Britain condemns arrest of ambassador in Iran as 'flagrant violation of international law'

https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/11/britain-condemns-arrest-of-ambassador-in-iran-as-flagrant-violation-of-international-law

Britain has condemned the arrest of its ambassador to Iran as "a flagrant violation of international law" after the diplomat was detained after attending a vigil for victims of the Ukraine International Airlines plane crash.

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office said in a statement that the ambassador, Rob Macaire, was released after a "brief detention."

Macaire tweeted that he had been "detained for half an hour" after leaving an event "advertised as a vigil for victims" of the crash after Iran admitted that it unintentionally shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, killing all 176 passengers and crew.

"Normal to want to pay respects- some of victims were British. I left after 5 mins, when some started chanting," Macaire tweeted.

"Arresting diplomats is, of course, illegal, in all countries," Macaire added.

British foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: "The arrest of our ambassador in Tehran without grounds or explanation is a flagrant violation of international law.

"The Iranian government is at a cross-roads moment. It can continue its march towards pariah status with all the political and economic isolation that entails, or take steps to deescalate tensions and engage in a diplomatic path forwards."

twitter

flipboard

mail icon

TEXT SIZE

AaAa

Britain has condemned the arrest of its ambassador to Iran as "a flagrant violation of international law" after the diplomat was detained after attending a vigil for victims of the Ukraine International Airlines plane crash.

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office said in a statement that the ambassador, Rob Macaire, was released after a "brief detention."

Macaire tweeted that he had been "detained for half an hour" after leaving an event "advertised as a vigil for victims" of the crash after Iran admitted that it unintentionally shot down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, killing all 176 passengers and crew.

"Normal to want to pay respects- some of victims were British. I left after 5 mins, when some started chanting," Macaire tweeted.

"Arresting diplomats is, of course, illegal, in all countries," Macaire added.

British foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: "The arrest of our ambassador in Tehran without grounds or explanation is a flagrant violation of international law.

"The Iranian government is at a cross-roads moment. It can continue its march towards pariah status with all the political and economic isolation that entails, or take steps to deescalate tensions and engage in a diplomatic path forwards."

Euronews

British ambassador to Iran Rob Macaire was briefly arrestedEuronews

'There cannot be another massacre'

Crowds gathered on Saturday in at least four locations in Tehran, chanting 'death to liars' and calling for the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down over the missile blunder, according to local reporters.

Video shared on social media showed angry protests followed by police intervention and clouds of tear gas. None of the video could be immediately verified by Euronews.

Posts to social media showed protesters take to the streets on Sunday as pressure mounted on the Iranian government to hold those responsible for shooting down the plane responsible.

Later on Saturday, US President Donald Trump sent a message of solidarity to Iranian protesters by tweeting in English and Farsi.

"To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I've stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you," he tweeted. "We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage.

"The government of Iran must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the Iranian people. There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching."

https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/11/britain-condemns-arrest-of-ambassador-in-iran-as-flagrant-violation-of-international-law

Macron Abandons Plan To Raise Retirement Age As Rock-Throwing Protesters Get Tear-Gassed

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/macron-abandons-plan-raise-retirement-age-rock-throwing-protesters-get-tear-gassed

French President Emmanuel Macron has scrapped plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, as tens of thousands of anti-government activists - many donning yellow vests - returned to the streets of Paris and elsewhere on Saturday to protest the proposed pension reforms, according to the New York Times.

The mood was militant, and the more violent demonstrators once again clashed with the police, even as they sowed a trail of damage through eastern Paris. A bank branch was sacked, and bus shelters smashed and fires set. Unions said 150,000 protesters were in the streets of Paris on Saturday. -NYT

Coup de pied gratuit filmé par @MTGphotographe @davduf #reformedesretraites #greve11janvier #ViolencesPolicieres pic.twitter.com/c46ZVwSgSP

— Capitaine Memes ✊ (@CapitaineCombat) January 11, 2020

Saturday's demonstrations included exchanges between rock-throwing protesters and the police, who used tear gas, water cannons and other crowd control measures as the day wore on. At one point a building was set on fire.

