Tamil Nadu To Start IPL-Like Matches To Revolutionise Jallikattu Festival

Tamil Nadu is set to revolutionise the Jallikattu festival, the traditional bull-taming sport, by introducing cricket's famous Indian Premier League (IPL) like matches at a new state-of-the-art stadium in Madurai's Alanganallur, which is renowned for this traditional sporting event.

The stadium will be inaugurated by Chief Minister MK Stalin tomorrow. The initiative to have IPL-like league matches aims to give a "boost" to the traditional festival and put it on India's tourism map.

The new Jallikattu stadium, is spread across 66.8 acres, and has seating capacity of 5,000 and a dedicated museum showcasing the Jallikattu bulls and the significance of the sport.

The new stadium will have emergency response measures such as a hospital for bull tamers and veterinary center for bulls.

The ancient sport of valour has an infamous history of injuring, maiming and even killing hundreds of people including spectators besides acts of cruelty against the animal like intoxication, pulling them by their tail and squeezing lime juice into their eyes.  

Meanwhile, the existing Jallikattu venues will continue to host events and the new breed of league matches will be conducted here by the Madurai District Administration and the State Sports department, which is presently under Udhayanidhi Stalin.

The festival has been commercialized with corporate funding for prizes including gold coins, motor bikes and cars. With new plans, this ancient sport could become a contemporary money spinner.

Last week, the Tamil Nadu police filed a case against a YouTuber after he posted a video showing his Jallikattu bull being force fed a rooster. The disturbing video, from Chinnappampatti in Salem district, shows the bull being forced to chew the rooster.

Three men are seen holding the bull to keep it in check while another man first feeds raw meat and then shoves the chicken in the bull's mouth, shows the 2.48 minute video posted on YouTuber Ragu's social media accounts.

Animal rights activists have expressed concerns that the new grand form of this sport will only increase cruelty against bulls, amplifying their trauma.

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"Will You Marry Me?" Nikki Haley Turns Down Proposal From Trump Supporter

During a New Hampshire rally on Monday, Nikki Haley, a 52-year-old GOP presidential contender, encountered an unexpected interruption to her speech. A pro-Trump heckler in the crowd interrupted her discourse at the Artisan Hotel in Salem to pose an impromptu question: "Will you marry me?" Amid laughter from the audience, Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and currently married to Maj. Michael Haley, handled the situation with grace, according to the New York Post.

Addressing the tongue-in-cheek proposal, Haley responded promptly by humorously inquiring if the suitor would consider casting his vote in her favor. The interruption occurred while Haley was addressing her supporters and discussing the significant issues at stake in the upcoming election on the eve of the New Hampshire primary.

"I'm voting for Trump," the man replied after a brief pause, drawing jeers from his fellow rally attendees.

"Oh, get out of here!" an unimpressed Haley shot back.

Ms Haley is the last standing rival to front-runner Donald Trump in the race to secure the party's nomination to challenge President Joe Biden in November's election.

Ms Haley has repeatedly said she is not running for second place in the Republican primary but had previously declined to specifically comment on whether she would be the former president's running mate.

According to the Washington Post polls, Donald Trump commands a significant lead with 52% support, while former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley trails at 34% in the presidential race.

The latest CNN/UNH poll shows a notable increase in support for both Mr Trump and Ms Haley compared to early January figures. In the earlier poll, Mr Trump held 39% support, and Ms Haley stood at 32%. The consolidation of the field, with major contenders quitting the race, has fueled the rise in support for both candidates. Despite Nikki Haley's considerable gains since late summer, Mr Trump maintains a formidable lead, widening the gap to a double-digit margin.

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"Congress Can Contest 300 Lok Sabha Seats, But...": Mamata Banerjee

Amid an internal discord over seat-sharing within the INDIA bloc, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday batted for the idea of regional leaders spearheading the fight against the BJP in specific regions, suggesting that Congress independently contest 300 Lok Sabha seats.

Ms Banerjee, the chief minister, also accused the CPI(M) of striving to control the opposition grouping's agenda, underscoring that no one confronts the BJP as directly as she does.

