A fresh controversy began after Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Veerappa Moily expressed doubt on PM Modi’s 11-day fast preceding the pran pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple. On Tuesday, the veteran Congress leader said he spoke to a doctor who said it is not possible to sustain only on coconut water for 11 days. “If he (PM Modi) is alive, then is it a miracle? Hence I doubt if he fasted,” the Congress leader said. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya condemned the statement and said not everyone is ‘fake like him (Veerappa Moily)’. Ahead of the grand event in Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, PM Modi observed 11-day rituals during which he adhered to the satvic lifestyle. According to reports, PM Modi did gau-puja, fed cows, and gave away clothes adhering to scriptures. His diet was frugal — coconut water and fruits. PM Modi also undertook a spiritual tour as he visited all South Indian temples with the Ramayana link including Ramkund and Shree Kalaram Temple in Nasik, Veerbhadra Temple in Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh and Guruvayur Temple and Thriprayar Shree Ramaswami Temple in Kerala. A day before the consecration, PM Modi went to Arichalmunai, believed to be the location where Ram Setu was built. Dig Deeper

Former President Donald Trump has now moved closer to the Republican presidential nomination after defeating Nikki Haley in New Hampshire’s primary. “We won New Hampshire three times now, three. We win it every time, we win the primary, we win the generals,” Trump said Tuesday night, January 23, in his victory speech. Trump has won three Republican primaries in New Hampshire. However, he has still not won a general election there, having lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. Haley, meanwhile, has pledged to continue her campaign. “This race is far from over,” she told a crowd that had gathered in Concord, New Hampshire, for an election watch party. “There are dozens of states left to go and the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina.” Dig Deeper

The Latest News

Mamata Banerjee likely to go solo in Lok Sabha polls from Bengal amid rift in seat sharing issue. Dig Deeper

Adhir Chowdhury calls Mamata Banerjee ‘opportunist’ moments after Rahul Gandhi says ‘we’re close’. Dig Deeper

Cash-for-query case: CBI summons lawyer Dehadrai to join probe into case against Mahua Moitra. Dig Deeper

India News

Govt issues notice to French journalist over ‘malicious’, ‘biased’ reporting. Dig Deeper

NIT Srinagar student passes away due to cardiac arrest, institute mourns loss. Dig Deeper

Help set up panel to settle water dispute between TN, K’taka, SC directs Centre. Dig Deeper

Global Matters

6 killed in Canada plane crash near remote mine. Dig Deeper

US strikes targets in Iraq after US forces wounded. Dig Deeper

Hamas’ armed wing says it killed 21 Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Dig Deeper

Entertainment Focus

Fighter is one of the most anticipated films of the year. It stars Hrithik Roshan as an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer. When the first look of the film was released a few weeks ago, many users had drawn comparisons between the Siddharth Anand film and the Hollywood film franchise Top Gun starring Tom Cruise. Now, in an interview with Zoom, Siddharth Anand has addressed the reactions and said that it ‘was inevitable’ while also adding that the audience needs to treat Indian films with more ‘respect.’ Speaking with Zoom about the comparison with Top Gun films, Siddharth added, “I think it is inevitable. As a filmmaker, you have to be prepared that if you make a film on planes they will call it Top Gun because they have no reference point so they believe that we are not so creative, that we will do things that are a rip-off. We need to start looking at our films with a little bit more respect and not constantly believe that things are being ripped off. People do get inspired, even in the West, by content that is created in the East.” Dig Deeper

Lifestyle and Health

Today’s skincare trends offer consumers a wide range of choices by skilfully blending science, tradition and innovation. The industry has embraced both external and internal ways to meet individual skincare needs, demonstrating a dynamic quest for beautiful and healthy skin. Advanced chemical formulations were used as well as traditional Asian beauty practices. Amid all the information and misinformation one usually gets bombarded with, it can be hard for beauty enthusiasts to keep up with treatments that tick. The latest buzz is around “skin flooding” and “skintermittent”, two novel treatments that promise fresh and glowing skin. So, what are these? And more importantly, are they really for you? Let’s find out. In an interview with HT Digital Dr Geetika Mittal, Cosmetologist & MD, International Aesthetics, founder and medical director, Isaac Luxe shared insights into the intricacies of both skin flooding and skintermittent techniques, to help you determine when to embrace each approach and how to integrate them into your skincare routine. Dig Deeper

Sports Goings

India’s grand old man of tennis, Rohan Bopanna, on Wednesday, added another feather to his already-crammed hat as the 43-year-old has been assured of becoming the oldest first-time World No. 1 in ATP men’s doubles ranking following his stellar 6-4, 7-6 (5) win in the men’s doubles quarterfinals of 2024 Australian Open alongside Australia’s Matthew Ebden against Argentinian duo of Máximo González and Andrés Molteni. The Indian tennis ace claimed the brand-new record by surpassing Rajeev Ram of the USA, who had climbed atop in October 2022, at the age of 38, for the first time in his career, swapping places with partner Joe Salisbury of Great Britain. Following a brief delay at the end of the third game, as bubbles were spotted on the court due to overnight rain in Melbourne, the Indo-Aussie pair closed out the opening set in just over half an hour. After breaking Gonzalez’s serve in the fifth game, Bopanna comfortably served out the first set, winning it 6-4. Dig Deeper