The Directorate General of Shipping on Saturday said that contact with the hijacked vessel, MV Delight, had been established and the Indian crew on board was 'safe and in good health'.Iranian ship MV Delight with seven Indian sailors on board was hijacked by Somali pirates on November 18. Delight, which bears a Hong Kong flag, was carrying 38,000 tonnes of wheat and had 18 crew members, apart from the Indian crew, on board when it was hijacked near the Gulf of Eden.
It is the first such case of a sizeable number of military personnel being treated for COVID-19. The Indian Army has reported eight cases of the deadly virus so far.
Ending a six-month ordeal, the crew of nine Indian and 12 Iranian sailors of cargo ship MV Sinin was freed on Saturday by Somali pirates. "Nine Indian sailors along with 12 Iranians of M V Sinin have been released by the pirates today. All of them are safe," said Director General of Shipping S B Agnihotri. The Somali pirates had on February 12 seized the Malta-flagged, 52,000 tonne bulk carrier 315 nautical miles off Masirah (Oman) while it was on its way to Singapore.
The foremost lesson for India today is to beef up its air defence to cater for multiple drone attacks. As seen in Operation Sindoor, we have come a long way, but there's room for getting better. We must develop a robust and almost impregnable air cover over ourselves, asserts IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
INS Surat is the Indian Navy's first AI enabled warship.
'The precision strikes were well planned and excellently executed. The world will be studying this operation.'
The government on Thursday said it was making all possible effort to seek the early release of 64 Indians held hostage by Somali pirates, including six on board an Egyptian cargo ship hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, in August last year. "I share the anxiety and concerns of the family members and we are making all efforts to ensure the safety of Indians and also to expedite their release," Shipping Minister G K Vasan said.
Ahead of its expected delivery by yearend, Indian Navy's Russian built aircraft carrier Vikramaditya on Friday commenced sea trials in the White Sea.
A Nigerian militant group on Monday demanded the release of its leader, in return for setting free an Indian sailor, along with five foreign crew members of a chemical tanker. Nigerian militant group Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta sought the release of its leader Henry Okah for medical treatment abroad.
In the third such attack in over two weeks in the Gulf of Guinea, the Singapore-owned vessel, MT Abu Dhabi Star, was taken over by pirates on Tuesday night when it was sailing towards the open sea.
The last seven Indian sailors held hostage by Somali pirates were released October 30. Chirag Bahri, Indian coordinator for the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme that aids piracy survivors and their families, speaks to Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com on how the near-impossible was achieved.
The government of Egypt and Dubai has complained to India about the excessive media coverage given to relatives of the kidnapped Indian sailors by Somali pirates. According to them, the hype by the Indian media is not helping negotiators who are trying to strike a deal with pirates for the early release of the sailors.
International Mohammed Sarwar scored a brace of goals in the Pakistan team's 5-1 win over the Indian sailors.
The M T Stolt Valor, which had been hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden in September, has been released, according to the National Union of Seafarers of India. There were 18 Indian soldiers on board the hijacked ship. Initial reports said that ransom was paid to the pirates by the Japanese owners Stolt Tankers. Reports said that all crew members on board are safe. The ship has left for Mumbai and will reach in three to four days.
Armed Somali men, helping out coast-guards in the African waters, have managed to free an Indian cargo ship with 13 sailors on board, after it was hijacked by pirates off the northern coast of Somalia.
Three sailors were injured, including one who sustained serious injuries and his right leg has been amputated from just above the knee.
'When I crossed that point where I had the accident, I felt light and that was a very physical experience. I felt something leave me.' Shyam G Menon chronicles the voyages of that incredible Indian sailor, Abhilash Tomy.
Tomy was battling for life on the dismasted sailboat Thoriya with a severe back injury, the officials said.
Raising concerns over Somali pirates holding hostage several Gujarati sailors, Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure their safe release.
The five Pakistani sailors, staying at a police station in south Mumbai after being rescued by Indian Navy in the high seas in March, flew to their country on Monday evening, the police said.
After the 10 seamen, who were taken to Hong Kong's Princess Margaret hospital, underwent screening including chest X-rays and blood tests, doctors said there was nothing to worry.
Gurjit Singh, working on the 480-foot Tatiana L, a freighter from Cyprus, fell off the cargo ship after it left Port Everglades in Florida on Tuesday night.\n\n
India on Sunday said it is taking steps to ensure safe evacuation of its nationals from Yemen after a sailors group claimed that 70 seamen from Gujarat are stranded in the war-torn county.
'Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor and I were inseparable while we struggled together.' 'When a disillusioned Dharmendra was packing his bags to return home, I prevailed upon him to give himself two months.' 'Five days later, he was signed for Shola Aur Shabnam and I signed Picnic.'
British Prime Minister David Cameron recently asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's help to send back six British sailors who have been in Tamil Nadu for two years.
Efforts are on to secure the release of an Indian sailor jailed in Togo whose family eagerly awaits his return for performing the last rites of his 11-month son who died earlier this week, Union Minister of State for Shipping Miland Deora said on Friday.
Three Indian Navy sailors have been arrested for allegedly molesting three girls and assaulting policemen when they intervened, police said on Monday.
'I've been working hard for this for the past 18 months and away from home for a long time...and it is good to know that it all paid off and the event is done and we've got what we came for'
Indian Finn sailor Nachhatar Singh Johal flew to Beijing to be at the opening ceremony on Friday, a day before the Finn class got started 690-kilometres away in Qingdao.
The sacked sailor had undergone the surgery in August last year at a hospital in Mumbai while on leave.
The ship- Marila Discovery- had reached Mumbai coast on April 14. None of them have tested positive for the infection, the CMO said in a statement.
Lieutenant Commanders Dilna K and Roopa A will remain at sea for 8 months. They will rely on wind power, do the repairs on the boat themselves and navigate some the world's most treacherous waters.
Qatar has released eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel and seven of them returned home early Monday, 46 days after their death sentences handed last October were commuted to jail terms of varying duration.
The defence ministry on Sunday said the decision is in line with Singh's vision of "inclusive participation" of all women in the armed forces, irrespective of their ranks.
The Indian sailing team have embarked on their journey to the Tokyo Games on Monday.
"Yes, we met Shipping Minister G K Vasan, and he assured us that he would do something. Pirates have threatened to kill our children if nothing is done till November 3O. So, we have decided that till they (government) decide to get them released, we will not go from here," mother of Mehtab, one of the hostages, said.
When the Asian Games was delayed by a year owing to the COVID-19 situation in China, it wreaked havoc with the schedule of many athletes, but for Indian sailor Neha Thakur, it proved to be a blessing in disguise.
'We not only have to secure our national interests but also prepare for new national security challenges like cyber warfare and terrorism.'