"I insist that particular regions should be left to regional parties. They (Congress) can fight on 300 (Lok Sabha) seats alone, and I will help them. I will not contest those seats. But, they are adamant about doing what they want," she said at an 'all-faith harmony rally' in Kolkata, which coincided with the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Ms Banerjee's comments followed her assertion during a recent internal party meeting that the TMC is prepared to independently contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal if not given "due importance".

"I have the power to take on the BJP and fight against it. But, some people don't want to listen to us about seat-sharing. If you don't want to fight the BJP, then at least don't give away seats to it," she said.

Without making a mention of the Congress, Ms Banerjee also criticised the party for delaying seat-sharing discussions in the state.

The TMC boss expressed her unwillingness to accept the Left Front led by the CPI(M) controlling the agenda of the INDIA bloc meetings.

"I suggested the name INDIA during a meeting of the opposition bloc. But whenever I attend the coalition's meetings, I find the Left trying to gain control. This is not acceptable. I cannot agree with those with whom I had fought for 34 years," she said.

"Despite such insults, I have adjusted and attended the INDIA bloc meetings," remarked Ms Banerjee.

In an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being stopped in Assam from visiting the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimant Sankardeva, she said, "Just going to the temple isn't enough." 

She highlighted her proactive stance against the saffron camp, stating, "How many politicians today took on the BJP head-on? Somebody went to one temple and thought it was sufficient, but it was not. I am the only one who visited the temple, gurudwara, church, and mosque. When the Babri Masjid issue (demolition) happened, and violence was taking place, I was on the streets." 

Ms Banerjee's comments drew sharp reactions from both the Congress and the CPI(M).

"We cannot comment on the whims and fancies of the TMC leadership. Let them do whatever they feel like," Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty refuted the charge that his party was trying to control the agenda of the bloc's meetings as 'baseless'.

"It was the BJP that was against the INDIA bloc; now she has also become opposed to the alliance," said CPI(M) West Bengal secretary Mohammed Salim during a press conference.

Mr Salim said the fight is between "the communal and the communists".

The CPI(M)-led Left Front, Congress and TMC are part of the 28-party opposition bloc.

However, in West Bengal, the CPI(M) and Congress have aligned against the TMC and BJP.

Fissures within the INDIA bloc have come to the fore, particularly between its key allies, Congress and TMC, regarding seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, in West Bengal.

The TMC's offer of two seats based on Congress' 2019 Lok Sabha election performance was deemed insufficient by the latter, escalating tension between the two parties.

Congress' Chowdhury, a vocal TMC critic, has maintained that it wouldn't "beg" for seats from Bengal's ruling party.

In the 2019 elections, the TMC bagged 22 seats, Congress won two, and the BJP secured 18 seats in the state.

The Trinamool Congress had decided to abstain from a recent INDIA bloc virtual meeting, and emphasised the necessity for Congress to recognise its limitations in Bengal and permit the TMC to spearhead the state's political battle.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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H&M Accused Of Sexualising Children In New Ad, Drops It After Backlash

Fashion giant H&M has pulled a controversial advertisement for school uniforms after it was accused of sexualising young children, as per a report in the Independent. Several people said that it had a "highly inappropriate" caption. The campaign showed a picture of two primary school-aged girls in pinafore dresses with the caption, "Make those heads turn in H&M's Back to School fashion."

@hm @hmaustralia what is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad? Little schoolgirls generally don't want to “turn heads”. The large numbers I engage with in schools want to be left alone to learn and have fun and not draw unwanted attention to their appearance 1/ pic.twitter.com/DDwv42GeNz

— Melinda TankardReist (@MelTankardReist) January 18, 2024

Many internet users reacted strongly against the advertisement. "What the h*** is going on? This is sickening, sexualising kids," said a user.

Another added, "The caption used in the ad seems highly inappropriate and insensitive. Brands should prioritize responsible advertising, especially when it involves children."

"It's pretty tone-deaf to use the phrase 'Make those heads turn' with images of young girls in school uniforms. It feels like they missed the mark on what's appropriate for a back to school campaign," commented another person,

"Bit weird. Slightly odd pose and odd slogan for school uniform!" said a person.

A person said, "This is revolting H&M, take down the ad & investigate how the ad got approval."

"We are a culture lost to corporatism and pornification. This is sick," added an X user.

Another added, "This is absolutely creepy. Take it down."

