Iranian authorities slapped an outright ban on further...

Iranian authorities slapped an outright ban on further student demonstrations against the sentencing to death of a pro-reform dissident academic. "It is a decision, approved by the national security council, not to have any more gatherings," Deputy Science Minister Gholam-Reza Zarifian told the Entekhab newspaper. His comments confirmed suspicions of a total ban on student rallies, which began on November 9. "Now the court's verdict has entered a new stage after the supreme leader's initiative," Zarifian argued, adding: "We have asked officials to convince students to prevent gatherings."