funeral

The late supreme leader will be buried in his hometown, the eastern holy city of Mashhad.

Huge crowds have gathered in the eastern holy city of Mashhad as Iran prepares to bury its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The burial in Khamenei’s hometown on Thursday follows a week of mass funeral processions, rallies and mourning ceremonies held across Iran, including a day dedicated to neighbouring Iraq.

There were marathon ceremonies to project strength and unity amid the US-Israel war on Iran, which began with strikes by the two countries on Tehran that killed Khamenei and several of his relatives on February 28.

Despite a promised pause in US attacks, Khamenei’s burial ceremony comes after the US and Iran traded attacks for a second day.

After massive processions in Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, Khamenei’s remains arrived on Thursday at Mashhad international airport, footage shared by the official news agency IRNA showed.

Iraq’s paramilitary group Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), or Hashd al-Shaabi, said on Wednesday more than 2.3 million people took part in Khamenei’s funeral procession in Najaf alone.

Khamenei’s remains, along with those of four family members killed alongside him, were also paraded through Tehran and the Shia clerical centre of Qom.

The Tasnim news agency and the broadcaster Press TV reported that millions of mourners attended the funeral procession in Tehran, with Iranian officials describing the event as the “largest public gathering in the country’s modern history”.

Crowds marched through Mashhad on Thursday morning, waving Iranian flags, photographs of Khamenei and placards with revolutionary slogans.

The mourners also chanted slogans demanding vengeance against US President Donald Trump for his role in the assassination.

“I swear by the blood of the supreme leader, Trump, we will kill you,” they shouted, with women holding up placards reading “Kill Trump”.

The incumbent supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been notably absent from the processions. He has not yet appeared in public since taking over days after his father’s assassination.

Officials have said he was wounded in the air strikes that killed his father, but the severity of his injuries remains unclear.

Iranian state television reported that Khamenei’s burial ceremony in Mashhad would be pushed to 2:30pm local time (11:00 GMT) as larger-than-expected crowds had delayed the funeral processions in Iraq.

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar Atas said Iranian officials had confirmed that the overnight US attacks on the Tehran-Mashhad railway line, which have put it out of service, had not delayed the burial ceremony.

Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, head of the late leader’s office, said Khamenei had requested to be buried in Mashhad, near the shrine of Imam Reza, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.

TALLIA Storm has shared an emotional tribute to her late father Sascha following his funeral on Wednesday and praised mum Tessa Hartmann for her strength during the difficult time. 

Last month Real Housewives of Jersey star Tessa revealed her husband had passed away suddenly. 

Today pop star Tallia took to social media to share moments from the day as the family celebrated Sascha’s life. 

She wrote: “Wednesday wasn’t just a funeral.

It was a celebration of life. Our favourite gospel choir flew in from London, Zac on the saxophone followed by Zac on keys and me singing ‘Sunny’.

“Johnnie, Kae & my amazing Mum with an incredible speech… Tessie’s strength & nothing but love across the entire church.

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“A celebration of the greatest man we’ve ever known.The entire day felt like we were in a film, sadly, the film was a real life story.”

Tallia included a clip of her singing at the funeral, showing her performing an emotional rendition of Sunny by Bobby Hebb.

She added: “Thank you to my unbelievably amazing Mum for being so strong at a time where our worlds have shattered.”

Tessa shared her own heartbreak last month when she revealed Sascha’s passing. 

She wrote: “This August we were meant to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Instead, I am organising his funeral.”

“The past 24 hours have passed in a blur. We are utterly shattered. Broken beyond anything I could ever have imagined. 

“I ask, if you are able, to keep our family in your prayers as we try to find the strength to face the days ahead.

“Sascha, we loved every single part of you. Your kindness. Your laughter. Your humour. Your remarkable mind. Your music. Your beautiful piano playing. We will keep playing your songs, telling your stories, and carrying your love with us for the rest of our lives.

“Until we meet again, my love. My person. My soulmate. My best friend. The father of our four beautiful children. Thank you for giving me the greatest gift of all – our family. I will cherish that, and you, forever.”

Millions of people have attended funeral prayers in Tehran for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike on February 28. Aerial video reveals the scale of the crowd.

Iran has marked the second day of funeral processions for its late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Masses of supporters came to view his body despite a sweltering heatwave, with water misters installed at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Hall and volunteers distributing cold drinks to mourners.

An estimated 10 million mourners attended Iran’s first Supreme Leader’s funeral in 1989, making it one of the world’s largest gatherings. As Iran prepares for the funeral of Khamenei, it’s expecting even bigger numbers.

CELEBRITIES are turning up in droves for Jake Hall‘s funeral this afternoon.

