A 7.8 magnitude quake that hit New Zealand's South Island last year has made navigation for ships unsafe, Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said on Tuesday.

The quake, which killed two people in the tourist town of Kaikoura on November 14, had raised the seabed and made nautical maps obsolete, Xinhua news agency quoted Brownlee as saying.

"With actual depths now significantly less than charted depths, nautical charts are no longer accurate and safe navigation in the region has become an issue," said Brownlee.

"The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has sent eight hydrographers to Kaikoura to survey the area's sea floor and map the shifts caused by the earthquake," he said.

The results of the hydrographic survey would be to update the nautical chart of the Kaikoura Peninsula.

Landslips caused by the quake wiped out road and rail links to Kaikoura, stranding hundreds of tourists and leaving the town accessible only by sea and helicopters.

The NZDF mobilised 815 personnel, 11 aircraft and four ships to support the relief and evacuation operations.

Brownlee said the government was aiming to restore full road access by the end of this year.

Ministry of Civil Defence national recovery manager Dave Brash said excavators were on site and work had started on clearing the slips from the road.

Some rail links were open, but more than 700 sites needed work and seismic activity was continuing, Brash said.

"At the same time, diggers have removed more than 5,000 cubic metres of material from the Kaikoura harbour to deepen the channel," he said.

It was a Valentine's Day with a difference in Meghalaya, thanks to Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) group for launching a relatable social media and sticker campaign to open up discussion on notions of consent, safety, pleasure, equality and respect.

The campaign was aimed at creating awareness on consent at a time when sexual assault of various forms, ranging from sexual harassment at the work place, rapes, child sexual abuse, and domestic violence, are on the rise in this matrilineal state of Meghalaya.

"Sexual assault and rape happens not just among strangers. Date rapes are common and we need to acknowledge that rapes do take place even within a marriage," TUR member Badapbor Mawlieh said.

"It is imperative, therefore, that a conversation on what constitutes consent and the importance of practicing consent towards fostering healthy relationships based on equality and respect needs to begin, and what better day than Valentine's Day – a day that is dedicated to celebrating love and relationships," he said.

"Sexual consent is a topic that should be talked about whenever there is a possibility of a sexual encounter. When two individuals have sex, they need to be certain that one partner is just as willing to have sex as the other, hence there needs to be full consent," Mawlieh said.

The activist said that consent from a partner to engage in a sexual act is one of the most imperative parts of having a mutually satisfying and ethical sexual experience.

"The Indian Penal Code under Section 375 has put forth the meaning of consent as an unequivocal voluntary agreement whereby the woman by words, gestures or any form of verbal or non-verbal communication, communicates willingness to participate in the specific sexual act," Mawlieh explained.

TUR activists distributed stickers with messages like "If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get my consent. If it is not yes, it is rape" to young boys and girls in public places, cafes, colleges and parks, including Ward's Lake here in the city.

"It is important that society acknowledges sex and sexuality and the need to have honest conversations with boys and girls, men and women on issues such as consent, negotiation, pleasure, bodily autonomy, boundaries, respect and gender equality," activist Rangad said.

She also said the response also has to be secular, and acknowledging realities of sexual lives of the society.

"Mere moral posturing will worsen the situation, forcing the actual issues to be driven underground. Similarly, just a legalistic approach to crimes against women, children and sexual minorities will not have preventive impact," she said.

Rangad said the campaign will expand to talk about such issues at school, colleges and community level.

TUR is a radical democratic group of Meghalaya, campaigning and organising for a progressive, egalitarian transformation of Meghalaya while acknowledging its history of tribal autonomy.

It was a Valentine's Day with a difference in Meghalaya, thanks to Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) group for launching a relatable social media and sticker campaign to open up discussion on notions of consent, safety, pleasure, equality and respect.

The campaign was aimed at creating awareness on consent at a time when sexual assault of various forms, ranging from sexual harassment at the work place, rapes, child sexual abuse, and domestic violence, are on the rise in this matrilineal state of Meghalaya.

