TEHRAN, Iran — Demonstrators attacked a town hall in the Iranian capital Saturday as protests spilled into a third night despite government warnings against any further “illegal gatherings” and moves to cut off the internet on mobiles. State news channel IRINN said it had been banned from covering the protests that spread to towns and cities including Qom and Kermanshah. She posted images from Twitter accounts based in the United States and Saudi Arabia, voicing support for the Mashhad protests. Aware that economic problems can quickly spiral into political chaos, officials from across the political spectrum have called for greater efforts to tackle poverty and the 12 percent unemployment rate. “Solving people’s economic problems is the chief priority in the country,” tweeted Ebrahim Raisi, the hardline cleric defeated by Rouhani in May’s presidential election.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 31, 2017 02:37 UTC