Boxer Derek Chisora is among the celebrities arriving at Grade-I church St Mary the Virgin, in Wanstead, London, for the service.

Cops found the 35-year-old former reality show star in a pool of blood after he ran through a single-glazed glass door.

He was found dead at a Spanish holiday villa with head injuries after a night out partying on May 6.

Officers were called to the rented house in Santa Margalida in the north of the holiday island at around 7.30am.

Police quizzed four men and two women staying at the house.

They reportedly told officers that they had been out in the evening and continued partying after returning to the property in the early hours.

Authorities have not released the nationalities of the others who were at the property.

The Guardia Civil confirmed there was no “criminal activity”.

Hours before he died, he shared a last post on Instagram vowing to “remember the good things”.

Set to the Rolling Stones’ classic Beast of Burden, it showed him enjoying painting, Spanish scenery and fashion.

It was captioned: “Life is bollocks sometimes but I’m gonna try remember the good things – ️ looking through things – I’m just making art – in many forms.”

Footballer and model Jake leaves behind the mother of his child, Misse Beqiri, who he had an on-off relationship with since 2016.

The couple share a daughter, River, who was born in November 2017.

Misse posted an emotional tribute, writing: “There was no way you were ever supposed to go. My heart is shattered, and so is our daughter’s.

“You lit up every room you walked into – your smile, your charm, your energy filled the air.”

She then paid tribute to his love of music and creativity, as well as how many people really loved him.

Chloe Lewis also posted a tribute to her “first love” at the time of his death,

Chloe, who began a 10 year relationship with Jake when she was 16, shared a collection of photos on Instagram from their time together and wrote heartbreaking words that moved celeb pals including Michelle Keegan and Ferne McCann.

“My first love, my childhood sweetheart,” began Chloe. “A love that taught me so much about life and myself, and even more so now your presence is no longer here.”

In their early 20s Towie turned them into stars, but fame had a detrimental impact on their relationship.

Chloe said neither of them wanted to be in the public eye and the pressures of the show put a strain on their romance.

Leading tributes to the star at the time of his death was legendary DJ Fat Tony, who shared an image of the star and captioned it: “Devastating news we Love you such an awful loss to the world you beautiful man x.”

Blue’s Antony Costa wrote: “So sad, what a lovely bloke you were mate R.I.P.”

Love Island’s Jack Fincham wrote on a picture of the pair posted on Instagram: “Cannot believe what I have just read. Condolences to Jake’s family a very sad day. Rest in perfect peace mate.”

Jake first shot to fame on The Only Way Is Essex in 2015, where he famously dated Chloe Lewis before quitting the show in 2024.

Funerals will be held for Lebanese officers killed in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon, as Beirut’s army chief headed to Pakistan on a surprise visit amid ongoing mediation efforts in the wider United States-Israel war on Iran.

The Lebanese soldiers will be laid to rest on Sunday, a day after the brigadier general, captain and soldier were killed in an Israeli strike on a military vehicle on the Khardali-Nabatieh road, in an incident the Israeli army said it was investigating.

A ceasefire agreed on April 17 was meant to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israel has continued to carry out near-daily attacks, prompting retaliatory ones from the Lebanese group. The violence has taken a disproportionate toll on civilians in Lebanon, where more than 3,500 people have been killed since hostilities resumed on March 2.

A further conditional ceasefire was announced by Lebanese and Israeli envoys last week in Washington, but was rejected by Hezbollah as it did not include the group or provide for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal left on Saturday for Pakistan, which has emerged as a central mediator between the US and Iran.

The visit is notable given the insistence by Washington – and by Lebanese leaders, including the president – that ceasefire talks for Lebanon remain separate from the US-Iran negotiations ‌mediated by Pakistan.

Fighting continues in southern Lebanon

Meanwhile, Israeli attacks hit several towns across southern Lebanon and the western Bekaa overnight, while Hezbollah said it launched rockets, artillery fire, and drone attacks against Israeli forces, including near the Beaufort Castle in Yohmor al-Shaqif.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said on Sunday that an Israeli raid on the town of Saksakiyeh a day earlier killed at least two people. The ministry added that 22 people were wounded in the attack, including three children and a woman.

Two others were wounded following an Israeli drone attack on the town of Shahabiyeh, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Israeli air attacks also hit the town of Qalawiya at dawn, and the towns of al-Qatrani, Byblos and Rihan in the Jezzine district overnight. The town of Deir Kifa in the Tyre district was also bombed, while Barashit and Chaqra in the same district were subjected to intermittent artillery shelling overnight.

NNA also reported artillery shelling in the towns of al-Mansouri and Bayt al-Sayyad in the Tyre district.

Israeli warplanes launched an attack on the town of Srifa. Local media also reported that Israeli fighter jets attacked Dweir, near Nabatieh, north of the Litani River.

