Iran's first women-only bank opens

Bank Melli — one of Iran's biggest retail banks — opened the women-only branch in the holy city of Mashhad as a service to women, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported. In recent years women-only taxis, with female drivers, have become available in some Iranian cities, as well as public gardens where men are not allowed. Buses in Iran are segregated, with women sitting at the back. A local judiciary official said last month that the maximum fine for breaching the Islamic dress code — which decrees that women must cover their hair and wear long shapeless coats — was 13 million rials (over $1,300).