Summary
15 June 2009
The leading opposition contender in Iran's presidential election, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, has cancelled a rally planned for later today. Mr Mousavi has condemned the election result, but President Ahmadinejad insists he was fairly re-elected.
Reporter:
Jon Leyne in Tehran
Tensions are running high in Tehran after two days of clashes
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Report
Just hours before the rally was due to start, the leading opposition candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, announced that the demonstration was cancelled because it had not received official permission. I understand from sources close to Mr Mousavi that he was warned that the police and Basij militia had been given authorisation for the first time to use live rounds if the demonstration went ahead.
A smaller rally is in progress in Tehran University at the moment, being addressed by Mr Mousavi's wife Zahra Rahnavard. She's told students that the rally was cancelled because they were worried that the lives of those attending could be in danger. Reports from her rally indicate that paramilitaries are trying to break it up. Students are taking cover in a mosque.
Jon Leyne, 大象传媒 News, Tehran
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Vocabulary
- opposition
- here, a political power (e.g. a political party or movement) that speak and/or act against the government in a country
- announced
- said officially and publicly
- received official permission
- been allowed to go ahead by the authorities
- to use live rounds
- to fire real bullets and/or shells that can explode and kill people
- rally
- a gathering of people (usually organised by a political power)
- in progress
- taking place
- attending
- taking part in it
- indicate
- show, tell, prove
- paramilitaries
- here, people assisting official military forces
- to break it up
- to stop it, to force the participants to go