"Sexual assault and rape happens not just among strangers. Date rapes are common and we need to acknowledge that rapes do take place even within a marriage," TUR member Badapbor Mawlieh said.

"It is imperative, therefore, that a conversation on what constitutes consent and the importance of practicing consent towards fostering healthy relationships based on equality and respect needs to begin, and what better day than Valentine's Day – a day that is dedicated to celebrating love and relationships," he said.

"Sexual consent is a topic that should be talked about whenever there is a possibility of a sexual encounter. When two individuals have sex, they need to be certain that one partner is just as willing to have sex as the other, hence there needs to be full consent," Mawlieh said.

The activist said that consent from a partner to engage in a sexual act is one of the most imperative parts of having a mutually satisfying and ethical sexual experience.

"The Indian Penal Code under Section 375 has put forth the meaning of consent as an unequivocal voluntary agreement whereby the woman by words, gestures or any form of verbal or non-verbal communication, communicates willingness to participate in the specific sexual act," Mawlieh explained.

TUR activists distributed stickers with messages like "If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get my consent. If it is not yes, it is rape" to young boys and girls in public places, cafes, colleges and parks, including Ward's Lake here in the city.

"It is important that society acknowledges sex and sexuality and the need to have honest conversations with boys and girls, men and women on issues such as consent, negotiation, pleasure, bodily autonomy, boundaries, respect and gender equality," activist Rangad said.

She also said the response also has to be secular, and acknowledging realities of sexual lives of the society.

"Mere moral posturing will worsen the situation, forcing the actual issues to be driven underground. Similarly, just a legalistic approach to crimes against women, children and sexual minorities will not have preventive impact," she said.

Rangad said the campaign will expand to talk about such issues at school, colleges and community level.

TUR is a radical democratic group of Meghalaya, campaigning and organising for a progressive, egalitarian transformation of Meghalaya while acknowledging its history of tribal autonomy.

Today's Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate love, togetherness and cherish the time you have spent with your beloved and when it comes to expressing love, who does it better than the Bollywood couples.

Earlier the B-Town couples and their tales of love were only confined to magazines and newspapers but now with the evolution of technology, their romance has evolved too. They don't shy away from getting clicked with their partners anymore, they post their pictures of togetherness on social media instead.

So on the occasion of Valentine's Day, here's looking at the five most happening B-Town couples, who make everyone go green with envy every time they express love for each other on social media:- 

Shahid Kapoor-Mira Rajput 

Shahid Kapoor is the most social media-friendly star of the tinsel town. He updates his fans about every small initiative he undertakes. Whether it's his upcoming films or Bollywood parties, his fans know it all even before the media. Recently, he sent his fans into a tizzy when he posted his daughter's picture for the first time on Instagram. He shares the pictures of his wife Mira time and again, and not just on Instagram, the duo share a great chemistry outside social media too. Every time they step out, they are always seen holding hands!

Bipasha Basu-Karan Singh Grover  

Although Karan Singh Grover has been in love twice before getting married to Bipasha, he never fails to express his love for his darling wife whenever he gets an opportunity. Sometimes he woos her by singing her favourite song and sometimes by putting up a romantic poem for her on social media. Bipasha too is quite expressive when it comes to expressing love for her partner. Instagram is often flooded with their quirky videos and funky pictures. They prefer to be known as the 'Monkey' couple of B-Town.

Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone 

When one talks about PDA's, one just cannot exclude this B-Town couple from the list. Whether it is award shows or mere press conferences, one can feel the love in the air with Ranveer and Deepika around. Although Deepika is a little reserved at times and prefers to keep mum on matters concerning her personal life, Ranveer on the other hand never leaves an opportunity to play the perfect boyfriend. They are one of the best known off and on-screen couple in Bollywood and they would soon be seen in 'Padmavati' along with Shahid Kapoor.

Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia Dsouza

Parents of two beautiful kids, Ritesh and Genelia's love story is one of its kind. They have been together for over a decade now but their love for each other is still as fresh as it was. These two lovebirds often flaunt some great red carpet looks together and express their togetherness of social media with cute messages and pictures.

Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai 

One of the most happening couples of Bollywood, Abhishek and Aishwarya make the heads turn every time they are out in public glare. Abhishek, who is very active on Twitter often shares the most stunning pictures of his wife with a beautiful caption to enhance the picture more. Both of them have been quite expressive and speak unabashedly about each other whenever they are asked to. Abhishek and Aishwarya are parents to a beautiful daughter Aradhya, who completes their family in every way. 

Today's Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate love, togetherness and cherish the time you have spent with your beloved and when it comes to expressing love, who does it better than the Bollywood couples.

Earlier the B-Town couples and their tales of love were only confined to magazines and newspapers but now with the evolution of technology, their romance has evolved too. They don't shy away from getting clicked with their partners anymore, they post their pictures of togetherness on social media instead.

So on the occasion of Valentine's Day, here's looking at the five most happening B-Town couples, who make everyone go green with envy every time they express love for each other on social media:- 

Shahid Kapoor-Mira Rajput 

Shahid Kapoor is the most social media-friendly star of the tinsel town. He updates his fans about every small initiative he undertakes. Whether it's his upcoming films or Bollywood parties, his fans know it all even before the media. Recently, he sent his fans into a tizzy when he posted his daughter's picture for the first time on Instagram. He shares the pictures of his wife Mira time and again, and not just on Instagram, the duo share a great chemistry outside social media too. Every time they step out, they are always seen holding hands!

Bipasha Basu-Karan Singh Grover  

Although Karan Singh Grover has been in love twice before getting married to Bipasha, he never fails to express his love for his darling wife whenever he gets an opportunity. Sometimes he woos her by singing her favourite song and sometimes by putting up a romantic poem for her on social media. Bipasha too is quite expressive when it comes to expressing love for her partner. Instagram is often flooded with their quirky videos and funky pictures. They prefer to be known as the 'Monkey' couple of B-Town.

Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone 

When one talks about PDA's, one just cannot exclude this B-Town couple from the list. Whether it is award shows or mere press conferences, one can feel the love in the air with Ranveer and Deepika around. Although Deepika is a little reserved at times and prefers to keep mum on matters concerning her personal life, Ranveer on the other hand never leaves an opportunity to play the perfect boyfriend. They are one of the best known off and on-screen couple in Bollywood and they would soon be seen in 'Padmavati' along with Shahid Kapoor.

Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia Dsouza

Parents of two beautiful kids, Ritesh and Genelia's love story is one of its kind. They have been together for over a decade now but their love for each other is still as fresh as it was. These two lovebirds often flaunt some great red carpet looks together and express their togetherness of social media with cute messages and pictures.

Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai 

One of the most happening couples of Bollywood, Abhishek and Aishwarya make the heads turn every time they are out in public glare. Abhishek, who is very active on Twitter often shares the most stunning pictures of his wife with a beautiful caption to enhance the picture more. Both of them have been quite expressive and speak unabashedly about each other whenever they are asked to. Abhishek and Aishwarya are parents to a beautiful daughter Aradhya, who completes their family in every way. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the 16-member India Test squad for first two Tests in the four-match home series against Australia.

The selection committee, led by M.S.K. Prasad, retained the same squad which defeated Bangladesh by 208 runs in the one-off Test match at Hyderabad.

The first match of the four-match rubber will start from February 23 in Pune. The second match will be played in Bengaluru from March 4-8, according to an official release from the BCCI.

Squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Murali Vijay, K.L. Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund and Hardik Pandya.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the 16-member India Test squad for first two Tests in the four-match home series against Australia.

The selection committee, led by M.S.K. Prasad, retained the same squad which defeated Bangladesh by 208 runs in the one-off Test match at Hyderabad.

The first match of the four-match rubber will start from February 23 in Pune. The second match will be played in Bengaluru from March 4-8, according to an official release from the BCCI.

Squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Murali Vijay, K.L. Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund and Hardik Pandya.

TV Series: Taboo

Director: Anders Engstrom

Cast: Tom Hardy, Oona Chaplin, David Hayman, Lucian Msamati, Jessie Buckley, Michael Kelly, Jefferson Hall and Jonathan Pryce

War has been declared. And what a time to make the move, credit to the East India Company (EIC) to finally resort to what seemed inevitable to anyone with half a brain.

First things first, however.

Slowly becoming the norm in the opening exchanges, Brace confronts James with the truth about his mother to drop a bomb of epic proportions early on.

Once and for all, it is confirmed that she clearly isn't the saint she is made out to be by James Delaney and, perhaps less shockingly, is the woman in his visions.

So much is happening in the sixth episode that somehow the deluge of events become a little tedious to keep track of. James’s half-sister Zilpha Geary decides enough is enough (Finally!) and takes matters into her own hands, only to find brother dearest isn't as glad as she would have hoped for.

You will wonder, has James’ incest died down after his initial advances were spurned?

Elsewhere, the EIC is like a rabid dog backed into a corner after Mr Chichester goes ahead with his royal enquiry of the slave ship that sank of the African coast. With Sir Stuart Strange’s personal interests coming to light, it seems it's just a matter of time before the Crown pounces on the EIC’s devious supremo. 

But, if Strange is going down, so is the Delaney Shipping Co. It seems as a brazen attack in broad daylight has explosive results, leaving James’ hopes of building a shipping empire floundering in the Thames.

After successfully managing to supply the Americans with their freshly-made gunpowder, albeit with quite a bit of luck involved. James is clearly pushing his crew to their limits, including his son and as the stakes are raised, it seems he remains one step ahead of his powerful but laboriously slow enemies.

It was not to be as betrayal comes from a few sides and they are dealt with in a chillingly-gruesome manner that even James’ hard right-hand man Atticus finds it difficult to stomach. The damage, however, is done and James is left to count the cost of the dead.

While on the whole the episode is spectacular, Taboo’s pace is too slow for its own good and Stuart’s declaration could have come much earlier as it was always a question of when.

The penultimate episode is next week and a lot of hopes are riding on James' fading stock, we’ll have to see if the ‘horse’ can give one final kick or not.

TV Series: Taboo

Director: Anders Engstrom

Cast: Tom Hardy, Oona Chaplin, David Hayman, Lucian Msamati, Jessie Buckley, Michael Kelly, Jefferson Hall and Jonathan Pryce

War has been declared. And what a time to make the move, credit to the East India Company (EIC) to finally resort to what seemed inevitable to anyone with half a brain.

First things first, however.

Slowly becoming the norm in the opening exchanges, Brace confronts James with the truth about his mother to drop a bomb of epic proportions early on.

Once and for all, it is confirmed that she clearly isn't the saint she is made out to be by James Delaney and, perhaps less shockingly, is the woman in his visions.

So much is happening in the sixth episode that somehow the deluge of events become a little tedious to keep track of. James’s half-sister Zilpha Geary decides enough is enough (Finally!) and takes matters into her own hands, only to find brother dearest isn't as glad as she would have hoped for.

You will wonder, has James’ incest died down after his initial advances were spurned?

Elsewhere, the EIC is like a rabid dog backed into a corner after Mr Chichester goes ahead with his royal enquiry of the slave ship that sank of the African coast. With Sir Stuart Strange’s personal interests coming to light, it seems it's just a matter of time before the Crown pounces on the EIC’s devious supremo. 

But, if Strange is going down, so is the Delaney Shipping Co. It seems as a brazen attack in broad daylight has explosive results, leaving James’ hopes of building a shipping empire floundering in the Thames.

After successfully managing to supply the Americans with their freshly-made gunpowder, albeit with quite a bit of luck involved. James is clearly pushing his crew to their limits, including his son and as the stakes are raised, it seems he remains one step ahead of his powerful but laboriously slow enemies.

