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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Secret talks and quiet ties: That’s what paved the way for last week’s deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize relations.

Touted by President Donald Trump as a major Mideast breakthrough, the agreement was in fact the culmination of more than a decade of quiet links rooted in frenzied opposition to Iran that predated Trump and even Barack Obama, as well as Trump’s avowed goal to undo his predecessor’s Mideast legacy.

17 Aug 2020; MEMO: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel on Saturday signed the first commercial cooperation agreement since Abu-Dhabi and Tel Aviv announced a peace deal on Thursday.

The UAE’s Apex National Investment company has signed a “strategic commercial agreement” with Israel’s TeraGroup to conduct research into COVID-19, the UAE’s WAM news agency reported.

Tokyo, Aug 17 (AP/PTI) Japan's economy shrank at annual rate of 27.8% in April-June, the worst contraction on record, as the coronavirus pandemic slammed consumption and trade, according to government data released on Monday.

The Cabinet Office reported that Japan's preliminary seasonally adjusted real gross domestic product, or GDP, the sum of a nation's goods and services, fell 7.8% quarter on quarter.

16 Aug 2020; MEMO: Telephone lines between the United Arab Emirates and Israel were open on Sunday in a development the Israeli communications minister hailed as important for normalising ties between the countries, reported Reuters.

16 Aug 2020; MEMO: President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Turkey will not back down to threats of sanctions nor to incursions on its claimed territory in the Mediterranean Sea, where it is in a standoff with EU-member Greece over oil and gas exploration rights, reports Reuters.

European Union foreign ministers on Friday said Ankara’s actions were antagonistic and dangerous after a meeting requested by Athens.

Mumbai, Aug 14 (PTI) The Reserve Bank of India board on Friday approved a dividend payout of Rs 57,128 crore to the government, a move in line with the Budget expectation but may not help plug a huge revenue hole created by the pandemic and slowing economy.

The surplus transfer of Rs 57,128 crore for the accounting year 2019-20 compared with Rs 1.76 lakh crore transferred last year, which included Rs 1.23 lakh crore as dividend and Rs 52,637 crore excess provisions identified as per the revised Economic Capital Framework (ECF).

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14 (PTI): The over a month-long COVID-19 induced lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram corporation limits will be lifted from midnight following which malls, hypermarkets and salons will open Saturday morning.

The order will be effective only in non-containment zones, a circular from the District Collector, Dr Navjot Khosa said.

Lockdown was imposed in the corporation limits on July 5.

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s prime minister said Saturday his country has done well in containing the coronavirus pandemic and announced $1.46 trillion infrastructure projects to boost the sagging economy.

The key lesson India learnt from the pandemic is to become self-reliant in manufacturing and developing itself as a key supply chain destination for international companies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council on Friday resoundingly defeated a U.S. resolution to indefinitely extend the U.N. arms embargo on Iran, with the Trump administration getting support from only the Dominican Republic but vowing further action to prevent Tehran’s sale and export of conventional weapons.

14 Aug 2020; MEMO: The United States has seized the cargo of four Iranian fuel tankers transporting supplies to Venezuela, continuing to step up its campaign of maximum pressure on Iran and sanctions on the two allied countries.