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Prayers Offered for Iran's Khamenei on Day Two of Funeral Ceremonies

Mourners gather at the Grand Mosalla to pay their final respects to Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the start of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran on July 4, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
Mourners gather at the Grand Mosalla to pay their final respects to Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the start of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran on July 4, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
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Prayers Offered for Iran's Khamenei on Day Two of Funeral Ceremonies

Mourners gather at the Grand Mosalla to pay their final respects to Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the start of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran on July 4, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
Mourners gather at the Grand Mosalla to pay their final respects to Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the start of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran on July 4, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /

Prayers were held Sunday over the casket of Iran's late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the second day of funeral ceremonies that have drawn huge crowds to pay their final respects in Tehran.

Khamenei ruled the Iranian republic from 1989 until he was killed aged 86 in an airstrike on the first day of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28.

Sunday's service at Tehran's Grand Mosalla complex was led by prominent Shia cleric Ja'far Sobhani, a 97-year-old scholar who teaches in seminaries at the holy city of Qom.

Khamenei's son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei, who is said to have been wounded in the February 28 attack, has not appeared in public since being named supreme leader and was notably absent from the funeral prayers.

The late supreme leader's other three sons, Masoud, Mostafa and Meysam, were in attendance.

Sunday was declared a public holiday across Iran, and later in the day, Khamenei's body will be moved from the Grand Mosalla complex where it is lying in state in preparation for processions through the capital on Monday.

The vast religious complex and surrounding streets were packed with mourners on Sunday morning, AFP journalists saw.

With temperatures set to exceed 35C, mourners carrying Iranian flags and portraits of Khamenei, as they made their way to the Grand Mosalla, were handed refreshments.

President Masoud Pezeshkian attended the ceremony alongside senior officials including parliament speaker and Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, state television footage showed.

Khamenei's coffin, draped in the Iranian flag and topped with his black turban, was placed alongside the coffins of four relatives also killed in the February strikes, including an infant granddaughter.

Authorities have said they expect more than 10 million people to take part in ceremonies in Tehran.

- Allies in attendance -

After five weeks of intense hostilities, the Middle East war is on hold after a ceasefire and an initial accord with the US. But both Washington and Tehran have warned they are ready to resume fighting at any time.

Khamenei's funeral is being viewed outside Iran as a test of support for the government following mass protests before the war in January that rights groups say were quelled by a crackdown that left thousands dead.

"What is observed today in the emotions, tears, and passionate presence of the people in various scenes is the most telling sign of his position among the Iranian nation and the free people of the world," Pezeshkian said in a speech Saturday, accusing Israel in particular of acting as a "destabilizing factor" in the Middle East.

"Muslims have shown that they will not surrender to oppression and bullying," he added.

Khamenei had long pursued a course of confrontation with the West, and Tehran for years has provided support to anti-US and anti-Israel armed groups around the region, including Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Delegations from both groups met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday, state media reported, while representatives of Yemen's Houthis and Hamas ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad were also in attendance at the funeral.

After Monday's procession, Khamenei's coffin will be moved on Tuesday to Qom, then on Wednesday to neighboring Iraq, before the burial on Thursday in his northeastern hometown of Mashhad.

Significant security measures have been imposed in the capital, and official media has warned attendees of the risk of crowd crushes.

Organizers have also taken measures to mitigate a heatwave that may nudge 40C in Tehran over the next few days, with crowds on Saturday sprayed with mists of water to keep cool at the Grand Mosalla complex.

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World

Venezuela Quake Death Toll Rises to Nearly 3,000

A drone view shows heavy machinery being used at the site of a damaged buildings in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 4, 2026. (Reuters)
A drone view shows heavy machinery being used at the site of a damaged buildings in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 4, 2026. (Reuters)
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Venezuela Quake Death Toll Rises to Nearly 3,000

A drone view shows heavy machinery being used at the site of a damaged buildings in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 4, 2026. (Reuters)
A drone view shows heavy machinery being used at the site of a damaged buildings in the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, in La Guaira, Venezuela, July 4, 2026. (Reuters)

Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes killed nearly 3,000, updated official figures showed on Saturday, as international rescue teams began winding down search operations for survivors in the rubble of the disaster.

Fatalities jumped by more than 300 from Friday to 2,954, following the June 24 disaster that has left thousands homeless in the streets and sheltering in camps.

