UAE leader designates his son as crown prince
Dubai (AP): Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, appointed his eldest son Khaled as crown prince of Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, placing him as next in line to take over as the leader of the federation.
The state-run WAM news agency announced the appointment of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as crown prince late Wednesday, without providing further details.
After Sheikh Mohammed, who is commonly known as MBZ, ascended to the presidency last year, rumors swirled about whether he would make one of his brothers his heir.
In that case, the front-runners would have been Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, the powerful national security chief, Sheikh Mansour, the owner of the Manchester City football club, or the foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah.
Sheikh Khaled was appointed chairman of the country's intelligence agency in 2016.
The United Arab Emirates, a close U.S. ally, is best known as the home of Dubai, a major international hub for business and travel.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE and the driving force behind its creation, ruled from 1971 until his death in 2004. He appointed his eldest son Khalifa as his successor and MBZ as deputy crown prince.
Sheikh Mohammed has been the nation's de facto leader since Sheikh Khalifa suffered a stroke in 2014. Sheikh Khalifa died eight years later, in May 2022.
During Sheikh Mohammed's rule, the UAE cultivated close ties with neighboring Saudi Arabia, initially joining it in its war against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels before exiting the conflict years later. The UAE has sought to project military power across the region as it has opposed the rise of Islamist groups.
In 2020, the UAE normalized relations with Israel in the first of the so-called Abraham Accords, followed by Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
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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.
