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WORLD NEWS Saturday 2 February 2019

Iran begins marking 40th anniversary of Islamic Revolution

By NASSER KARIMI Shah Mohammad Reza back home and where his
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Pahlavi's government col- tomb stands today.
Friday began celebrations lapsed after brief clashes Iranian officials — including
to mark the 40th anniversa- between some army units Supreme Leader Ayatollah
ry of the 1979 Islamic Revo- and revolutionary gunmen, Ali Khamenei and President
lution that toppled the U.S.- following nationwide pro- Hassan Rouhani — paid
backed shah, overturned tests. homage Wednesday at
2,500 years of monarchical As part of the celebra- Khomeini's tomb "to renew
rule and brought hard-line tions, many Tehran build- allegiance" to him.
Shiite clerics to power. ings, mostly government At a ceremony at the
The climactic events that institutions and offices, tomb Friday, Ahmad Jan-
year — from revolutionaries were draped in the colors nati, head of a constitu-
in the streets of Tehran to of Iran's green, white and tional watchdog that vets
blindfolded American hos- This Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, photo, shows the shrine of Iran's red flag while multicolored candidates for presidential
tages in the U.S. Embassy revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, just outside of Teh- lights decorated the main and parliamentary elec-
hostage crisis months later ran, Iran. streets. tions, slammed what he
— not only changed Iran's Associated Press Car drivers turned on their described as U.S. psycho-
history but also helped headlights and honked in logical warfare against Iran
shape today's Middle East. preme leader of the Islamic France Boeing 747 touched celebration as helicopters in the form of "cruel sanc-
The festivities start every Republic of Iran. down 40 years ago at Teh- dropped clusters of flowers tions."
year on Feb. 1 — the day Across Iran, sirens wailed ran's Mehrabad Interna- along Khomeini's 21-mile "The enemies today have
Ayatollah Ruhollah Kho- from trains and boats, while tional Airport. route from the airport to the targeted the economy" to
meini returned home from church bells tolled at 9:33 The festivities, known as the Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery make Iranians feel pessimis-
France after 14 years in a.m. — the exact time that "Ten Days of Dawn," con- in southern Tehran where tic about Islam, said Jan-
exile, to become the su- Khomeini's chartered Air clude on Feb. 11, the date he made his first speech nati, a hard-line cleric.q

Palestinians, Israeli troops clash in West Bank, Gaza

Associated Press the settlers. the blockade and vowed
JERUSALEM (AP) — Pales- Ashraf al-Kidra, spokes- to escalate the protests,
tinian protesters and Israeli man for the Health Ministry, which have seen the death
troops skirmished Friday as said 32 Palestinians were of nearly 190 Palestinians
hundreds demonstrated wounded by gunfire at since they were launched
against violence by Jew- several sections along the in the spring.
ish settlers in the Israeli- fence Friday. In the village of al-Mu-
occupied West Bank and Earlier on Friday, mediators ghayyir, hundreds of dem-
thousands more against a from Egypt and the United onstrators waving Pales-
crippling Israeli-Egyptian Nations, worried that the tinian flags rallied, hurling
blockade in the Hamas- border violence could stones at Israeli forces and
ruled Gaza Strip. evolve into an all-out con- burning tires.
In Gaza, mass demonstra- flict between Hamas and The Israeli army said it re-
tions along the perimeter Israel, met with leaders of sponded with "riot dispersal
fence with Israel have the militant group. means," referring to tear
been a weekly routine over Ismail Haniyeh, the militant gas, rubber bullets and Palestinian medics move a wounded youth, who was shot by Is-
raeli troops during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel,
the past 10 months. In the group's chief, described stun grenades. The official into the treatment room of Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Friday,
West Bank, where the Pal- the meeting as "unprece- Palestinian news agency Feb. 1, 2019.
estinian Authority holds lim- dented" but did not elabo- Wafa reported that seven Associated Press
ited sway, the protest was rate. Palestinians were injured.
sparked by the killing of a Hamas on Friday accused The circumstances that estinians saying that Israeli tackers after a Jewish man
Palestinian at al-Mughayyir Israel of not honoring an led to the death of Hamdi settlers shot him and settlers was stabbed. The Israeli
village last Saturday, which unofficial truce agree- Naasan, 38, last Saturday contending they fired in police and military have
the Palestinians blamed on ment to gradually ease remain in dispute, with Pal- the air to chase away at- launched investigations.q