In the past, the DMK chief had hinted that Stalin would be his successor, but this is the very first time when Karunanidhi has said Stalin’s name as the next party chief. Some party members also think that though he has mentioned Stalin’s name, but he has also made it clear that he would stay at the helm of the party during his lifetime.

This statement came at a time when there is a tension between Karunanidhi’s elder son M K Alagiri and Stalin regarding the succession issue. Some party members stated that Stalin strengthened his position in the party in the past two years, while Alagiri has remained silent.

An oil tanker also capsized near the Tamil Nadu capital. The crew members of the boat are still missing. Two people reportedly died in Andhra Pradesh also.

Last evening the wind speed reached up to hundred kilometers per hour. Before the cyclone made landfall, more than 3500 people have been evacuated from Mahabalipuram area. The government of Tamil Nadu has declared a holiday in the coastal districts colleges and schools on Thursday.

State officials reported that around hundred trees have fall and many electric poles have collapsed following the strong winds. Several cities in South India have experienced rainfall. Bangalore has experienced continuous rain in the past 36 hours and the maximum temperature has dropped around 8 degrees. The Met Department has stated that Bangalore, Gadag, Gulbarga, Mangalore and Mysore will see moderate rainfall in the next 48 hours.

Jayalalithaa is a well known admirer of the Gujarat chief minister. Few years ago, Jayalalithaa hosted Modi when he was in Chennai for this event. Both these leaders invited each other during their swearing-in ceremony. According to the critics, Jayalalithaa’s party will be playing a big role in the next general elections in 2014.

On Saturday, both the leaders will be in the capital of Tamil Nadu to take part in the Thuglak’s (a tamil magazine) forty third anniversary celebration. In recent years, Narendra Modi is taking part this annual event regularly. At present, this event is held in a hall, instead of Marina seafront, because of its gradually decreasing readership.

According to the sources, both Advani and Modi will be meeting Rajinikanth and later they will pay homage to Sukumaran Nambiar.

Chennai, Feb. 17 – To high up the punishment for the unlawful wildlife intervention to be stricter, the government is to craft a comprehensive amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Union Forests and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh talked to the media today.

The amendments would bring a section which will be accessible for scientists and enabling the scientific studies in forest areas, he said. “We will give punishment under the Wildlife Protection Act of vastly enhanced nature. I believe the man who violates foreign exchange laws and man who violates wildlife protection laws should be treated on par with each other.”

The other proposal for the wildlife welfare in India is that to build up the second lion shelter. The second lion sanctuary will be coming in Madhya Pradesh. The discussions for sending some lions from Gujarat are started with the State government. It would be exchanging tigers to Gujarat also.

It will be more practical as Jairam told, if any outbreak happens we will be beaten so better to have another location also for the lions in our country.

Chennai, Feb. 15 – South Indian city, Chennai is now in a new page of fashion world by coordinating a Beauty Contest for locomotives and railway coaches.

It will be the first time ever in Southern Railway history. The Beauty Contest is conducted for ‘loco beauty’ and ‘coach beauty’. This event is a great time for the staffs of railway workshops to bring out ground-breaking ideas and testing it.

The contest held in Chennai Central Railway Station. The list of contestants goes like nine of the 12-year-old coaches from workshops and five other locomotives from diesel sheds were registered for the Beauty Contest.

Southern Railway General Manager Deepak Krishnan checked the coaches and diesel locomotives and he finally announced the winners also.

Many of the railway workers brought out so many ideas to change the face of railway in a good manner by making more people friendly environment. Some of the ideas to modify the toilets for physically challenged people and write down the berth number in Braille language for visually-challenged.

The other ideas for GPS-based information system, water purifiers, sun control film for window glasses etc.

Anyway, we can hope this Beauty Contest will to better railway facilities in future to keep the ‘Beauty’ at least.

CHENNAI, India- Today, on the first anniversary of Mumbai attack, telephone exchange of Chennai airport got a phone call of threat. It was just warned a bomb attack on the airport and cut off the call instantly.

The information made the security alert in a bit hassled way for the day. The security reinforced soon and started checking intensified after the call of threat. The call was mapped out to a connection with three numbers and a search is on chase the caller, the airport officials said.

CHENNAI, India: North-east monsoon brings cloudburst throughout the city. Red Hills near City recorded a maximum of 15 cm during the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Saturday, and Cuddalore recorded 11 cm. The observatory at Nungambakkam in the city recorded 10 cm rainfall during the period.

The rains were likely to take place at most places over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and also many places over interior Tamil Nadu for one more day.

Most of the city area seems waterlogged. It forms uneasy vehicular movement and leads to traffic jams at various places. Flooded roads and overflowing drains make the way troubled.

Official sources retained that rain related accidents had taken a toll of one life since the North-east monsoon started a few days ago but all through the State 13 people killed after the rain started.

Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin assembled a meeting to review arrangements made by various departments to gear the situation and gave instructions to officials to take instant action.

Spokesperson of CBI on Friday said, “The case was registered on the allegation that N G Arunkumar, software professional and resident of Bangalore unauthorisedly and illegally used the user-id and password of broadband internet connection of Press Information Bureau, Chennai as well as other 52 BSNL broadband subscribers.”

He also said that he “caused a wrongful loss of Rs 38,248 to these subscribers with corresponding wrongful gain to himself.”

It was revealed by the CBI Investigation that Arunkumar logged on to BSNL broadband internet connection as an authorised genuine user and he made all the benefiting alteration in the computer database.

The official also mentioned, “After completion of trial the Additional chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore, Chennai found the accused guilty for the offences and convicted him.”