Sitaram Yechury, leader of India’s largest communist party, dies at 72
Sitaram Yechury, the leader of India’s largest communist party, died on Thursday. He was 72.
Top politicians from across parties and ideologies paid glowing tributes to the departed leader, remembering him for his unwavering commitment to secularism and his ability to connect with the public.
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition, hailed Yechury as the “protector of the idea of India” while prime minister Narendra Modi appreciated his “ability to connect across the political spectrum”.
Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal whose Trinamool Congress party has long been an arch rival of the communists, called his death a loss for national politics.
Sonia Gandhi, the matriarch of the main opposition Congress party, recalled her decades-long friendship with Yechury and praised his commitment to India’s constitutional values and his “fierce determination” to protect its diversity and secularism.
Yechury was admitted to Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences earlier last month with pneumonia and later shifted to the Intensive Care Unit, where he died at 3.05pm on Thursday.
The veteran leftist’s passing has left a void in Indian politics, not least because of his ability to forge alliances and navigate coalition politics. He had served as general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) since April 2015, succeeding Prakash Karat.
Yechury was born in the southern city of Chennai and educated in Delhi.
His political journey began about 50 years ago at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. He was pursuing doctoral studies in economics when then prime minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency in 1975, leading to his arrest along with other student leaders. Although his PhD went unfinished, Yechury’s political career gained momentum.
After the Emergency was lifted in 1977, Yechury’s leadership skills shone through as he was elected president of the university’s student union three times.
A pivotal moment in his nascent political career came when he led a student protest against Gandhi, who had retained her position as the university’s chancellor despite losing her prime ministership and even her seat in the parliament in the 1977 election. When Gandhi emerged to meet the student protesters, Yechury read out their demands in her presence.
“There were 500 of us. Her aide told us that only five of us can go in to meet her. But when we insisted, she herself came out. We read out our resolution against her which was full of litanies, but she heard stoically. I handed over the resolution to her and she took it politely too,” Yechury later recalled in an interview with The Hindu. “Couple of days later, she resigned.”
The successful protest catapulted Yechury to prominence in the ranks of his communist party and set him on the path to its leadership.
In later years, he formed an alliance with Gandhi’s daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi, who had come to head the Congress party, particularly after she led a broad coalition to power in 2004.
He was the first non-Congress leader that Ms Gandhi approached for support after she surprisingly declined the premiership and backed her party colleague Manmohan Singh for the position.
After Yechury’s passing, Ms Gandhi said: “He was, of course, a lifelong communist but that faith was anchored in democratic values. Indeed, his twelve-year stint in parliament was memorable and left his indelible mark. He played a pivotal role in UPA 1 and more recently contributed enormously to the emergence of the INDIA group in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.”
Her son, Rahul Gandhi, called Yechury a friend and “a protector of the Idea of India with a deep understanding of our country”.
“I will miss the long discussions we used to have. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and followers in this hour of grief,” Mr Gandhi said.
Mr Modi said he was “deeply saddened by the loss” of Yechury, describing him as “a towering figure of the Left who built bridges across the political divide with his exceptional ability to connect with others”.
“He left an indelible mark as a skilled parliamentarian. My heartfelt thoughts are with his family, friends, and admirers during this difficult time. May he rest in peace.”
President Droupadi Murmu praised Yechury’s “distinct and influential voice”. “Though a committed ideologue, he won friends cutting across the party lines,” she said in her condolence message.
Yechury’s party said the death of its general secretary was a significant loss for leftist, democratic and secular forces in India.
It described him as an exceptional leader of the Left movement and a renowned Marxist ideologue. “We dip the red banner in his memory and call upon all party members to unite and work tirelessly towards our shared goal of an exploitation-free society, the best tribute to his legacy,” the party said in a statement.
Chinese ambassador to India Xu Feihong remembered Yechury as “a steadfast Marxist and a long-standing friend of China”.
The late leader’s significant contributions to fostering “China-India relations and friendship will be cherished and remembered forever”, he added.