It was not to be as betrayal comes from a few sides and they are dealt with in a chillingly-gruesome manner that even James’ hard right-hand man Atticus finds it difficult to stomach. The damage, however, is done and James is left to count the cost of the dead.

While on the whole the episode is spectacular, Taboo’s pace is too slow for its own good and Stuart’s declaration could have come much earlier as it was always a question of when.

The penultimate episode is next week and a lot of hopes are riding on James' fading stock, we’ll have to see if the ‘horse’ can give one final kick or not.

BMW will recall over 41,000 vehicles in China due to defective airbags, the country's quality watchdog has said.

The recall of 41,685 vehicles is set to begin on October 9 in phases, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said.

Explaining why the recall is necessitated, it said when the driver and front passenger airbags of the affected vehicles inflate, the gas generators inside may get damaged and cause flying debris, posing safety risks to passengers.

BMW has promised to replace the defective parts free of charge.

China has printed and delivered Nepal's 1,000 rupee notes.

The Himalayan nation has received 24 million 1,000 rupee notes printed by China Banknote Printing and Minting Corp, Xinhua news agency reported.

Bhuban Kadel, Executive Director of Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank, said the printing cost in China was lower.

"The quality is as good as the ones printed earlier in another country but the cost is less than half of the amount we had earlier paid," Kadel told Xinhua.

Timely delivery of the notes was important for the central bank to provide grant aid to the 2015 earthquake victims.

The NRB will take delivery of all 1,000 rupee notes in three batches. Under the first lot, 84 million notes have been delivered.

The Chinese company won the tender in August last year to print 1,000 rupee notes, the largest denominated currency note in Nepal.

The same Chinese company had earlier printed Nepal's 100 rupee notes as well.

Nepal had earlier been getting its notes printed by Indonesian, French and Australian companies among others.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would decide issues pertaining to "legal" aspects of the practices of triple talaq, 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims and would not deal with the question whether divorce under Muslim law needs to be supervised by courts as it falls under the legislative domain.

"You (lawyers for parties) sit together and finalise the issues to be deliberated upon by us. We are listing it day after tomorrow for deciding the issues," a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices N V Ramana and D Y Chandrachud said.

The bench made it clear to the parties concerned that it would not deal with the factual aspects of the particular case and would rather decide the legal issue.

"We are not interested with facts at all. We are only interested in dealing with the legal issue," the bench said.

The apex court said that the question whether divorce under Muslim Personal Law needs to be supervised by either courts or by a court-supervised institutional arbitration falls under the legislative domain.

The court, meanwhile, allowed the lawyers to file small synopsis of cases pertaining to alleged victims of triple talaq.

The Centre had earlier opposed the practice of triple talaq, 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims and favoured a relook on grounds like gender equality and secularism.

The Ministry of Law and Justice referred to constitutional principles like gender equality, secularism, international covenants, religious practices and marital law prevalent in various Islamic countries.

Responding to a batch of petitions including the one filed by Shayaro Bano challenging the validity of such practices among Muslims, the Centre first dealt with the right of gender equality under the Constitution.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board, however, had rubbished the stand taken by the Narendra Modi government that the apex court should re-look these practices as they are violative of fundamental rights like gender equality and the ethos of secularism, a key part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

Another prominent Islamic organisation Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind told the court there is no scope for interference with the Muslim Personal Law in which triple talaq, 'nikah halala' and polygamy are well rooted and stand on much higher pedestal as compared to other customs.

In a major relief to patients, the government has reduced prices of coronary stents by up to 400 per cent, capping them at Rs.7,260 for bare metal ones and Rs.29,600 for the drug eluting variety.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) in a notification said in public interest, it has fixed the ceiling price of bare metal stents at 7,260 and that of drug eluting stents and bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS)/biodegradable stents at Rs.29,600.

A coronary stent is a tube-shaped device placed in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. It keeps the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart diseases.

The maximum retail cost of a stent currently ranges from Rs.25,000 to Rs.1.98 lakh.

