UK says Iran s treatment of Zaghari-Ratcliffe is torture
By AFP - May 03,2021 - Last updated at May 03,2021
Richard Ratcliffe argues his wife is being held hostage as part of a diplomatic stratagem (AFP photo)
LONDON Iran s treatment of detained dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe amounts to torture and she is being held hostage, Britain said on Sunday, after she was convicted anew and banned from leaving the Islamic republic.
The British-Iranian woman has been held in Iran since 2016. In late April, she was sentenced to a year s imprisonment and banned from leaving the country for a further 12 months.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who spoke to Zaghari-Ratcliffe on Wednesday, said she was being held unlawfully and being treated in the most abusive way.
Iran denies reports of prisoner swap deal with US Monday, 03 May 2021 9:49 AM
[ Last Update: Monday, 03 May 2021 10:46 AM ] Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh (File photo by Fars news agency)
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has denied reports of an agreement over the exchange of prisoners between Tehran and Washington, saying the ministry does not confirm the statements attributed to informed sources.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said while the issue of prisoners has always been on Iran’s agenda, the Sunday evening report by Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news network is untrue.
“The issue of prisoners has been a humanitarian issue which has always been on the agenda of the Islamic Republic of Iran and has been pursued through other conversations and [diplomatic] channels separately from the JCPOA or related iss
Brits warned summer holidays could lead to mutant Covid strains and more lockdowns
Although travelling abroad would be legal, a group of MPs think that the government should discourage people from flying abroad this summer for some well earned sun
A group of MPs believe people should be discouraged from travelling abroad (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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BRITAIN said it is rushing to dispatch a further 1000 ventilators to India to help its struggling healthcare system deal with a surge in coronavirus infections which is killing thousands every day. Boris Johnson promised “the UK will always be there for India” as he committed fresh assistance including advice from NHS staff and Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance. The Prime Minister made the pledge ahead of a call with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi tomorrow, and arranged to replace a visit to New Delhi which was cancelled as cases spiralled. The 1000 ventilators from the UK’s surplus supply are in addition to 200 sent last week, in shipments that have included nearly 500 oxygen concentrators.
Boris Johnson is today facing pressure from ministers to expand the travel green list and give millions of Britons hopes of a holiday abroad this summer.
Ministers are reportedly set to challenge the Prime Minister today over the number of countries placed on the travel green list .
It is expected around two dozen countries will be placed on the Government s quarantine-free travel list when it is published on Friday.
British overseas territories are expected to feature heavily on the list. But many of these are not traditional holiday hotspots for Britons.
Mr Johnson is now facing pressure to expand the list ahead of its publication on Friday, according to the Times.