Federal minister Nitin Gadkari of the ruling BJP said Mr Yechury’s “contributions to public life will always be remembered”.
Ms Banerjee said she was “sad to know that Sri Sitaram Yechury has passed away”.
“I knew the veteran parliamentarian that he was and his demise will be a loss for national politics,” the West Bengal chief minister said.
Yechury is survived by his wife Seema Chishti and their two children Akhila and Danish. An older son from his first wife, Ashish Yechury, died from Covid in 2021.
Yechury donated his body to AIIMS for teaching and research purposes, the hospital announced.
Viral baby hippo from Thailand zoo facing harassment from visitors
A two-month-old baby pygmy hippo in Thailand who went viral on social media has been harassed by visitors, leading to zoo authorities adding additional security around her enclosure.
Moo Deng, whose name translates to “bouncy pork”, became instantly popular after clips of her on the zoo’s TikTok account caught the notice of people online.
Born on 10 June to parents Jona and Tony at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Moo Deng has two siblings, Moo Tun, meaning stewed pork, and Moo Wan, meaning sweet pork. She was first revealed to the public on 25 July, and her name was chosen after a vote held by the zoo.
“The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad. I thought she could be famous in Thailand but not internationally,” zookeeper Atthapon Nundee told The Guardian.
Social media users can’t get enough of the adorable hippo going about her day—whether she’s sprayed with water, carried by zookeepers, showing off her new teeth, or simply lying on the ground in her enclosure.
Moo Deng’s popularity has caused a massive surge in visitors to the zoo, seeing anywhere between 6,000 and 7,000 on the weekends, reported Thai PBS.
However, not all the attention Moo Deng is receiving is welcome. In a video shared on social media, Moo Deng is sleeping in her enclosure when a visitor pours water on her. Other visitors have thrown bananas and shellfish at her to try and get her attention.
Narongwit Chodchoi, director of Khao Kheow Open Zoo, on Thursday released a statement asking visitors not to throw objects at her or make loud noises. He warned that the zoo would take legal action against those who do not behave, according to the Bangkok Post.
“These behaviours are not only cruel but also dangerous,” he said. “We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment.”
He added that the zoo had installed surveillance cameras in the area and an officer had been appointed to watch over her.
Moo Deng, who Time magazine has dubbed “legend” and “the moment”, has inspired fanart, zoo merchandise, and even makeup looks from Sephora.
A popular cafe in Bangkok, the Vetmon Cafe, created a cake in her honour, which is being called “too cute to eat”.
Native to western Africa, pygmy hippos are listed as an endangered species, with reports saying only about 2,000 of them remain in the wild.
Indonesia, meanwhile, had cause to celebrate as it welcomed the birth of a baby Javan rhinoceros, one of the world’s most critically endangered species.
The environment and forestry ministry announced the birth along with footage captured in May from Ujung Kulon National Park on the western tip of Java island. The footage showed the baby calf, named Iris, walking with her mother.
There are only about 80 Javan rhinoceros left in the world, all in Indonesia, according to the International Rhino Foundation.
Gas leak at factory sparks panic as residents asked to stay indoors
A gas leak from a chemical company in Thane in the southwestern state of Maharashtra in India caused panic among residents on Thursday evening as it spread across the city, reports said.
Residents reported reduced visibility in Ambernath town in Thane, itchy eyes, throat irritation and breathing issues.
Videos and photos shared on social media showed a smog-like haze over roads in the Morivali MIDC area of Ambernath as state authorities deployed emergency teams to investigate the cause of the leak.
Visibility was reportedly reduced due to the thick smoke that enveloped the area. Authorities urged people to remain indoors as investigations began.
The leak was later attributed to a possible chemical reaction due to high temperatures. However, an investigation is currently ongoing to determine the exact nature of the gas that was leaked.
