UAE president Al Nahyan arrives in India
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday received United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Delhi airport, signalling the importance India attached to his visit.
Al Nahyan will be in the national capital for less than two hours, according to his schedule released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
His visit to India comes amid a volatile situation in the Middle-East arising out of the sharp decline in Iran-US ties, simmering tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over Yemen and the unsettling political scenario in Gaza.
Al Nahyan and Modi will hold wide-ranging talks shortly.
People familiar with the UAE president's visit said trade and investment, defence industry cooperation and energy initiatives are expected to be on the agenda of his talks with the Indian leadership.
The situation in the Middle East is also likely to figure in the talks, they said.
It will be the UAE leader's third official visit to India since assuming the charge of the top office and the fifth to the country over the past decade.
There has been a significant upswing in bilateral trade and people-to-people ties after New Delhi and Abu Dhabi inked an ambitious comprehensive economic partnership agreement in 2022.
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Ambergris worth Rs 1.85 crore seized in Palghar; two held
Palghar (PTI): The police have seized ambergris or whale vomit worth Rs 1.85 crore and arrested two persons allegedly involved in smuggling the contraband in Maharashtra's Palghar district, an official said on Monday.
Based on a tip-off, the police laid a trap in Nalasopara East and apprehended the accused on Saturday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Poornima Chowgule-Shringi (Zone-2, Vasai) said.
The team intercepted Kader Gafar Karghashra (52), a resident of Jawahar, and recovered 1.858 kg of a yellowish-black, waxy substance confirmed to be ambergris, worth Rs 1.85 crore, she said.
Following the initial arrest, further investigation was launched to identify the source of the contraband, and they zeroed in on Kishore Mahadev Tapsale (39), a resident of Thane, and nabbed him, the DCP said.
A case has been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, she added.
Ambergris, often called "floating gold," is a solid, waxy substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales and is highly sought after in the international perfume market, despite being strictly prohibited for sale under Indian law.
