Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Thousands mourn as revered Indian leader dies

Thousands mourned in southern India on Tuesday (7) after the death of revered 94-year-old political leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi.

But tensions were high with local television showing footage of agitated mourners attacking police barricades and chanting loud slogans demanding a prime beach-side burial site in Chennai for the late leader.


Karunanidhi, a charismatic self-styled champion of the poor, had been in intensive care since July 28 in the capital of Tamil Nadu state.

A big crowd had thronged the streets outside the hospital since his hospitalisation but it swelled to some 6,000 on Tuesday, an AFP photographer estimated, after doctors said he had suffered a "significant decline".

Prakash Duria, a doctor at the Kauvery Hospital, later confirmed to AFP that he had died.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi immediately tweeted condolences to Karunanidhi's family, saying "India and particularly Tamil Nadu will miss him immensely".

"Deeply saddened by the passing away of Kalaignar Karunanidhi," Modi said.

"He was one of the senior most leaders of India. We have lost a deep-rooted mass leader, prolific thinker, accomplished writer and a stalwart whose life was devoted to the welfare of the poor and the marginalised," he added.

Supporters beat their chests and chanted the leader's name as hundreds of police struggled to contain the surging crowds.

A security alert had been sounded across the state, following past outbreaks of violence triggered by the deaths of previous high-profile figures.

Karunanidhi was chief minister of Tamil Nadu five times and successfully contested 12 state elections, building legions of supporters on the way.

His popularity had not waned even though he handed over the reins of his Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party to his son M.K. Stalin.

Karunanidhi, a school dropout, became involved in politics at a young age, spearheading the DMK which was allied for many years to the Gandhi dynasty's Congress party.

Affectionately called "Kalaignar" or scholar, he wrote reams of poems, lyrics and books and was a prolific screenwriter for the Tamil film industry.

His popularity rivalled that of J. Jayalalithaa, another powerful leader from Tamil Nadu whose death sparked a huge outpouring of grief.

An estimated one million people lined the streets for Jayalalithaa's burial in 2016.

Jayalalithaa was buried at the Marina beach and Karunanidhi's supporters have demanded space for their leader in the same area, close to one of his late mentors.

The deaths of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi leave a big political vacuum in the industrialised and prosperous southern state only months before key national election early next year.

(AFP)

More For You

Bhim Kohli
The attack took place on 1 September last year in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, Leicestershire. (Photo credit: Facebook)

Two teenagers convicted of killing 80-year-old Bhim Kohli in Leicester park

A 15-YEAR-OLD boy and a 13-year-old girl were found guilty on Tuesday (8) of the manslaughter of 80-year-old Bhim Kohli, who died last year following an attack while walking his dog in a Leicester park.

The teenagers, who cannot be named due to their age, were convicted after a six-week trial at Leicester Crown Court.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heat records across Europe

March also delivered unusual weather extremes.

iStock

March breaks heat records across Europe, raising fears of summer wildfires

March 2025 has officially been confirmed as the hottest on record in Europe, according to new data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The average air temperature across the continent was 2.41°C above the March norm for 1991–2020. While this number represents the overall average, the real temperature spikes were even more extreme in some regions, particularly across Eastern Europe and southwest Russia. A heat map published alongside the figures showed large parts of Europe coloured in dark orange and red, indicating significant temperature increases.

Keep ReadingShow less
Meghan Markle Speaks Out on 'Scary' Journey With Rare Postpartum Illness

Meghan also discussed the challenge of balancing motherhood with professional commitments

Getty

Meghan Markle opens up about 'scary' battle with rare post-partum condition

The Duchess of Sussex has spoken publicly about a serious health scare she experienced after giving birth, revealing she suffered from post-partum pre-eclampsia.

Speaking on the first episode of her new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, Meghan described the condition as both "rare" and "scary", admitting she managed the situation privately without the public being aware. She did not specify whether the diagnosis came after the birth of her son Archie, now five, or her daughter Lilibet, aged three.

Keep ReadingShow less
NHS-Plan

The government invested £82 million to help primary care networks recruit GPs, with continued funding announced in the latest Budget

1,503 new GPs recruited since October as part of NHS plan

A TOTAL of 1,503 extra GPs have been recruited across England since 1 October as part of the government’s Plan for Change, new figures show.

The recruitment is aimed at increasing general practice capacity, reducing waiting lists, and improving access to appointments. It follows changes to the GP contract for 2025–26 and additional government funding.

Keep ReadingShow less
Back from Extinction: Scientists Successfully Revive Direwolf Species

Advanced gene-editing revives a predator lost to time

Colossal Biosciences

Direwolf DNA brought back to life by scientists after 10,000 years

The dire wolf, the ancient predator made famous by the TV series Game of Thrones, has been brought back from extinction after more than 10,000 years, scientists have announced.

Back from Extinction: Scientists Successfully Revive Direwolf SpeciesThe project represents the first successful demonstration of the company’s complete de-extinction processColossal Biosciences

Keep ReadingShow less