The disaster management cell of Ambernath said they were also making plans to avoid such situations in the future. “As fumes spread to the streets we immediately rushed to the spot and checked everything,” an unidentified government officer was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
As visuals of haze-covered roads from the gas leak went viral, residents reported that fumes had spread toward the railway tracks, leading to a temporary disruption of train services.
Ambernath, known for its numerous chemical factories, has faced similar incidents in the past. In 2021, a gas leak at another factory resulted in over 30 people being hospitalised.
It was reported that the factory operations have been halted for now. According to media reports, the local residents shut their doors and windows in panic to prevent the gas from entering their homes.
Yasin Tadvi, chief of the disaster management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), was quoted as saying by The Business Standard that the situation was now under control and no injuries or hospitalisations have been reported.
Singer Diljit Dosanjh’s India tour sells out within minutes
Tickets for actor and musician Diljit Dosanjh’s “Dil-luminati” India tour sold out within minutes of going on sale, leaving many fans disappointed.
A presale started on Tuesday and tickets for the concert in capital Delhi sold out in just under two minutes.
General tickets opened for purchase on Thursday and sold out within minutes, with fans showing the same level of enthusiasm as seen for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.
“We have already sold 150,000 tickets. While there is enormous demand, due to the rules, regulations, and venue capacities, we are expecting around 200,000 people across 10 venues,” tour organiser Janamjai Sehgal from Saregama India told NDTV.
“This level of response has never happened in India before, not even for international artists. On the first day of the presale, 8,000-10,000 transactions were made in a single minute. We sold 100,000 tickets within 15 minutes,” Sehgal said.
Fans who managed to get the tickets celebrated on social media and those who didn’t were trying desperately to find resellers even though they were asking for jacked up prices.
“Bajaj Finance IPO, if one lot is allotted of ₹14,900 (£135), could potentially become ₹28,757 (£260), assuming a 93 per cent GMP. Diljit Dosanjh concert tickets which people bought for ₹5,999 (£54) are being resold for ₹21,000 (£190), that’s a growth of 250.04 per cent! Next time, you know where to invest,” one fan joked on X.
Another fan posted screenshots of multiple tickets to reveal that he spent Rs 87,640 (£794) on them.
Several fans who weren’t able to get the tickets complained about the booking process, because patrons had to zoom in to the seats to confirm, which they said wasted time.
The “Dil-luminati” tour is set to kick off on 26 October in Delhi. Shows are also lined up in Chandigarh, Guwahati, Pune, Indore, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad.
Dosanjh has been on a world tour since the early 2024, performing sold-out shows across North America, Australia and New Zealand. And he has shows lined up in Paris, London, Glasgow, and Amsterdam through September and October.
The singer has seen his global popularity surge since a performance at Coachella in 2023. His collaborations with international stars like NLE Choppa, Sia, and Saweetie have added to his appeal, and he’s often credited with putting Punjabi music on the map.
Earlier this year, he joined Ed Sheeran on stage in Mumbai to perform his hit track “Lover”. Dosanjh has also worked on a Punjabi-Spanish crossover track “Palpita” with Colombian singer Camilo.
He made his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and performed fan favourites “GOAT” and “Born To Shine”.
North Korea shows first photos of uranium facility for nuclear weapons
North Korea offered the world a rare look into a secretive facility producing enriched uranium as leader Kim Jong-un called for an “exponential” increase in nuclear weapons production.
Mr Kim visited the control room of the uranium enrichment facility and a construction site aimed at increasing its capacity for nuclear weapons production, KCNA reported. Pictures released by the state news agency on Friday showed the leader being briefed by scientists as he walked along rows of tall grey tubes, though it did not specify when or where the visit took place.
The photos showed around 1,000 centrifuges. If operated throughout the year, they could produce 20-25kg of highly enriched uranium, enough to manufacture one nuclear bomb, according to security expert Yang Uk from Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
It was not clear if the site Mr Kim toured was part of the Yongbyon nuclear complex, but this was North Korea’s first disclosure of a uranium enrichment facility since 2010.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula deepened last year after North Korea test-launched the solid-fuelled Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile – its most advanced weapon designed to strike the mainland US – in its third test in 2023.
