Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Sri Lanka recovers black box from sinking ship MV X-Press Pearl

Sri Lanka recovers black box from sinking ship MV X-Press Pearl

A BLACK box was recovered from a container ship sinking off Sri Lanka, but a dive to check for oil leaks had to be aborted on Sunday (6), the navy said.

The Voyage Data Recorder (VDR), also known as a maritime "black box", was found intact and is expected to help investigators review procedures and instructions ahead of an accident.


The navy said divers were deployed for a third time Sunday (6) to examine the fuel tanks of MV X-Press Pearl, but they were unable to carry out their mission due to poor visibility and choppy seas.

However, they did not notice any oil slick in the area, a navy officer said. He said another dive would be attempted when the weather improved.

Sri Lankan authorities hope the black box will provide details of the ship's movements and its communications with the harbour in the capital Colombo, where it had been due to dock.

"The navy facilitated technicians to remove the VDR from the bridge which is still above the waterline," navy spokesman Indika de Silva said.

The Singapore-registered vessel has been slowly sinking into the Indian Ocean since Wednesday after a fire raged for nearly two weeks within sight of the coast.

The ship, carrying 25 tons of nitric acid and a huge amount of plastic raw materials, was heading to Colombo from Gujarat, India.

Sri Lankan officials have said an acid leak since May 11 may have sparked the blaze. Ports in Qatar and India had refused to offload the leaking nitric acid, they added.

Police on the island nation launched a criminal investigation, interviewing the vessel's skipper and chief engineer - both Russians - and its chief officer, an Indian, and seizing their passports.

Tons of microplastic granules from the ship swamped an 80-kilometre (50-mile) stretch of beach declared off-limits for residents. Fishing in the area was also banned.

Sri Lankan environmentalists on Friday sued the government and the ship's operators for allegedly failing to prevent what they called the "worst marine disaster" in the country's history.

More For You

Nepal troops deployed

An aerial view shows smoke billowing from the torched President House in Kathmandu on September 10, 2025. (Photo by PRABIN RANABHAT/AFP via Getty Images)

Getty Images

Troops move in as Nepal reels from parliament blaze and riots

NEPALI soldiers patrolled the streets of Kathmandu on Wednesday (10), seeking to restore order after protesters set parliament ablaze and forced the prime minister to quit in the worst violence to hit the Himalayan nation in two decades.

Soldiers issued orders via loudspeakers enforcing a curfew during the political vacuum, as armoured personnel carriers rumbled past the carcasses of burnt vehicles and buildings on the largely quiet streets.

Keep ReadingShow less
BHAUK anniversary London

The event also included a financial report, a documentary on the organisation’s history, and an exhibition on Hindu genocide in the subcontinent.

Getty images

Bangladesh Hindu Association UK marks 25 years with London event

THE BANGLADESH Hindu Association UK marked its 25th founding anniversary with a silver jubilee programme on Saturday, August 30, at the Ravidassia Community Centre in Manor Park, East London.

Members from Birmingham, Bradford, Loughborough, Portsmouth, Hull, Sheffield, Leeds and Coventry attended the event.

Keep ReadingShow less
English Channel

A group of migrants board an inflatable dinghy before leaving the coast of northern France in an attempt to cross the Channel to reach UK on August 25, 2025.

Reuters

Three dead, including two children, in Channel crossing attempt

THREE people, including two children, died while attempting to cross the English Channel overnight off the coast of Calais, French authorities said.

French media reported that the children were on a boat carrying 38 people. The Prefect of Pas-de-Calais, Laurent Touvet, said another three people were missing from a separate boat trying to cross at Neufchâtel-Hardelot, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi & Trump

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025.

Reuters

US, India look to reset trade talks as Trump plans call with Modi

Highlights:

  • Trump says he will speak to Modi in the coming weeks amid trade talks
  • Modi calls US and India "close friends and natural partners"
  • Trade officials from both countries may restart meetings in September
  • US-India trade reached $129 billion in 2024 with a $45.8 billion US deficit

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration is continuing negotiations to address trade barriers with India and that he would speak to prime minister Narendra Modi, indicating a possible reset after recent friction.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump CEOs

Sitting at the centre of a long table, Trump was flanked by First Lady Melania Trump and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on one side, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the other. (Photo: Getty Images)

At White House dinner, Trump lauds Nadella, Pichai

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump praised Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai during a White House dinner with top technology executives on Thursday. The two Indian-American leaders thanked him for his leadership and for policies in the technology and AI sectors.

Trump described the gathering as a “high IQ group,” calling the executives “the most brilliant people.” Sitting at the centre of a long table, Trump was flanked by First Lady Melania Trump and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on one side, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the other. Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook sat across from him, while Nadella was seated toward one end of the table.

Keep ReadingShow less