A UK-government owned company spent £1.4 million ($1.82m) on legal fees last year as a dispute with Iran over a near-£400m ($520m) arms debt entered its fifth decade.
Defence minister Jeremy Quin said £1,432,000 had been spent by the International Military Service on external legal advice in 2019/2020 as Iran pressed to get the debt repaid.
Campaigners say resolving the financial wrangle over the cancelled deal for 1,700 tanks and armoured vehicles is key to securing the freedom of jailed British-Iranian dual citizens, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori. Both governments officially denied any link.
The arms deal in 1971 with the former Shah of Iran was cancelled after the 1979 revolution without any of the vehicles being delivered, but the money was never repaid.
The tanks were later sold to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who turned them on Iran during the 1980-1988 war. Before he became defence secretary, Ben Wallace once described Britain’s role in the affair as one “marred by double dealing and obfuscation”.
Britain accepts that it owes money to Iran but says that it could not pay the bill because of EU sanctions that were imposed on the Iranian defence ministry in 2008.
The two sides were still involved in court cases disputing the final amount to be paid before sanctions were imposed.
A court heard this year that both sides agreed that the IMS could not lawfully pay anything because of the sanctions.
The UK government has reportedly been considering repayments via humanitarian aid to try to avoid breaking the sanctions regime.
The IMS paid £382m into a court-controlled account in 2002 until the dispute was settled, which has risen to more than £500m with interest.
Details of the legal bill emerged this week after a question in parliament by Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s MP, Tulip Siddiq.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