Uranium is a radioactive element that exists naturally. To make nuclear fuel, raw uranium undergoes processes that result in a material with an increased concentration of the isotope uranium-235.
The Yongbyon complex, which North Korea calls “the heart” of its nuclear programme and research, has been at the centre of international concerns for decades. It’s not clear exactly how much weapons-grade plutonium or highly enriched uranium has been produced at Yongbyon and where North Korea stores it.
The move was likely aimed at increasing pressure on the US and its allies, particularly South Korea and Japan, which have long been critical of the isolated country’s nuclear programme.
The Security Council imposed sanctions after North Korea’s first nuclear test explosion in 2006 and tightened them over the years in a total of 10 resolutions seeking to cut funds and curb its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
The last sanctions resolution was adopted by the council in 2017. China and Russia vetoed a US-sponsored resolution in May 2022 that would have imposed new sanctions over a spate of intercontinental ballistic missile launches. Since then, the two veto-wielding permanent council members have blocked any council action, including media statements.
Mr Kim underlined the need to expand uranium enrichment capacity and develop a new centrifuge, claiming his country needed greater defence capability against threats by the US and its allies.
He expressed “great satisfaction over the wonderful technical force of the nuclear power field” held by North Korea, KCNA reported.
South Korea criticised its neighbour’s “illegal” pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of UN sanctions” and called it a significant threat to international peace.
For outside analysts, “the images will provide a valuable source of information for rectifying our assumptions about how much material North Korea may have amassed to date”, Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told the Associated Press.
“Overall, we shouldn’t assume North Korea will be as constrained as it once was by fissile material limitations. This is especially true for highly enriched uranium where it’s significantly less constrained in its ability to scale up than it is with plutonium.”
A few days ago, in a speech marking the 76th anniversary of the founding of North Korea, Mr Kim said there would be no limit on the expansion of the country’s military prowess, KCNA reported on Tuesday.
Pyongyang last month said it had moved 250 new mobile launchers for ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads to the frontline. The military also unveiled new suicide attack drones. All this, South Korea said, was happening for the first time.
Thai cave boys’ coach trapped again six years later by typhoon floods
A Thai football coach who was trapped with his players in a flooded cave six years ago and rescued in a complex operation that made headlines around the world found himself stranded again this week.
Ekkapol Chantawong was stuck on the roof of his house after flash floods struck Thailand’s Mai Sai district. The flooding was caused by typhoon Yagi, which wreaked havoc in neighbouring Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.
He was among thousands of people stranded in the floods that prompted the Thai government to deploy military special forces in the northern provinces on Thursday.
Flood waters had started receding from some areas of Mai Sai but several riverside settlements were still flooded, district head Narongpol Kid-an said.
The flood waters arrived in Mr Ekkapol’s village on Tuesday and rose quickly, forcing him and his family to spend the night on the roof of their house.
“I was scared but I told myself I have to be calm. Wait and assess the situation,” he told AFP by telephone.
Mr Ekkapol said he was drawing on his 2018 experience with the “Wild Boars” team when they got trapped inside the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Thailand due to flash floods.
The coach and 12 footballers of his team, then aged 11 to 16, were exploring the cave after practice when it suddenly flooded after a heavy monsoon downpour. A pair of British divers found the group 10 days later.
Instead of screaming or crying, they were sitting quietly in the dark, meditating.
Mr Ekkapol, who had spent a decade as a Buddhist monk, could meditate for up to an hour at a time, his aunt told the Associated Press. And he reportedly guided the trapped boys in the practice when they needed it the most.
They were eventually rescued after 18 days.
Mr Ekkapol said the water levels had reduced by Thursday, allowing him to go down to the ground floor of the house. But they were unable to leave due to strong water currents outside the building.
“I do not think it is different,” he said, comparing his current situation to the 2018 incident.
