NEW DELHI: Japanese vessel MT Stolt Valor, that had been hijacked near the Gulf of Aden on September 15 with 22 crew, including 18 Indians, on board, was released on Sunday. The Stolt Valor crew also had one Bangladeshi, two Filipinos and one Russian. Chairman of NSFA said that all crew members are safe. Seema Goyal, wife of captain Prabhat Goyal onboard the ship, is said to have received the information from the company which owns the ship. Initial reports suggested that the demands of the pirates were met after prolonged negotiations. The Japanese company reportedly paid the ransom to the pirates. Soon after this news, Seema Goyal, who has been crusading for the early release of the Indians on board said, "I am so happy today. Finally the wait is over. I received a call from the company and Japanese officials today morning and they informed me that the pirates have released the ship, which was held in captive for over 2 months now." She further added, "The ship is on its way to Mumbai and will be around in the next 3-4 days. I am looking forward to the Indians coming back home. Meanwhile, I would like to thank TIMES NOW for supporting me and also all those who prayed for the early release." The seafarers on board MT Stlot Valor were held hostage by the pirates, who hijacked the cargo ship on September 15. The ship is owned by a Japanese company and managed by Fleet Marine Ltd in Mumbai. The hijackers had initially demanded a ransom of $6m for the release of the crew.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in
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