Several homes were destroyed and two firefighters injured by huge wildfires that tore across Australia's most populous state over the weekend, officials said on Monday.

Scorching temperatures and fierce winds fanned the flames across a wide swathe of New South Wales on Saturday and Sunday.

More than 2,500 firefighters fought nearly 100 fires as temperatures climbed to 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the state. One fire alone burned through 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres).

No one was killed, though two firefighters were hospitalized with injuries, said New South Wales Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. One firefighter suffered burns to the hands and face, while the other had a laceration to the hand.

The full extent of property damage was still unknown on Monday, but an initial assessment showed that at least 19 homes were destroyed, the fire service said.

Cooler weather on Monday had reduced the fire threat to much of the state, though temperatures were expected to begin rising again later in the week.

Destructive wildfires are common across Australia during the southern hemisphere summer. In 2009, wildfires killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes in little more than a day in Victoria state. 

Several homes were destroyed and two firefighters injured by huge wildfires that tore across Australia's most populous state over the weekend, officials said on Monday.

Scorching temperatures and fierce winds fanned the flames across a wide swathe of New South Wales on Saturday and Sunday.

More than 2,500 firefighters fought nearly 100 fires as temperatures climbed to 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the state. One fire alone burned through 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres).

No one was killed, though two firefighters were hospitalized with injuries, said New South Wales Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. One firefighter suffered burns to the hands and face, while the other had a laceration to the hand.

The full extent of property damage was still unknown on Monday, but an initial assessment showed that at least 19 homes were destroyed, the fire service said.

Cooler weather on Monday had reduced the fire threat to much of the state, though temperatures were expected to begin rising again later in the week.

Destructive wildfires are common across Australia during the southern hemisphere summer. In 2009, wildfires killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes in little more than a day in Victoria state. 

Jewellery items are good gift option for both men and women. And, if you are wondering what to gift your loved one this Valentine, you can safely choose ear ornaments such as earrings, danglers and ear studs.

Beautifying oneself and adorning the ears with jewellery pieces of different kinds is an-age-old cultural tradition of societies across the world. Not only women, but men since olden days sported ear ornaments. Today, it has come to be a part of feminism, glamour and sophistication. It’s a fascination for many women to wear ear ornaments with precious gold, diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Sometimes, pretty earrings complete the dressing of a women for occasions.

While the market today its flooded with local makes and designer wears, the latest in fashion are the delicate appealing floret diamond ear studs. They come in many pretty designs. Whether designed in white or yellow gold, 14k or 18 k, the floral motif accessory makes a trendy style and fashion statement as casual as well as formal wears. The rubies, emeralds and other semi or precious stones studded around diamonds elevate their style quotient.

Their celebration comes by the virtue of the artistic and sophisticated allure they contribute to all kinds of fashions. Although they are more often suited with western outfits, intricately designed ones go well with traditional outfits too. They blend simplicity and fashion beautifully. So, this jewellery piece can be one of the most beautiful gifts to someone special this Valentine's Day.

However, when buying one, look for well cut, exceptional quality diamonds, their overall artistry and quality brands. The size of diamonds depends on your budget. They can be big or small. No matter what size, they are worth having to match with all your outfits.

Jewellery items are good gift option for both men and women. And, if you are wondering what to gift your loved one this Valentine, you can safely choose ear ornaments such as earrings, danglers and ear studs.

Beautifying oneself and adorning the ears with jewellery pieces of different kinds is an-age-old cultural tradition of societies across the world. Not only women, but men since olden days sported ear ornaments. Today, it has come to be a part of feminism, glamour and sophistication. It’s a fascination for many women to wear ear ornaments with precious gold, diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Sometimes, pretty earrings complete the dressing of a women for occasions.

While the market today its flooded with local makes and designer wears, the latest in fashion are the delicate appealing floret diamond ear studs. They come in many pretty designs. Whether designed in white or yellow gold, 14k or 18 k, the floral motif accessory makes a trendy style and fashion statement as casual as well as formal wears. The rubies, emeralds and other semi or precious stones studded around diamonds elevate their style quotient.

Their celebration comes by the virtue of the artistic and sophisticated allure they contribute to all kinds of fashions. Although they are more often suited with western outfits, intricately designed ones go well with traditional outfits too. They blend simplicity and fashion beautifully. So, this jewellery piece can be one of the most beautiful gifts to someone special this Valentine's Day.

However, when buying one, look for well cut, exceptional quality diamonds, their overall artistry and quality brands. The size of diamonds depends on your budget. They can be big or small. No matter what size, they are worth having to match with all your outfits.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday said that he is confident of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming the next ministry in Manipur after the state assembly elections.

He promised the BJP government will send the "corrupt elements to prison". 

Javadekar was speaking at a political party meeting at the residence of Thounaojam Chaoba, the convener of the BJP Election Committee at Utlou in Bishnupur district.