🚨 Charge d'une extrême violence. Beaucoup de blessés #greve9janvier pic.twitter.com/dWNhZyvXEg

— Taha 📷 (@MTGphotographe) January 9, 2020

⚡️EN DIRECT⚡️ #Nantes : Les policiers utilisent deux canons à eau et du gaz lacrymogène devant la préfecture de Nantes et font face à des d'individus radicalisés et violent. #greve11janvier #GiletJaunes #reformesdesretraites #Acte61 #Retraites pic.twitter.com/hE0DyJJDrJ

— FranceNews24 (@FranceNews24) January 11, 2020

The government of France plays a major role in retirement pensions - both providing and guaranteeing funds and overseeing the entire system.

The bid to boost the retirement age infuriated moderate unions Macron relies on, despite his insistence that French citizens need to work longer in order to keep the pension system - which may be facing a $19 billion deficit - financially sound.

In a Saturday letter from Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, the Macron administration said that it would "withdraw" the new age limit, and postpone major decisions on how to keep the system solvent until it can better assess the situation "between now and the end of April."

Macron described it as a "constructive compromise," which French union CFDT applauded. The CGT union called the measure "a smokescreen," however, which protesters agreed with as they took to the streets on Saturday.

Des nouvelles de la liberté de la presse.

Tout à l’heure place de la république, je filmais par terre des traces de sang d’un manifestant frappé par la police plus tôt.

Quand un autre policier me menace :

« Filmes moi encore et je te déchire, dégage avec ta caméra ». pic.twitter.com/xByizEPwOM

— Taha Bouhafs (@T_Bouhafs) January 11, 2020

Right-wing French politician Marine Le Pen called the Macron administration's move a "dishonest" negotiating tactic.

"You introduce something that’s unacceptable, and then you withdraw it," she said, adding "Nothing justifies this reform."

Mr. Macron has insisted that his retirement plan represents a fair, rational response to the new world of work, where careers are interrupted and French citizens no longer stay in the same job for life.

The plan would replace the current system of 42 different pension regimes, most tailored to match individual professions, with a single, points-based system that will be the same for everybody. Workers would accumulate points, then cash them in at the end. Bus drivers in Toulouse would get the same retirement benefits as those in Paris — not now the case, as the Paris system has some of the country’s most generous benefits. -NYT

As the New York Times notes, "the government’s concession is unlikely to end either the strike or the demonstrations," as "The more militant unions — and the ones most heavily represented in the railways and the Paris subway — are demanding that Mr. Macron abandon his entire reform plan."

"We’ve got to continue to mobilize, until they pull the whole plan, pure and simple," said French Parliamentarian Eric Coquerel from the far-left France Unbowed Party.

(h/t @MTGphotographe for excellent coverage of events)

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/macron-abandons-plan-raise-retirement-age-rock-throwing-protesters-get-tear-gassed

False alarm! Nuclear warning alert issued in Ontario over 'incident' at power station was 'sent in error'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7878651/Ontario-government-warns-incident-Toronto-area-nuclear-generating-station.html

Pickering, a town on the bank of Lake Ontario, is a suburb which lies 25 miles northeast of Toronto

Pickering Nuclear Generating Station is home to eight nuclear reactors - two of which have been shut down

Ontario province sent out alert to local residents saying that there was 'no abnormal release of radioactivity from the station'

A state-owned electric company then sent out another message saying the earlier alert was a false alarm

Pickering, one of the largest nuclear generating stations in the world, produces 14 per cent of electricity for Ontario's 14.57 million residents

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7878651/Ontario-government-warns-incident-Toronto-area-nuclear-generating-station.html

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1216360697426337792

John Kerry got caught essentially admitting that funds given ridiculously to Iran were used to fund attacks on the USA. Only a complete fool would have given that 150 Billion Dollars Plus to Iran. They then went on a Middle East Rampage! @foxandfriends

@PeteHegseth

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1216360697426337792