January 16

England have

The Shah of Iran has fled the country following months of increasingly violent protests against his regime.

Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi and his wife, Empress Farah, left Tehran and flew to Aswan in Egypt.

The couple's three youngest children were flown to the United States yesterday.

Official reports say the Shah has left for a "vacation" and medical treatment. In fact, he was asked to leave by the man he appointed prime minister earlier this month.

Over the past few months, there have been an increasing number of violent clashes between security forces and anti-Shah demonstrators.

Opposition to the Shah has become united behind the Muslim traditionalist movement led by Iran's main spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini, from exile in France.

There have been calls for the Ayatollah's return - and news of the Shah's departure was greeted with mass celebrations across Iran.

British and United States' ex-patriates living in Iran - regarded as symbols of westernization - have been the frequent target of attacks. Thousands have left the country.

Martial law was declared in many cities on 8 September. But later that month, industrial action by thousands of Iranian workers culminated in a mass strike by employees in the oil industry.

The strike sparked riots and rallies across the country in support of the Ayatollah.

Western governments, like the US, UK and West Germany, have continued to express support for the Shah.

The Shah appointed a new military government in early November. But it failed to stem the rising tide of support for the Ayatollah.

Earlier this month he appointed a new prime minister, Dr Shapur Bahktiar. When, on 13 January, the Ayatollah declared a revolutionary Islamic council to replace what he called the "illegal government" of Iran, Dr Bahktiar persuaded the Shah it was time to leave.

1998: Four pupils go on trial for sex attack

The pair along with her cousin, now aged 11, and another boy, aged 10, are also charged with indecent assault. All four deny the charges against their classmate.

A fifth boy, aged nine at the time of the incident was also allegedly involved, but is too young to be prosecuted for rape under the current law.

The judge and barristers removed their wigs, the defendants sat with their parents in the well of the court and the clerk addressed them by their first names to create a "relaxed atmosphere" in what is the youngest ever rape trial in British criminal history.

The alleged victim, who was nine at the time of the incident last May, broke down as she gave evidence via a video link at the Old Bailey.

She told the court that she was attacked at a London school during the lunch-break.

One of the boys took her coat and she chased him into the outside toilet.

The young girl, who came to Britain from Jamaica four years ago and lives with her mother and eight brothers and sisters in the Shepherds Bush area of west London, found the other boys waiting in the toilet.

She said they dragged her into a cubicle, stripped and sexually assaulted her.

The girl struggled in vain to fight off the boys, who tied a coat over her mouth tomuffleher screams.

She started to cry as she revealed how she had been forced to the ground and raped by three of the boys, while the others looked on and laughed at her.

Afterwards the girl said her attackers had threatened to beat her if she told a teacher what had happened.

That afternoon she returned to her lessons, not having told anyone of the incident because she was too scared.

After school, the girl returned home with her cousin, who stayed the night at her house.

The court was told that the boy "shadowed" her as she tried to tell her mother what had happened. The girl added: "He followed me when I was going to tell my mum."

She eventually told her mother that some boys had told her to strip, but did not say any more after she was criticised for not standing up to them.

The girl asked to stay at home the next day but her mother made her go to school, although she did write a note to the headmistress asking her to investigate her daughter's claims.

The headmistress interviewed the boys and when one of them admitted touching her, the police were called in.

All five boys were later arrested.

muffle: to conceal or hide（蒙住，压抑）