Anoosheh Ashoori, who was jailed for almost five years in Iran on spying charges before being released along with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is set to run the London Marathon to raise money for two charities.
Mr Ashoori, 68, resolved to one day tackle the marathon while serving a minimum 10-year sentence in Iran’s Evin prison on charges he denied and the UK government condemned.
He was arrested in August 2017 while visiting his elderly mother in Tehran and was later convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, despite having lived in the UK for 20 years.
The retired civil engineer and fellow British-Iranian dual citizen Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was also detained under espionage charges, were released and flown back to the UK in March.
The former detainee, who now lives in Lee in Lewisham, south-east London, will run the marathon with his- 33-year-old son Aryan on October 2 to raise money and awareness for Amnesty International and Hostage International.
Both charities supported him and his family while he was in jail.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori released — in pictures
He still suffers flashbacks to his ordeal and says he was taken into interrogation centres at Evin prison, where he “made three suicide attempts” and lost 17 kilograms.
Afterwards, he was sent to the main prison, where he was kept in a “coffin-like” cell with about 14 others.
He started exercising regularly with other inmates, “running in circles” in a “very small area” at the prison gym or yard.
At first, he became breathless in 10 minutes or less but gradually his stamina improved and he was able to run for up to two hours.
Another inmate gave him a copy of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami.
“When I read that, I decided it was so inspiring, anytime I was released, I promised myself, whatever age I am, I am going to participate in the London Marathon,” he said.
“That was a good thing for me to do because it would actually protect my health.
“By running, you can fight going insane, it is magic.”
This British-Iranian dual citizen was detained in Iran for nearly five years — video
Another prison read was Man’s Search For Meaning by Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, an Auschwitz survivor.
Mr Ashoori said it made him realise that “even if you are going through intense suffering, if you try to find or create a purpose for that suffering, it is not going to be as painful as it was before”.
He urged the British government to do more to help negotiate the release of other people held in Iran, such as British-born environmentalist Morad Tahbaz.
In July, he was released on furlough with an electronic tag after being jailed for more than four years.
“I would urge the British government to please persevere, work hard to bring them back as well,” he added.
He said he was running to “let all the ones who are left behind know they are not forgotten”.
“I am thinking about them, doing this in solidarity with them,” he said
Detained British-Iranians Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori released by Iran — video
His and Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release came after the UK government agreed to pay back a £400 million debt to Iran dating back to the 1970s, but both governments argue the two issues should not be linked.
“From a cell in Evin prison to the crowd-lined streets of London in just a few short months is an amazing turnaround, and we hope that people will get behind Anoosheh and Aryan as they take part in this fantastic event,” said Jo Atkins-Potts, Amnesty International UK’s urgent actions campaigner.
“Since his release in March, Anoosheh’s always been clear that he wouldn’t rest until Morad Tahbaz, Mehran Raoof and others unjustly detained in Iran were released.
“He’s an inspiration and we’re delighted and honoured to be campaigning with him.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Najem Al Rwasi, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Fandim, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Harbh, Pat Cosgrave, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham
4pm: Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jawaal, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Watch live
The National will broadcast live from the IMF on Friday October 13 at 7pm UAE time (3pm GMT) as our Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi moderates a panel on how technology can help growth in MENA.
You can find out more here
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57%20Seconds
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