Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Japan: 15 Indians rescued from sinking ship off Okinawa coast

External Affairs Ministry (EAM) confirmed that Fifteen Indians were rescued while eleven others were still missing after a cargo ship sank off the coast of southwestern Pacific Ocean, Japan on Friday.

The Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, confirming the news, tweeted, "15 Indians rescued, search on for missing 11 following sinking of a ship off Okinawa. Our Missions in Japan, Philippines & China on the job."


He also listed out the names of those rescued: Suresh Kumar, Alang Ram, Karuppiah Rangasamy, Subash Lourdusamy, Bosun Mohammad Irfan Mansuri, Sathishi, Ram Kailash, Lai Renjith, Kigin, Jegal Sen Vendran, Cheole, Ramay, Karthikayan and two others both named Parash.

Kumar further said that the name of one of the two named Parash was being further checked.

According to reports, the Hong Kong-registered cargo ship sank some 600 km south of Ishigaki island of Okinawa prefecture.

Japan's 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters based in Naha, Okinawa, said earlier that it received an emergency call from the 33,205-tonne Emerald Star around 2 a.m. local time (1700 GMT Thursday) on Friday.

The Japan Coast Guard said it had dispatched patrol boats and aircraft to rescue the crew, but the operations were hampered by a raging.

Meanwhile, the search operations are still underway for the 11 Indian crew members who are still missing.

More For You

JLR-Tata-Getty

JLR had initially planned to manufacture more than 70,000 electric vehicles at the facility. (Photo: Getty Images)

JLR halts plan to build EVs at Tata’s India plant: Report

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) has put on hold plans to manufacture electric vehicles at Tata Motors’ upcoming £775 million factory in southern India, according to a news report.

The decision was influenced by challenges in balancing price and quality for locally sourced EV components, three of the sources said. They added that slowing demand for electric vehicles was also a factor.

Keep ReadingShow less
Leicester drug supplier Sarju Khushal jailed for 11 years over £2m operation

Sarju Khushal

Leicester drug supplier Sarju Khushal jailed for 11 years over £2m operation

A MAN who supplied controlled drugs on a ‘wholesale’ scale across Leicestershire has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. Sarju Khushal, 30, was arrested in 2022 after investigations revealed he had been transporting drugs from Lancashire into the area.

Khushal, formerly of Hazeldene Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to several charges, including the supply and conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was sentenced at Leicester crown court last Thursday (6).

Keep ReadingShow less
Tamil Nadu Education

Tamil, one of the oldest living languages in the world, is a source of pride for the state’s people

Getty images

Education or imposition? Tamil Nadu battles India government over Hindi in schools

A war of words has erupted between Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin and the federal government over the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends a three-language formula in schools, with two of the three being native to India. Stalin has voiced strong objections, claiming that the policy could lead to the imposition of Hindi, a northern Indian language, in non-Hindi-speaking states like Tamil Nadu. The issue has reignited old tensions between southern states and the central government over the privileging of Hindi.

Historical resistance to Hindi

Tamil Nadu has a deep-rooted history of opposing the promotion of Hindi, dating back to the 1960s. Protests broke out in the state when the federal government attempted to make Hindi the sole official language, leading to a compromise that allowed the continued use of English. Language in Tamil Nadu is not merely a means of communication but a powerful symbol of cultural identity. Tamil, one of the oldest living languages in the world, is a source of pride for the state’s people. As a result, any perceived threat to its prominence is met with strong resistance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Former Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire enters House of Lords as Baroness

Thangam Debbonaire

Former Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire enters House of Lords as Baroness

FORMER Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire has taken her seat in the House of Lords after being awarded a life peerage last month.

The 58-year-old, who represented Bristol West for Labour from 2015 until July’s general election, wore the traditional scarlet robes during her introductory ceremony. She will now be known as Baroness Debbonaire of De Beauvoir Town in the London Borough of Hackney.

Keep ReadingShow less