Tens of thousands more are still reported missing. The government has not given any estimates, but the United Nations has estimated as many as 50,000 are unaccounted for following the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude shocks.

One of Latin America's worst earthquake disasters hit hardest in the coastal La Guaira area north of the capital Caracas, where scores of residential complexes were flattened.

Ten days after the double shocks, which came just 38 seconds apart, rescue teams are starting to wrap up searches for survivors while families still try to recover bodies of loved ones from the wreckage.

The critical window for rescues in disasters like earthquakes usually ends after 72 hours, though a few people have been found alive this week.

In an apparent sign that rescue missions were closing up, interim President Delcy Rodriquez held a ceremony to hand out medals to international teams, including their rescue dogs.

Venezuela is experiencing "a profound grief gripping our people, where families still hold out hope of finding loved ones alive, people who have lost everything," Rodriquez said.

International disaster teams, including some US squads, and some South American teams were starting to finish up rescue operations, their members said on Saturday.

The Los Angeles County fire department rescue team is ending operations after its latest searches showed no signs of life, and teams from Florida and Virginia were packing up to leave this weekend, they said.

Many Venezuelans have expressed anger at what they see as their government's slow response to the disaster, saying families spent initial hours digging out loved ones themselves before international teams arrived.

Rodriguez has defended her government's response, saying thousands of troops and officials had been dispatched.

In La Guaira, workers with heavy machinery on Saturday were starting to knock down collapsed structures while in others, families were still trying to remove bodies of loved ones for funerals.

"We're still working, still searching for bodies. We're still going. It hasn't been easy," said Venezuelan volunteer Francisco Sasquia helping dig out a collapsed residence.

"We found two bodies that have already been released to their families."

- Economic fallout -

The United Nations has estimated that the twin earthquakes caused $6.7 billion in physical damage, equivalent to six percent of GDP for Venezuela, an oil exporting country.

Even before last week's disaster struck, Venezuela had struggled with decades of economic crisis and political upheaval that undermined its infrastructure and health services.

Maiquetia international airport in La Guaira, which serves Caracas, was also damaged in the quakes. It has reopened partially to allow humanitarian flights to land, but commercial flights are still suspended.

"We are in touch with some international partners, countries that will help in restoring the Maiquetia international airport," Rodriguez said at another event. "A plan will be ready next week."

For Víctor Colivert, the most important thing now was staying by the side of his nephew's body, recovered from a building's wreckage and now in a black body bag.

He fears losing it in the chaos. His family prevented forensic workers from taking the body away.

"If I have to go to China, to wherever, but I'm not leaving him alone," he said. "I'm going with him."

World

Xi Says Ready to Work with Kim for ‘Stable’ China-N. Korea Ties

Chinese President and Secretary General of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping applauds during the celebration of the 105th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing, China, 01 July 2026. (EPA)
Chinese President and Secretary General of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping applauds during the celebration of the 105th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing, China, 01 July 2026. (EPA)
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Xi Says Ready to Work with Kim for ‘Stable’ China-N. Korea Ties

Chinese President and Secretary General of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping applauds during the celebration of the 105th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing, China, 01 July 2026. (EPA)
Chinese President and Secretary General of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping applauds during the celebration of the 105th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, in Beijing, China, 01 July 2026. (EPA)

China's President Xi Jinping said he was ready to work with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to steer their bilateral relationship toward "long-term, sound and stable" development, Pyongyang's state media reported Sunday.

The exchange follows Xi's rare visit to North Korea last month, when the two leaders pledged to deepen ties as tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula and Pyongyang expands its military cooperation with Russia.

In a message dated July 1, Xi thanked Kim for his congratulatory message marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of China's Communist Party, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Xi said Kim's message reflected the "deep and warm feelings" of the North Korean leader, the ruling Workers' Party and the North Korean people toward China.

"The Communist Party of China and the Workers' Party of Korea are the Marxist ruling parties," Xi said, adding that the two countries had stood together for national independence and had jointly advanced the socialist cause over generations.

"I am ready to guide the relevant sectors and regions of both sides to the full implementation of the important common understanding achieved among us and lead the China-DPRK relations to a long-term, sound and stable development," Xi said, using the initials of the North's official name.

Referring to his recent state visit to Pyongyang, Xi thanked Kim for the "enthusiastic and friendly" hospitality during the trip.

The message came in response to a letter from Kim, who described their summit in Pyongyang as a "historic occasion" and said it was North Korea's "steadfast stand" to continue strengthening ties with Beijing.

