Iran: Protesters killed in anti-govt rallies

Al Jazeera
December 31, 2017

At least two protesters have been killed in rare anti-government protests in Iran, according to a semi-official Iranian news agency. 

The Mehr news agency said on Sunday that at least two people died on Saturday night in Dorud, a city in western Iran.

Habibollah Khojastepour, security deputy of the governor of Lorestan province, said the presence of "agitators" prevented a peaceful end to the protest, according to Mehr.

Khojastepour said neither police nor security forces fired at the protesters. He did not provide a reason for their deaths.

News of the fatalities came as Interior Minister Abdolrahman Rahmani Fazli warned demonstrators against disruptive behavior.

"Those who damage public property, disrupt order and break the law must be responsible for their behaviour and pay the price," Abdolrahman Rahmani Fazli said on state television early on Sunday.

Iranians began protesting on Thursday in the second city of Masshad, rallying against high prices.

The rallies have since gained momentum, spread to other cities, and are described as the largest in nearly a decade.

Saturday marked the third day of anti-government protests across Iran, when students and police clashed in Tehran.

Videos posted on Twitter by the New-York based Center for Human Rights in Iran appeared to show police in riot gear clashing with protesters outside the gates to the Tehran University.

A second video showed smoke-shrouded streets, purportedly from tear gas, in the same area.

Al Jazeera could not authenticate the footage, but semi-state news agency Fars also reported confrontations between police and protesters at Tehran University.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people across Iran attended preplanned pro-government rallies on Saturday to mark the end of unrest following the country's 2009 election.

State TV aired footage showing people in several cities waving flags and carrying banners bearing the image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The large demonstrations, which were organised weeks ago, are held every year.

'They no longer fear security forces'

Potkin Azarmehr, a blogger who focuses on the secular pro-democracy struggle in Iran, told Al Jazeera that several groups have been protesting for some time "and now their slogans have become more radical". 

"They no longer seem to have that fear from security forces," he said.

Mahan Abedin, an Iran analyst at Middle East Eye, said the protests reflect the gap between ordinary Iranians and the political elite.

The protests appeared to be "articulated by people who ostensibly have purely economic motives", he said.

"I think in keeping with longstanding culture, inevitably these protests have become political.

"[President Hassan] Rouhani has the right attitude but his government riles people. This is a very elitist government, they are bureaucratic elites, technocratic elites - they are very distant from grievances of ordinary people."

Reports said activists on social media have called for a fourth day of protests on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the US has been quick to respond to developments, warning Tehran against arresting peaceful protesters.

US President Donald Trump has posted a series of tweets on Iran, most recently writing: "Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever. The world is watching!"

Under Trump's administration, Washington and Tehran have grown further apart, clashing on foreign policy issues such as the wars in Syria and Yemen and over the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

In response to Trump, Bahram Qassemi, spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, called the US president's warnings "cheap, worthless and invalid", according to the semi-state news agency Fars.

"Iranian people feel no value for the opportunistic claims of the US officials and Mr. Trump, himself", Qassemi was quoted as saying.

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News Network
December 2,2025

DKSsiddu.jpg

Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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