“First, we have to focus and start solving the problem we are facing.”
“I do not feel more pressure with this stranding. I see more of a way out,” he told AFP. “I hope I don’t have to go up on the roof again tonight.”
He shared videos of him and his family stranded on the roof of the house and flood waters gushing through the street below.
Civilian authorities, supported by naval special forces, were using boats and helicopters on Thursday to conduct rescue operations.
“The situation is very delicate,” Mr Narongpol told Reuters. “When it rains, the water rises very quickly.”
Flood waters had also entered Chiang Rai, one of the largest settlements in northern Thailand, inundating key roads and urban areas and forcing the cancellation of nine of the 10 scheduled flights at the city’s airport.
The airport itself was not flooded but rising waters had made the roads to the facility impassable, said Kornchit Chomphudeng, head of Chiang Rai’s Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
“The flooding this time has spread over a wider area than the recent floods,” he said.
Pope Francis wraps up historic Asia visit with message of tolerance
Pope Francis wrapped up his ambitious 12-day Southeast Asia tour on Friday by praising Singapore’s tradition of interfaith harmony and with the same message of tolerance that he delivered at the start.
He visited the country with the world’s largest Muslim population – Indonesia, with about 242 million – and the country with the highest percentage of Catholics outside the Vatican itself – East Timor, with some 98 per cent.
Francis, 87, presided over a gathering of young people from some of the religious traditions that are present in Singapore, where mosques, Buddhist temples and Christian churches.
He expressed concern for the country’s rapidly aging population, and its migrant workforce, but louded Singapore’s efforts to confront climate change, calling them a model for other countries.
He ditched his speech and urged the youths to take risks, even if it meant making mistakes. However, he came back to the topic at hand to make his main point about the need for people of different faiths to engage in constructive dialogue rather than insist on the righteousness of their particular beliefs.
“All religions are a path to arrive at God,” he said. “They are like different languages to arrive there. But God is God for all.”
Francis was in Singapore to encourage its Catholics, who make up about 3.5 per cent of the population of just under 6 million, while highlighting Singapore’s tradition of interfaith coexistence. According to a 2020 census, Buddhists make up about 31 per cent of the population, Christians 19 per cent and Muslims 15 per cent, while about a fifth of the population claimed no religious belief whatsoever.
History’s first Latin American pope offered an overwhelmingly positive message in one of the world’s wealthiest countries, praising Singapore’s economic development and making only one public appeal: that it treat its immigrant workers with dignity and a fair wage.
Francis’s journey took him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor before Singapore. This was the longest he trip had been on since becoming head of the Catholic Church in 2013.
In Indonesia, he urged the country to live up to its promise of “harmony in diversity” and fight religious intolerance in a visit that included meetings with outgoing president Joko Widodo and president-elect Prabowo Subianto. He greeted Catholic priests, nuns and seminarians at Jakarta’s main cathedral.
After a meeting with the grand imam of Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque, the two issued a joint call to fight religiously inspired violence and protect the environment.
The Pope traveled to the remote city of Vanimo in Papua New Guinea, where he brought about a tonne of medicine, clothing, musical instruments and toys to donate. He was greeted by some 20,000 people singing and dancing on the field in front of the Vanimo cathedral, where he donned a feathered headdress presented to him.
Overwhelmingly Catholic East Timor greeted Francis with huge crowds, with people jamming his motorcade route from the airport into town cheering as he smiled broadly and waved from his open-backed pickup truck. Nearly half the country showed up for him to celebrate Mass.
The 32,814km by air clocked for the trip make it the longest and farthest of his pontificate, and one of the longest-ever papal voyages in terms of days on the road and distances traveled.
Indians trapped in Russian war set to return to India after release
A father who has never met his newborn son is among six Indian nationals set to be released from serving in the Russian army, nervously awaiting their clearance to fly home after being sent back from the front line of Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.