Reacting to the same, the brand apologised and said that they had removed the ad and it was only live in Australia. "We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and will look into how we present campaigns going forward," the company said.

As per a BBC report, in 2023, Chinese-owned online marketplace Temu came under fire after it had launched an advert for sexualising a child. It showed a girl aged between eight to ten wearing a bikini in a pose that "was quite adult for a girl of her age", the Advertising Standards Authority said.

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Hemant Soren Summoned By Enforcement Directorate For Round 2 Of Questioning

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate again for questioning in an alleged money laundering case. He was questioned last on Saturday at his home in Ranchi. It was the first round of questioning -- he had skipped seven earlier summons.

This time, he has been asked to come to the zonal office of the agency between January 27 and 31.

Mr Soren has claimed that he is the target of a huge conspiracy.

"A conspiracy was hatched against me, but the final nail in the coffin of the conspirators will be put by us... We will not be scared, your leader will face the bullets first and keep your morale high," Mr Soren told the workers of his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha after his questioning by the ED on Saturday.

The case involves "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia" in Jharkhand, according to the Central agency.

The agency has so far arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who served as the director of the state Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.

In November 2022, Mr Soren was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in another money-laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state.

The nine-hour questioning had followed several no-shows and an appeal in court by the Jharkhand Chief Minister.

Mr Soren has denied any wrongdoing in that case too and alleged a larger conspiracy to "harass a tribal leader". The Central agencies are targeting him because he was not towing the line of the Central government, he had claimed.

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Lost 'Atlantis' Continent Nearly Twice As Big As UK Found Off Australia

A long-lost continent that was nearly twice the size of the UK has been discovered off the coast of northern Australia. The vast landmass was home to up to half a million people around 70,000 years ago but is now submerged around 100 meters deep. According to Live Science, this Australian "Atlantis" comprised a large stretch of continental shelf that, when above sea level, would have connected the regions of Kimberley and Arnhem Land, which today are separated by a large ocean bay. 

Kasih Norman, an archeologist at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, and lead author on the study, said, ''We reveal details of the complex landscape that existed on the North West Shelf of Australia. It was unlike any landscape found on our continent today.''

The study published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews noted that the humans who lived there spoke similar languages and created similar styles of rock art to those living in the surrounding areas. It was a "vast, habitable realm" and a "single cultural zone" with similarities in ground stone-axe technology, styles of rock art, and languages, as per the study.

The study's models show the continent or vast archipelago off the northwest coast of Sahul may have supported between 50,000 and 500,000 people. Sahul, the ancient land bridge comprised not only Australia but also New Guinea and Tasmania.

To draw their conclusions, the researchers projected past sea levels onto high-resolution maps of the ocean floor. They found that low sea levels exposed a vast archipelago of islands on the Northwest Shelf of Sahul, extending 500 kilometres towards the Indonesian island of Timor.

"Our ecological modelling reveals the now-drowned North West Shelf could have supported between 50,000 and 500,000 people at various times over the last 65,000 years. The population would have peaked at the height of the last ice age about 20,000 years ago when the entire shelf was dry land. Many large islands off Australia's coast – islands that once formed part of the continental shelves – show signs of occupation before sea levels rose,'' the study said. 

However, at the end of this Ice Age, rising sea levels drowned the shelf, forcing its residents to flee. 

''Retreating populations would have been forced together as available land shrank. Rising sea levels and the drowning of the landscape is also recorded in the oral histories of First Nations people from all around the coastal margin,'' researchers added.

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'Jai Shri Ram' On Antilia: Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai Home Lights Up

Antilia, the iconic Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, is decked up ahead of the historic 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram temple tomorrow.

The 27-storied landmark building this evening lit up with holograms reading 'Jai Shri Ram' in Hindi and diyas. The area around is decorated with lights and banners. 

#WATCH | Mumbai: Reliance Industries Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani's house 'Antilia' decked up ahead of the Ram Mandir 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony in Ayodhya tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/mKoTRNWZSV

— ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2024

Mr Ambani, who heads the Reliance Industries, is among the top businessmen invited for the grand consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya temple tomorrow.

The event will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of prominent personalities, including industrialists, sportspersons, actors, etc.

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