SRI LANKA to get $1.84 million for its efforts to douse fire on the crude oil ship early this month.
The owners of the New Diamond supertanker, which caught fire with a cargo of two million barrels of oil aboard, will pay the amount to Sri Lanka for its help in extinguishing the blaze and averting disaster.
The interim claim is for services provided by the Sri Lankan navy, air force, ports authority and Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) after the fire on September 3 to 15, said Nishara Jayaratne, coordination officer of Sri Lanka's attorney general.
Insurers of the vessel West of England will settle the bill, MEPA chairperson Dharshani Lahandapura said.
The New Diamond, loaded with Kuwaiti oil, is chartered by Indian Oil Corp and is currently 66 nautical miles (122 kilometres) from Batticaloa on Sri Lanka's east coast.
MEPA has allowed the release of 20 crew members while one injured sailor is undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Sri Lanka, Lahandapura said.
The captain has not been allowed to leave the country as he is going through legal proceedings, she said.
Greece-based Porto Emporios Shipping Inc is the registered owner of the 20-year old Panama-flagged very large crude carrier, Refinitiv data showed.
Lahandapura said the interim claim does not include damages for the spill of marine oil. While it did leak fuel, its crude oil cargo remained intact.
The ship's managers, New Shipping Ltd, have appointed SMIT Singapore Pte Ltd to lead salvage operations.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)