The families of the men confirmed to The Independent that they have been released from duty and are now waiting for the completion of their paperwork in Moscow before they can board flights back to India, in a process that is being coordinated by the Indian government.
In total, almost 100 Indian men, some as young as 22, have ended up on the front lines in Ukraine. The Independent previously reported how many feel they were tricked into serving with the Russian military after being promised safe, secure jobs in Russia and other countries.
The identities of the men being released from duty are Azad Yousuf Kumar, Mohammad Sufiyan, Sameer Ahmad, Abdul Nayeem, Kamal Singh and Syed Ilyas Hussain, The Independent has learnt.
Mr Kumar, who is from the Indian federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir, told The Independent that they are currently lodging in a hotel in Moscow and waiting for their final documents before they board their flight to Delhi.
“We all are extremely happy. The nightmare that we have endured here will only end once we board the flight to India and land at the airport,” he said over the phone from Moscow.
Mr Kumar said he dug trenches for the Russian army after being lured into the country on 14 December. He alleges that he was duped by a YouTuber who promised him a job in Dubai.
His brother Sajjad Ahmad said Mr Kumar would finally meet his son, who was born after his deployment with the Russian army, for the first time.
“They have escaped death,” he said.
At least 91 Indian nationals have ended up serving Russia on the front line, and of those, eight have died so far, according to India’s foreign ministry.
The Indian government has come under sustained pressure to secure their release after their families spoke out about their plight, and the issue was raised by prime minister Narendra Modi during a visit to Moscow in July. Mr Modi’s government only confirmed the recruitment of Indian citizens in Russia after media reports highlighted the grim conditions in which they were working.
The family of Sameer Ahmad, a resident of Karnataka, confirmed the release of the 23-year-old, who was conscripted after he landed in Russia on 15 December.
Mohammad Mustafa, his brother, said Mr Ahmad would be home soon after a long struggle.
“We are elated, but at the same time sad about the Indian brothers who have already died there. This day has come after almost eight months of struggle that involved filing for appeals with the government, coordination, and additional financial expenses,” Mr Mustafa said.
Mohammad Sufiyan, 22, who has been stuck in Russia for the last nine months, also confirmed his release to The Independent.
His brother, Salman Zahoor Sayyed, said his family are relieved but will celebrate only when he returns to India. “It is a sigh of relief. We had lost hope for his return after the challenges we faced, but we are extremely happy now and just waiting for his return,” he said.
Mr Sayyed said they have spent around Rs200,000 (£1,826) during their efforts to get him released, taking flights to Delhi and to Hyderabad to request an intervention from the government.
Mr Sayyed first raised the matter with the MP Asaduddin Owaisi after the issue of Indians’ conscription in the Russian army came to light.
“The government helped but it was too late,” he said. “It is because of the media and Owaisi that our brothers are returning.”
He said that Raja Pathan, a YouTuber from Punjab who is living in Russia and briefly served in the army himself, assisted them in securing the release and became their point of contact.
The Independent understands that more people will be released in the coming days.
Russia promised an early release of all Indian citizens fighting in its army following prime minister Modi’s visit to Moscow.
Mr Modi “strongly raised the issue of early discharge” with Mr Putin, the Indian foreign ministry has said.
Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar told parliament in August that 91 Indians had been recruited to the Russian army and eight of them had died. He said others were seeking early discharge.
Among those killed was Tejpal Singh from Punjab, whose family told The Independent they had spent months trying to secure the return of his remains. Hemil Ashvinbhai Mangukiya, from Gujarat, and Mohammad Asfan, Ravi Moun, Harshal Anantrao Desale, Jishan Ashpak Pinjari, Jia Firoj Pinjari and Malik Gulamgous Mohammad Yakub have been identified as the others who have died.
Earlier this week, Vikramjit Sahney, another MP, confirmed that Russia is repatriating 15 Indian nationals and said that the contract for the remaining 69 is being invalidated, according to The Times of India.
The government is yet to confirm the release of the Indian nationals.