Bank Mellat has 1,800 branches in Iran, in addition to branches in Turkey, South Korea and London. Above, a bank branch in Istanbul. Murad Sezer / Reuters
Bank Mellat has 1,800 branches in Iran, in addition to branches in Turkey, South Korea and London. Above, a bank branch in Istanbul. Murad Sezer / Reuters

UK seeks to renew Iran sanctions despite court setback



The United Kingdom government is seeking to renew sanctions against Iran's largest private bank, despite Britain's Supreme Court finding no evidence Bank Mellat had helped to fund Iran's nuclear programme.

Last month nine UK senior judges ordered the sanctions against the Tehran-based lender be removed after labelling the measures as "irrational". But Britain's treasury is now seeking to reinstate the listing through European Union courts. The treasury is attempting to intervene in the EU Council's appeal against an earlier decision by the EU General Court to declare EU sanctions against Bank Mellat as unlawful.

"The treasury's evidence has been found wanting by the highest court in the UK. These continued actions at the EU are an attempt to maintain sanctions against Bank Mellat by the back door," said Sarosh Zaiwalla, senior partner at Zaiwalla & Co, Bank Mellat's London law firm.

It is requesting the European Court of Justice to strike out the treasury's intervention.

Bank Mellat has branches in Turkey, South Korea and London. The lender has a presence in Dubai through Persia International Bank, Bank Mellat's 60 per cent-owned subsidiary. The assets of the branch, along with Bank Mellat's global assets, were frozen in 2010 as a result of EU sanctions.

Bank Mellat was first put on the UK sanctions list in 2009.

As a result of the loss at the Supreme Court, the UK government already faces a bill of several hundred million pounds in damages that Bank Mellat is seeking for loss of business. Further delay at the European Court is likely to increase this sum, said Zaiwalla & Co.

The European General Court told governments in the EU last January to ease asset freezes against Bank Mellat and Bank Saderat, ruling that the EU had failed to provide sufficient evidence the banks were involved in financing Iran's nuclear programme. The EU Council had appealed that decision.

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Business Insights
  • Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
  • The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
  • US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history

4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon

- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.

50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater

1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.  

1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.

1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.

-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.

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Alan%20Wake%20Remastered%20
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The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

WOMEN

Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)

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How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding

Final results:

Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)

Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)

Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)

Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)

Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.