North Korea has expanded security ties with Russia, where Pyongyang has sent soldiers and munitions to assist Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Still, China remains North Korea's largest economic partner, accounting for nearly 98 percent of the country's foreign trade in 2024, according to South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance.

World

'Very Dangerous' Super Typhoon nears US Pacific Islands

People in Guam and the Northern Marianas moved to emergency evacuation centers and made last-minute preparations hours before Super Typhoon Bavi was projected to bulldoze through the US Pacific territories. Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP
People in Guam and the Northern Marianas moved to emergency evacuation centers and made last-minute preparations hours before Super Typhoon Bavi was projected to bulldoze through the US Pacific territories. Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP
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'Very Dangerous' Super Typhoon nears US Pacific Islands

People in Guam and the Northern Marianas moved to emergency evacuation centers and made last-minute preparations hours before Super Typhoon Bavi was projected to bulldoze through the US Pacific territories. Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP
People in Guam and the Northern Marianas moved to emergency evacuation centers and made last-minute preparations hours before Super Typhoon Bavi was projected to bulldoze through the US Pacific territories. Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP

People in Guam and the Northern Marianas moved to emergency evacuation centers and made last-minute preparations on Sunday, hours before a "super typhoon" was projected to bulldoze through the US Pacific territories.

Super Typhoon Bavi was forecast to roar westwards over the area from early Monday with winds of 260 kilometers per hour (160 miles per hour) -- equivalent to a category 5 hurricane -- and gusts of up to 315 kph.

The National Weather Service called the typhoon "very dangerous", warning of "tropical storm force" winds from Sunday afternoon or evening and "catastrophic" damage near the system's center later, said AFP.

"Significant flooding from torrential rains, and coastal inundation are expected," the NWS said, with projected waves of up to 35 feet (10.7 meters) -- the height of a 10-storey building -- creating "extremely dangerous" conditions at sea.

Pinky Cubacub, 55, said as she boarded up the windows of her eatery in Guam that she had lined up early on Saturday morning to buy $500 worth of plywood at a lumber store.

"I cannot afford to lose so many days. It hurts," she told AFP. "Because I just started, whatever we're making right now is just for rent, utilities, and my people, and supplies. I don't even pay myself yet."

Call center employee Arabella Paulino, 48, said: "My girls were saying to me it's scary. But it will be okay."

"My house is concrete, so the worst that can happen is a window could blow in," she told AFP.

Derma Soaladaob said she was going to a hotel.

"I have a concrete house but with the noise and the wind, it's scary," said the 51-year-old, who drives a school bus for the US military.

Japanese tourist Miku Sakurai, 25, was supposed to fly back to Tokyo with her friends on Sunday but their flight was cancelled because of the weather.

"We will stay in the hotel when the storm comes. I am scared," the office worker told AFP as heavy rain began to fall.

- 'Praying' -

The Northern Marianas in the western Pacific has a population of around 40,000, and nearby Guam -- a separate US territory, although both are part of the Marianas archipelago -- about 170,000.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit the region in mid-April, knocked out power for tens of thousands of inhabitants, uprooted trees, overturned cars and ripped metal roofs off buildings.

A cargo ship, the MV Mariana, suffered engine failure and overturned in the storm. The body of one crew member was recovered and five others were missing, presumed dead.

By Sunday morning, Bavi was forecast to pass nearest to Rota, a small island roughly halfway between Guam and Saipan, the Northern Marianas' main island and home to around 1,500 people.

"By working together and taking the necessary precautions, we can help protect our families, neighbors and community. We pray for the safety of our people," Rota mayor Aubry Hocog said.

Teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) teams were on the ground in Guam and its distribution center was stocked with 1.1 million liters of water, 1.2 million meals, 6,700 cots and 90 generators.

The NWS said the "window to evacuate or seek shelter is closing", and Guam opened five evacuation centers in schools with total capacity of 1,900, primarily for those in vulnerable homes.

- El Nino -

The world's oceans experienced their hottest June on record and could set fresh highs in the months ahead, the European Union's Copernicus Marine Service said on Wednesday.

Warmer oceans help tropical storms to intensify and add more moisture, which can fall as heavy rain.

The World Meteorological Organization warned on Friday that El Nino, which typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts nine to 12 months, has already begun in the tropical Pacific and is likely to be strong.

The natural climate phenomenon warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.