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BBC Journalist Mark Tully Dies at 90 in New Delhi

Published 26 January 2026

Veteran British journalist Mark Tully, long recognized as the BBC's authoritative voice on India, died Sunday at a private hospital in New Delhi. He was 90.

Tully passed away at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Saket after a weeklong stay, according to hospital officials and a close friend. The cause was multiorgan failure following a stroke. Satish Jacob, a veteran journalist and longtime colleague, confirmed the death to news agencies, noting that Tully had been ailing for some time.

Born on October 24, 1935, in Kolkata, then known as Calcutta, to a British family, Tully spent his early childhood in India before moving to the United Kingdom with his family during World War II. He attended boarding school in Darjeeling and later studied at Cambridge University, initially considering a career in the clergy. In 1965, he joined the BBC as an administrative assistant in its New Delhi office, a posting that marked his return to the country of his birth. By 1971, he had become the BBC's New Delhi correspondent and went on to serve as bureau chief for South Asia for more than two decades.

Tully's career spanned some of India's most pivotal moments. He covered the 1971 war between India...

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