"When the election results are out on March 11, the BJP shall win majority. Once we form the government, all scams, including cash for jobs, shall be looked into and all guilty persons right from the chief mnister will be sent to prison," Chaoba said.

Chaoba said the root case of all the corruption in the state is the Congress.

Meanwhile, Okram Surjakumar, son of the Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, also on Monday formally launched his first-ever election campaign by hoisting the Congress flag in the Kangabok constituency.

His mother, Okram Landhoni, a sitting legislator vacated the seat for her son. 

"I am indebted to all of you for the massive support. I have no words to express my gratitude." Okram Surjakumar said.

Manipur is going to elect a new 60-member assembly in two phases on March 4 and 8.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday said that he is confident of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming the next ministry in Manipur after the state assembly elections.

He promised the BJP government will send the "corrupt elements to prison". 

Javadekar was speaking at a political party meeting at the residence of Thounaojam Chaoba, the convener of the BJP Election Committee at Utlou in Bishnupur district.

"When the election results are out on March 11, the BJP shall win majority. Once we form the government, all scams, including cash for jobs, shall be looked into and all guilty persons right from the chief mnister will be sent to prison," Chaoba said.

Chaoba said the root case of all the corruption in the state is the Congress.

Meanwhile, Okram Surjakumar, son of the Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, also on Monday formally launched his first-ever election campaign by hoisting the Congress flag in the Kangabok constituency.

His mother, Okram Landhoni, a sitting legislator vacated the seat for her son. 

"I am indebted to all of you for the massive support. I have no words to express my gratitude." Okram Surjakumar said.

Manipur is going to elect a new 60-member assembly in two phases on March 4 and 8.

South Korean military on Monday said North Korea has developed a new road-mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), based on a technology of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).

According to a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official, North Korea test-fired a new solid fuel-powered IRBM based on SLBM technology.

North Korea on Sunday launched a ballistic missile Pukguksong-2. It flew towards the East Sea for 500 km after blasting off at an altitude of 550 km.

Following the launch, the JCS said it could be an advanced version of intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missile, which soared as high as 1,413.6 km and travelled 500 km during a test-flight in June 2016.

The Seoul military changed the Sunday assessment, saying top North Korean leader Kim Jong Un probably instructed the development of a longer-range ground-based missile based on technology of the SLBM, which was test-launched in August last year.

The new missile was fired from a crawler-type mobile launcher and the South Korean military put its range at anything between those of SLBM and Musudan missiles.

The North korea-owned SLBM is believed to have a range of 2,000-2,500 km, with the estimation of Musudan range put at 3,000-3,500 km. The Pukguksong-2 may have a range of 2,500-3,000 km.

Musudan, dubbed Hwasong 10 by Pyongyang, is known to put the entire territories of South Korea and Japan as well as US military base in Guam in its target range.

The Sunday launch may mean North Korea's development of a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in addition to KN-08, called Hwasong-13 by North Korea.

The KN-08 was displayed for the first time during a 2012 military parade, but it has yet to be publicly tested. North Korea is believed to have its upgraded version called KN-14, which also has not been tested before.

The new rocket engine, which North Korea tested in September, was believed to be used for the ICBMs or Musudan missiles.

Some estimate the first-stage propellant of the ICBMs may be composed of four engines used for Musudan missiles.

The advent of Pukguksong-2, which is based on SLBM technology, may indicate the development of an upgraded ICBM version based on the new IRBM technology.

North Korea's KCNA news agency said the Sunday launch re-confirmed the separation of vehicles at the stages and verified the position control and guidance in the midcourse and re-entry sections.

It took North Korea just six months to develop the surface-to-surface IRBM following a successful test in August last year of the SLBM, called Pukguksong-1.

South Korean military on Monday said North Korea has developed a new road-mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), based on a technology of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).

According to a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official, North Korea test-fired a new solid fuel-powered IRBM based on SLBM technology.

North Korea on Sunday launched a ballistic missile Pukguksong-2. It flew towards the East Sea for 500 km after blasting off at an altitude of 550 km.

Following the launch, the JCS said it could be an advanced version of intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missile, which soared as high as 1,413.6 km and travelled 500 km during a test-flight in June 2016.

The Seoul military changed the Sunday assessment, saying top North Korean leader Kim Jong Un probably instructed the development of a longer-range ground-based missile based on technology of the SLBM, which was test-launched in August last year.

The new missile was fired from a crawler-type mobile launcher and the South Korean military put its range at anything between those of SLBM and Musudan missiles.

The North korea-owned SLBM is believed to have a range of 2,000-2,500 km, with the estimation of Musudan range put at 3,000-3,500 km. The Pukguksong-2 may have a range of 2,500-3,000 km.

Musudan, dubbed Hwasong 10 by Pyongyang, is known to put the entire territories of South Korea and Japan as well as US military base in Guam in its target range.

The Sunday launch may mean North Korea's development of a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in addition to KN-08, called Hwasong-13 by North Korea.

