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Iraq to import electricity from Turkey to tackle deficit

07 Aug 2020; MEMO: The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity yesterday announced its intention to import 200 megawatts of electricity from Turkey to address the severe power shortage it is facing, Anadolu reported.

A ministry spokesman, Ahmed Al-Abadi, told the news agency that after obtaining the approval of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, the ministry began negotiations with Turkey to import 200 megawatts of electricity through the Mosul Dam Station, in the north of the country.

Trump signs executive orders banning Chinese apps TikTok & Wechat

Washington, Aug 7 (PTI) US President Donald Trump has signed executive orders banning TikTok and WeChat, terming the popular Chinese apps a threat to the country's national security and economy.

The ban comes into effect in 45 days, Trump said in two separate executive orders signed on Thursday.

India was the first country to ban TikTok and WeChat, citing national security concerns. India has banned as many as 106 Chinese apps, a move welcomed by both the Trump administration and US lawmakers.

China sentences 3rd Canadian to death on drug charges

BEIJING (AP) — China has sentenced a third Canadian citizen to death on drug charges amid a steep decline in relations between the two countries.

The Guangzhou Municipal Intermediate Court announced Xu Weihong’s penalty on Thursday and said an alleged accomplice, Wen Guanxiong, had been given a life sentence.

Death sentences are automatically referred to China’s highest court for review.

India: RBI to bring start-ups under priority sector lending category

Mumbai, Aug 6 (PTI) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday decided to broaden the scope of Priority Sector Lending (PSL) by including start-ups and enhancing borrowing limits for renewable energy sectors.

The central bank would also increase the targets for lending to 'small and marginal farmers' and 'weaker sections' under the PSL.

India: RBI leaves benchmark lending rate unchanged

Mumbai, Aug 6 (PTI) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday opted for a status quo and left interest rates unchanged, but maintained an accommodative stance, implying more rate cuts in future if the need arises to support the economy hit by the COVID-19 crisis

The benchmark repurchase (repo) rate has been left unchanged at 4 per cent, Governor Shaktikanta Das said while announcing the decisions taken by the central bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

US sends world’s largest plane to Israel to pick up Iron Dome missile systems

04 Aug 2020; MEMO: The world’s largest plane landed in Tel Aviv airport yesterday, carrying a cargo of US military trucks to be loaded with an Israeli air defence system.

The massive Antonov An-225 carrying ‘OshKosh’ trucks were fitted with Iron Dome missile defence system batteries before leaving Israel.

The Unit for International Transport of the Directorate of Production and Procurement in the Israeli Ministry of Defence was involved in bringing the Antonov plane to Israel, the ministry announced.

US treasury should get a chunk of TikTok sale proceeds: Trump

Washington, Aug 4 (PTI) President Donald Trump has demanded that the US treasury should get a substantial chunk of the TikTok sale proceeds, as he set September 15 as the deadline for the popular Chinese short video app to be out of business in the country unless it is bought by an American company.

Trump was speaking to reporters at a White House news conference on Monday, hours after it announced the deadline for TikTok to stop operations in the US.

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