassan bin Abdullah al-Ghanim; a number of Their Excellencies the Sheikhs and Ministers; Turkish ambassador Dr Mustafa Goksu; senior officers and members of the Qatar Armed Forces and the Qatari-Turkish joint forces; and a large number of citizens and residents.HH the Amir participated alongside the families of the martyrs in the funeral procession, and offered his condolences to the martyrs' relatives, seeking Allah's mercy upon the martyrs, to grant them paradise, and to inspire their families with patience and solace.Earlier, the Ministry of Defence disclosed that a military helicopter crashed following a technical malfunction during routine duty, resulting in the martyrdom of all seven personnel on board.The ministry announced in a statement on X that the crash occurred early Sunday, with search and rescue operations launched immediately to locate the crew and passengers. As operations concluded, the seventh and final missing victim, Captain (Pilot) Saeed Nasser Smeikh, a member of the Qatar Armed Forces, was confirmed martyred, bringing the total number of those lost to seven.The six others confirmed martyred earlier were Captain (Pilot) Mubarak Salem Daway al-Marri, Sergeant Fahd Hadi Ghanem al- Khayarin, and Corporal Mohammed Maher Mohammed of the Qatar Armed Forces, as well as Major (Air Defence) Sinan Tastekin, a member of the Qatar-Turkiye Joint Forces, along with civilian collaborators Suleiman Cemra Kahraman and Ismail Anas Can, both Turkish nationals.The Ministry of Interior, in a separate statement posted on its official X account, also confirmed that all bodies had been recovered as search and rescue operations concluded. Specialised teams had conducted intensive operations throughout the day to locate the final missing person.Both ministries extended their deepest condolences and sincere sympathies to the families of the martyrs, praying that Almighty God grants them His vast mercy, and gives their families and loved ones patience and solace.  

The Ministry of Interior has announced that the funeral prayer for the martyrs of Israel’s brutal targeting — including the Martyr of Duty, Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed Al-Humaidi Al-Dosari of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) — will be held today, Thursday, September 11, 2025, after Asr prayer at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Wahab Mosque in Doha, followed by burial at Mesaimeer Cemetery.The Ministry extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the martyrs.

Yemen's Houthi fighters held a funeral Monday for their prime minister and 11 other senior officials killed in an Israeli air strike that decimated its political cabinet.Twelve coffins draped in flags were displayed at Sanaa's Al-Shaab mosque, as masked gunmen patrolled the area and thousands of mourners flooded in.Houthi prime minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, nine ministers and two cabinet officials were killed as they attended a government meeting in the Sanaa area on Thursday.It was the highest profile assassination to be announced in Yemen in months of attacks by Israel during the Gaza war. The United States also waged an intense bombing campaign against Houthi targets from March to May this year.The Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones towards Israel throughout the Gaza war.Monday, the Israeli military said it had intercepted a drone launched from Yemen before it entered Israeli territory.On Sunday, the Houthis detained at least 11 United Nations workers as part of a round-up, prompting a protest from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.A Yemeni security source told AFP on Saturday that Houthi authorities had arrested dozens of people in Sanaa and other areas "on suspicion of collaborating with Israel".The Houthis also fired a missile at an Israeli tanker in the Red Sea on Sunday, reprising a campaign they have waged throughout the Gaza war.The missile landed close to the Liberian-flagged Scarlet Ray with a "loud bang", the UK Maritime Trade Operations monitoring agency said.The Houthis, part of Iran's "axis of resistance" of anti-Israeli groups, vowed to step up their attacks on Israel following Thursday's killings.Their campaign of missile and drone strikes at Israel and on shipping in the Red Sea, a major cargo route, has persisted throughout the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians.Last week's Israeli strike wiped out about half of the 22-strong Houthi cabinet, which plays a mainly administrative role.Rahawi, the late prime minister, was from the southern province of Abyan, which is not part of the large swathes of Yemen under Houthi control.The Houthis, who hail from divided Yemen's rugged north, have traditionally reserved the premiership for southerners in an attempt to win hearts and minds.US-based Yemen analyst Mohammed al-Basha said Thursday's strike may signal an Israeli shift towards targeted killings, an approach that gutted the leadership of Gaza rulers Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon.The attack could mark "the beginning of a campaign of targeted assassinations against both civilian and military Houthi leadership, even at informal gatherings", he posted on X, calling it a "bad day" for the group.