SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2018 11 Lulu ‘Brand of the Year’ The only hypermarket brand to win this top honour at World Branding Awards 2018 World Branding The fact that Awards• are the top this award is recognition given to an primarily based organization or brand on public survey and customer TDT | London feedback, makes this recognition uLu hypermarket & shop- much more valuable Lping won the ‘Brand of the for us Year’ award in the Retail cate- ASHRAF ALI MUSLIAM gory at the 2018 World Branding Award Ceremony yesterday. World Branding Awards are the top recognition given to an organisation or brand for their Kensington Palace. path-breaking and innovative “We are obviously very de - branding, marketing & com - lighted and proud to be chosen munication initiatives over the as the top global brand and the years and are regarded as the fact that this award is primar- top benchmark in the industry. ily based on public survey and Ashraf Ali Musliam, Exec- customer feedback, makes this utive Director of Lulu Group, recognition much more valua- received the award from Rich- ble for us,” said Ashraf Ali after ard Rowles, the Chairman of receiving the award. World Branding Forum, in the Other global brands awarded presence of top business leaders Ashraf Ali Musliam, Executive Director of LuLu Group along with Adeeb Ahamed, MD of LuLu Financial Group, Shafeena Yusuffali, CEO of Tablez, Mohammed Althaf at the ceremony included Brit- and dignitaries from around the Director and V. Nandakumar, CCO of LuLu Group with the Brand of The Year Trophy at the World Branding Award Ceremony yesterday at the Kensington Palace in ish Airways, Nescafe, Omantel, world at a function held at the London Nippon, etc. Twitter removed thousands of automated accounts in US Vietnam could give tech companies Washington, United States ocratic Congressional Cam- paign Committee had alerted one year to comply with cyberlaw witter has deleted thou- Twitter to the accounts, which Tsands of automated ac- were removed in late Septem- AFP | Hanoi, Vietnam counts, many posing as Demo- ber and early October. despite drawing sharp criticism of Public Security Friday, com- firms and social networks. crats, that were posting tweets “For the election, we have ietnam may give internet from the US, the EU and internet panies offering internet servic- The draft decree added that encouraging US voters to sit established open lines of com- Vcompanies like Google and freedom advocates. es in Vietnam may be given 12 companies must store user data out Tuesday’s crucial midterm munication and direct, easy Facebook one year to comply The bill would require tech months to comply. in the country for at least 36 elections. escalation paths for state elec- with a controversial cyberse- companies to store data in the “Enterprises... must archive months. The reports cited a Twitter tion officials, DHS, and cam- curity law, according to a draft country, and remove “toxic data (and) set up branches or Personal data required to statement Friday as saying the paign organizations from both decree that outlines how the content” from websites and representative offices in Viet- be stored includes everything social media company had “re- major parties,” the statement draconian bill could be imple- hand over user information nam,” the decree said. from a user’s name to pass - moved a series of accounts for said. Twitter said it appeared mented. if asked by the government It did not outline the punish- port number, medical records, engaging in attempts to share the account network was run The cybersecurity bill, which to do so. ment for failing to comply. credit card information and disinformation in an automat- out of the US but did not pro- observers say mimic China’s re- According to a draft decree on An enterprise can mean in- biometric data. ed fashion -- a violation of our vide details on how the ac - pressive web control tools, is set how the law may be implement- ternet service providers, e-com- The law was passed by Viet- policies.” CNN said the Dem- counts worked. to come into effect in January ed, published by the Ministry merce sites, online payment nam’s parliament in June. Sweeping new sanctions by US on Iran target oil and banks Financial transactions Sanctions already reimposed U.S. sanctions hit Iran’s oil exports Starting on Monday, any for- The sanctions bring U.S. sanctions against Iran’s crude and condensate exports have cut • On August 7, the first sanctions shipments, but China and India – the two biggest buyers of Iranian eign institution that does busi- back the punitive lifted under the 2015 nuclear crude – are expected to keep purchasing oil from Iran ness with Iran’s central bank or South Rest of measures that were deal came into force, banning: China India Japan Europe other banks in the country will imposed and then lifted • The Iranian government’s Korea world lose access to the US financial purchases of dollars, or Million barrels per day July: South Korea ends imports system. by former president 3.0 the international buying 2.83 The risks for foreign banks Barack Obama and selling of significant 2.73 Iran’s are high in a globalized 2.58 sums of rials, Iran’s cur- 2.51 2.54 0.47 0.38 oil exports economy in which the dol - 2.5 2.39 down 39% AFP | Washington, United States rency under pressure 0.29 0.48 0.40 since lar remains the dominant • Purchases of Iranian 2.11 0.26 April currency. 0.54 0.55 ran’s oil exports and financial treasury bonds 2.0 0.39 1.98 SWIFT, the internation - 0.32 0.38 0.32 SWIFT will have to Itransactions will be target- • Trade in gold or other 0.39 1.72 al system of interbank trans - 0.58 0.19 0.18 ed under US sanctions that take precious metals, alumi- 0.35 0.27 0.25 stop dealing with fers headed in Belgium, will 1.5 0.45 0.36 force today, six months after num, steel, carbon or 0.17 0.32 Iranian financial be affected, according to US 0.19 0.29 0.10 President Donald Trump bolted graphite 0.16 institutions on the Treasury Secretary Steve from a nuclear deal. • Automobile and commer- 0.36 0.18 0.30 Mnuchin said. 1.0 US blacklist or face Three days ahead, Washing- cial aviation trade 0.14 0.58 0.48 0.66 0.74 0.71 0.79 0.41 0.04 The US Treasury Secre - ton detailed its specific actions • US imports of Iranian car- sanctions itself tary said SWIFT will have to 0.39 0.49 targeting Iran’s banking, ship- pets or foodstuffs 0.5 stop dealing with Iranian fi - ping and energy sectors, threat- STEVE nancial institutions on the ening penalties against compa- 0.45 0.71 0.71 0.73 0.77 0.67 0.84 0.68 0.53 MNUCHIN US blacklist or face sanctions nies, even those of US allies in Sanctions coming 0 itself. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Europe and elsewhere, who do The toughest of the Obama-era Sources: Bloomberg Tanker Tracking, Reuters © GRAPHIC NEWS business in them. sanctions lifted under the 2015 Expanding the blacklist: The sanctions bring back the nuclear deal will come back, in- says it aims for Iranian oil ex- Iranian oil but at lower levels Those countries also agreed to • Washington said 700 peo- punitive measures that were im- cluding bans on: ports to be “as close to zero as than in the past. place their payments in escrow ple, companies and other posed and then lifted by former • Importing oil and con- possible.” That gradual approach, US accounts that Tehran will only entities, like aircraft and president Barack Obama, who densate from Iran, the But the US is giving exemp- officials said, will help avoid be able to tap for humanitari- ships, will be added or reached an international agree- country’s largest earners tions to eight countries -- likely any shock to global markets an trade and trade in non-sanc- re-added to the US sanc- ment under which Iran moved of foreign exchange. including India, Japan and Tur- by a total cutoff of Iranian tioned goods and services, US tions blacklist as well on to end its nuclear programme. The Trump administration key -- that will continue to buy crude. officials said. Monday..