Data at NPPA website showed that hospitals make the maximum profits on stents, with trade margin going up to 654 per cent.

Citing the reasons for its order, NPPA said: "…it was found that huge unethical markups are charged at each stage in the supply chain of coronary stents resulting in irrational, restrictive and exorbitant prices in a failed market system driven by information asymmetry between patients and doctors pushing patients to financial misery".

Under such extraordinary circumstances, there is an urgent necessity, in public interest, to fix ceiling price of coronary stents to bring respite to the patients, it added.

The government had included coronary stents in the national list of essential medicines (NLEM), 2015 in July 2016 and in the first Schedule of the Drug Prices Control Order (DPCO), 2013 in December 2016.

A specific gene that plays a crucial role in ensuring DNA is copied correctly when cells divide and grow can cause growth defects associated with a rare type of dwarfism, says a study.

"This research sheds new light on the mechanisms underlying DNA replication, and the effect on human health when this process goes wrong," said Grant Stewart from University of Birmingham in Britain.

During the study, published today in Nature Genetics, the researchers looked at genetic information from more than 250 people around the world with microcephalic dwarfism, a group of disorders characterised by short stature and reduced head size.

They found that 29 of the individuals had faulty versions of a gene called DONSON.

Tests on cells growing in the laboratory revealed that this gene plays a crucial role in ensuring DNA is copied correctly when cells divide and grow.

Cells from patients with mutations in the DONSON gene had difficulty in efficiently replicating their DNA and protecting it from uncontrolled damage, ultimately leading to the growth defects typical of microcephalic dwarfism.

This research raises the potential of more accurate diagnoses for patients with genetic microcephaly, in addition to providing an insight into how similar rare hereditary diseases are caused.

A 7.8 magnitude quake that hit New Zealand's South Island last year has made navigation for ships unsafe, Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said on Tuesday.

The quake, which killed two people in the tourist town of Kaikoura on November 14, had raised the seabed and made nautical maps obsolete, Xinhua news agency quoted Brownlee as saying.

"With actual depths now significantly less than charted depths, nautical charts are no longer accurate and safe navigation in the region has become an issue," said Brownlee.

"The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has sent eight hydrographers to Kaikoura to survey the area's sea floor and map the shifts caused by the earthquake," he said.

The results of the hydrographic survey would be to update the nautical chart of the Kaikoura Peninsula.

Landslips caused by the quake wiped out road and rail links to Kaikoura, stranding hundreds of tourists and leaving the town accessible only by sea and helicopters.

The NZDF mobilised 815 personnel, 11 aircraft and four ships to support the relief and evacuation operations.

Brownlee said the government was aiming to restore full road access by the end of this year.

Ministry of Civil Defence national recovery manager Dave Brash said excavators were on site and work had started on clearing the slips from the road.

Some rail links were open, but more than 700 sites needed work and seismic activity was continuing, Brash said.

"At the same time, diggers have removed more than 5,000 cubic metres of material from the Kaikoura harbour to deepen the channel," he said.

To help users mark out their favourite hangouts they love and the places they want their friends to go to, Google Maps on Monday added a new feature called "List".

With this feature, you can create lists of places, share your lists with others and follow the lists of your friends and family when shared with you, without leaving Google Maps on both Android or iOS platform, the company said in a statement.

You can list the places you wish to visit as well as share your recommendations, whether it is a list of weekend getaways or a list of best street food joints or fashion boutiques in a particular area, among others. 

Moreover, you can view and edit your lists offline and if you have offline maps downloaded, places added to the lists will appear on your offline map.

This is how you can create a list.

Open the side menu, go to "Your places", open "Saved", and then click on the plus sign in the blue circle at the bottom right corner of the screen.

The other way is to open the place you want to add to a new list, tap on "Save", and then select "create a new list".

Now open your list and click on the share button in the top right hand corner.

On both Android and iOS, you can share a link to your list via any app on your phone -Hangouts, SMS, Whatsapp, or even on Facebook or Twitter.