Bahrain government websites briefly inaccessible after purported hack claim over Israel-Hamas war
Dubai: The websites of two government ministries in Bahrain briefly became inaccessible Tuesday night after a statement claimed hackers took them down over the island kingdom's stance on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
A statement posted online by a self-described group calling itself Al-Toufan, or "The Flood" in Arabic, claimed hacking the Foreign Ministry and the Information Affairs Ministry's websites.
Both later became accessible again Tuesday night. The statement said the purported hacks came in retaliation for "the abnormal statements issued" by the island's Al Khalifa ruling family, without elaborating. Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa opened a summit last week in the kingdom with a call for a swap between Hamas and Israel for the hostages and a halt in the bloodshed.
The Bahraini government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. State media in Bahrain did not acknowledge the incident. In February, the self-described group issued a claim that it had taken down the websites of Bahrain's international airport, state news agency and chamber of commerce to mark the 12-year anniversary of an Arab Spring uprising in the small Gulf country. The same shadowy self-described group targeted government websites during elections held last year.
Bahrain reached a diplomatic recognition deal with Israel in 2020 alongside the United Arab Emirates. The island kingdom, home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet, has drawn repeated criticism from Iran, its regional arch rival, over that.
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Iran war halts Marathwada turmeric exports, prices drop in domestic market
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): The ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran has halted turmeric exports from Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, causing domestic prices to crash from Rs 16,500 to Rs 13,000 per quintal.
Shiv Sena MLC Hemant Patil on Tuesday said that turmeric cultivated in Marathwada is exported to the Gulf and African countries, but the war that broke out last month has halted exports completely.
Turmeric is a cash crop cultivated in nearly 2 lakh acres in Hingoli district, and the Vasmat variety received a Geographical Identification (GI) tag in 2024.
Containers of turmeric from Hingoli and adjoining regions are shipped out of the country from Tamil Nadu and Kerala after processing, said Patil, who also heads the Balasaheb Thackeray Turmeric Research and Training Centre in Hingoli.
"Hingoli, Nanded, Wardha, Parbhani, Yavatmal and Washim are the turmeric belts in Marathwada. These districts produce nearly 25 lakh tonnes of the crop. The land under turmeric cultivation in Hingoli district alone is around 2 lakh hectares," he said.
Prakash Soni, a turmeric trader from Hingoli, said the Iran war has not only completely halted the exports, but the price of the produce in the domestic market has also taken a hit.
"Before the war, turmeric was being sold at Rs 16,500 per quintal. The price has now reached Rs 13,000. The price will drop further if the war continues," he said.
According to data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India exported turmeric worth USD 341.54 million in 2024-25, with Maharashtra alone accounting for USD 155.35 million.
The produce was exported to Bangladesh, the UAE, the US, Malaysia and Morocco.
