People stand in the street to show their protest against increased gas price in Tehran, Iran on November 16, 2019. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
People stand in the street to show their protest against increased gas price in Tehran, Iran on November 16, 2019. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
People stand in the street to show their protest against increased gas price in Tehran, Iran on November 16, 2019. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
People stand in the street to show their protest against increased gas price in Tehran, Iran on November 16, 2019. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

One dead during petrol protests in Iran's Sirjan, reports say


Joyce Karam
  • English
  • Arabic

One civilian was killed and other people injured in Iran's Sirjan, the semi-official news agency ISNA said on Saturday, a day after protests in the central city over a petrol price hike.

"Unfortunately someone was killed," Sirjan's acting governor Mohammad Mahmoudabadi said in the report, adding that the cause of the death was still unclear.

Protests erupted in cities across Iran on Friday just hours after the government raised petrol prices by as much as 300 per cent.

The hike has triggered demonstrations across several Iranian cities, state news agency IRNA said on Saturday.

Iran has also imposed a strict rationing system on the nation.

Under the measures, the price of petrol rose and a monthly ration of 60 litres for each private car was announced.

Any purchases over the limit would cost motorists double.

Footage reported by BBC Persian and local accounts on social media showed protesters on the streets in the city of Mashhad.

The government reportedly deployed riot police and used teargas to disperse the demonstrators.

Sky News Arabia reported that protests were happening in Tibriz, Asfahan, Tehran and Shiraz. IRNA said "scattered" protests also broke out in other cities including Mashhad, Birjand, Ahvaz, Gachsaran, Abadan, Khoramshahr, Mahshahr, Shiraz and Bandar Abbas.

Videos showing large protests in Ahwaz circulated on social media.

They were mostly limited to blocking traffic and were over by midnight, it added.

Iran's government response also involved the disruption of internet services. The observatory organisation "net blocks" reported on Friday outages across the country.

While the protests are economically driven, some of the chants were directed against the Iranian government, its regional policies and condemned the clerical establishment.

Iran imposed petrol rationing and raised pump prices by at least 50 percent on Friday, saying the move was aimed at helping citizens in need with cash handouts.

The measure was expected to bring in 300 trillion rials ($2.55 billion) per annum, the head of the country's Planning and Budget Organisation, Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, said on state television.

About 60 million Iranians in need would get payments ranging from 550,000 rials ($4.68) for couples to slightly more than two million rials ($17.46) for families with five members or more, he added.

Protests ongoing in neighbouring Iraq has also taken aim at the government in Tehran and its interference in Iraqi politics.

The Iranian government has been a target of heavy US sanctions since Donald Trump took office in 2017, and following his administration’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal in May 2018.

Numbers released last month by the International Monetary Fund gave gloomy indicators for Iran's economy, expecting a 9.5 per cent contraction in the GDP this year. It also revealed inflation rates of 35.7 per cent, due to the weight of sanctions.

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  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

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Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

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A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

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'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

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Ruwais timeline

1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established

1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants

1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed

1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.  

1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex

2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea

2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd

2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens

2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies

2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export

2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.

2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery 

2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital

2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13

Source: The National