Paramedics, meanwhile, continue to look for survivors under the rubble following Israeli attacks.

“The pattern is part of what is being called the Gazafication of Lebanon, or Israel using actions normalised by the Gaza genocide,” said Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

“The targeting of schools in southern Lebanon, just like Gaza. Bombing Lebanese hospitals and clinics, also like Gaza. And the murder of journalists. Then there’s these so-called double-tap attacks against paramedics and rescue workers. Hundreds of Palestinian and Lebanese paramedics have been killed with this unlawful practice.”

Gazafication extends to the ceasefire, too, she added.

“The ‘Yellow Line’, first introduced in Gaza, has now swallowed 60 percent of the territory. In Lebanon, the ‘Yellow Line’ now includes nearly a fifth of the country. Both invisible lines keep expanding,” said Odeh.

No choice but negotiations, says Lebanese lawmaker

Najat Aoun Saliba, an independent member of Lebanon’s parliament, meanwhile, condemned Israel’s killing of the Lebanese soldiers and said President Joseph Aoun has no choice but to enter into negotiations with Israel.

“If we don’t have negotiations, what is the alternative? Is the alternative going to war? The war is not going to give us peace,” she told Al Jazeera.

Saliba said dialogue was the only viable path given the imbalance of power between Israel and Lebanon’s armies.

“The balance of power between the armies is not to be compared. Israel has a very strong army backed up by the United States. The Lebanese Armed Forces have been sidelined by a political will for 30 years, because they wanted to strengthen the presence of Hezbollah,” she said.

The lawmaker added that Hezbollah has not been able to stop Israeli aggression.

“Hezbollah is not able to stop any of these war crimes, and it’s not able to stop any of the invasions that Israel is doing. I think with … all these massacres and destruction, I don’t think we have a choice.”

The killing of Brigadier General Wissam Sabra, Captain Elie Khoury and soldier Hussein Ghozal came at a tense moment amid broader efforts to strike a deal between the US, Iran, Hezbollah, the Lebanese government and Israel.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the attack was “aimed at thwarting all efforts to reach a solution”, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described it as “a heinous crime and an attack on Lebanon and all Lebanese people”.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel on March 2, following joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Tehran has made a ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah a condition for any peace deal with Washington.

Audiences looking for a classic British comedy in the vein of Richard Curtis’ Four Weddings and a Funeral should look no further

Fans of Beyond Paradise trying to fill the hole after the latest series wrapped up should check this hilarious comedy-drama starring Kris Marshall.

Marshall’s 2007 movie Death at a Funeral sees hilarity and chaos reign when one man tries to put his recently deceased father to rest after a mysterious guest shows up at the ceremony.

Thrown into the mix is accidentally drug ingestion, family tensions, dry wit and slapstick humour all blended together perfectly.

Death at a Funeral boasts an all-star including Pride and Prejudice and Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen, Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage, Keeley Hawes from The Durrells, Sherlock star Rupert Graves, Trainspotting actor Ewen Bremner, The Capture’s Andy Nyman, and Firefly’s Alan Tudyk, along with Marshall.

Although the movie was directed by Bowfinger filmmaker Frank Oz and shot in America, Death at a Funeral is very much a British comedy at its heart.

Death at a Funeral was remade in 2010 by the same production team, including writer Dean Craig, who penned the original and star Dinklage, who reprised his role for the film. However, the original movie is still hailed as the best version.

The film has been praised by audiences on IMDb, who have waxed lyrical about the British comedy.

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One person wrote on their 10/10 review: “It’s been a while since there’s been a genuinely good British farce, but this one pressed all the right buttons.”

Another person posted: “Death at a Funeral has a distinct Four Weddings and a Funeral feel.”

They elaborated: “Despite being directed by a Yank, Death at a Funeral has a very British flavour.

“In fact, at times it reminded me of nothing less than an extended episode of Fawlty Towers, minus the manic genius of John Cleese.”

A third user said their “nearly died laughing” in their 9/10 review and explained: “This film reminded me a bit of “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, but even more of those British madcap black comedies of the 60s with Alec Guinness or Peter Sellers.”

Someone else titled their 10/10 review: “One of the years best comedies” and said “When we came out of the theater, we’ve had tears in our eyes – it was just too hilarious! I haven’t laughed that much in a movie for quite a while [sic].” Adding: “You won’t regret watching it!”

Death at a Funeral is streaming on Prime Video for a fee

Dozens of mourners, journalists and family attended the funeral of Amal Khalil, a Lebanese journalist who was killed in an Israeli attack in south Lebanon. Heidi Pett breaks down what we know about the incident, and Khalil’s last message to her family.