The KN-08 was displayed for the first time during a 2012 military parade, but it has yet to be publicly tested. North Korea is believed to have its upgraded version called KN-14, which also has not been tested before.

The new rocket engine, which North Korea tested in September, was believed to be used for the ICBMs or Musudan missiles.

Some estimate the first-stage propellant of the ICBMs may be composed of four engines used for Musudan missiles.

The advent of Pukguksong-2, which is based on SLBM technology, may indicate the development of an upgraded ICBM version based on the new IRBM technology.

North Korea's KCNA news agency said the Sunday launch re-confirmed the separation of vehicles at the stages and verified the position control and guidance in the midcourse and re-entry sections.

It took North Korea just six months to develop the surface-to-surface IRBM following a successful test in August last year of the SLBM, called Pukguksong-1.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar asked civil service officials to meet people more often to resolve and sort out their problems, if possible on the spot.

"Occasionally abstaining from routine official works, you must meet more frequently with the people to resolve their problems. If possible, settle the issue of the people on the spot," Sarkar told the Tripura Civil Service (TCS) officials on Sunday night.

Addressing the 24th biennial two-day conference of the TCS officials, he said: "If the chief minister can meet the people directly thrice a week, why can the officials not meet at least one day in a week."

In Tripura, around 325 TCS officers in different important positions are the most significant backbone of the administration of the Left-ruled Northeastern state.

 Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura for the past 19 years, said that if the officials commit a mistake or fault unintentionally, the government will try to exonerate them, but if the officials do blunder or error deliberately, then severe action will be taken against them.

"Don't do your work like a mechanised doll, carry out the assigned task like a leader, not mere a government servant. Officials must perform their job, irrespective of religion, caste and creed," the chief minister told the officials.

He asked the officials to utilise the natural and human resources properly for the benefit of the people and development of the state.

"The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government at the Centre has created a difficult situation in the country. After the abolition of the Planning Commission, there is no scope of discussion with the Centre about the financial difficulties of the state," said the 68-year-old Left leader.

He said: "After the elimination of Planning Commission, Tripura has been getting Rs.1,500 to Rs.1,700 crore less amount from the Centre annually. Despite financial crunch, taking loan from the market, we are maintaining the developmental works in the state."

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar asked civil service officials to meet people more often to resolve and sort out their problems, if possible on the spot.

"Occasionally abstaining from routine official works, you must meet more frequently with the people to resolve their problems. If possible, settle the issue of the people on the spot," Sarkar told the Tripura Civil Service (TCS) officials on Sunday night.

Addressing the 24th biennial two-day conference of the TCS officials, he said: "If the chief minister can meet the people directly thrice a week, why can the officials not meet at least one day in a week."

In Tripura, around 325 TCS officers in different important positions are the most significant backbone of the administration of the Left-ruled Northeastern state.

 Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura for the past 19 years, said that if the officials commit a mistake or fault unintentionally, the government will try to exonerate them, but if the officials do blunder or error deliberately, then severe action will be taken against them.

"Don't do your work like a mechanised doll, carry out the assigned task like a leader, not mere a government servant. Officials must perform their job, irrespective of religion, caste and creed," the chief minister told the officials.

He asked the officials to utilise the natural and human resources properly for the benefit of the people and development of the state.

"The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government at the Centre has created a difficult situation in the country. After the abolition of the Planning Commission, there is no scope of discussion with the Centre about the financial difficulties of the state," said the 68-year-old Left leader.

He said: "After the elimination of Planning Commission, Tripura has been getting Rs.1,500 to Rs.1,700 crore less amount from the Centre annually. Despite financial crunch, taking loan from the market, we are maintaining the developmental works in the state."

India beat Bangladesh by 208 runs in the one-off Test in Hyderabad on Monday, ending the Tigers’ stubborn resistance on the final day’s play as Virat Kohli’s unbeaten streak as India’s Test captain extended to 19 matches.

India had set Bangladesh a hefty target of 459 on Sunday, and the visitors made a real fight of it, but eventually crumbled at 250/10 after some smart bowling from the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Bangladesh were faced with the daunting prospect of batting out on the final day with seven wickets remaining and for a while that seemed possible, as Shakib Al Hasan (22) and Mahmudullah (64) continued their good work from the previous day’s play. Hasan didn't last long in the morning session, falling to Jadeja’s guile and while captain Mushfiqur Rahim then started a promising partnership with Mahmudullah, his decision to attack Ashwin backfired spectacularly.

The skipper departed for just 23 runs and next was Sabbir Rahman (22) who was given out LBW by Ishant Sharma after engaging in a war of words with the gangly pacer moments prior to his dismissal. 
As his teammates wickets started to tumble, Mahmudullah went too, attempting a hook shot off Sharma, only to misjudge the length and the resulting shot carried straight to Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

While the tail-enders continued to frustrate Kohli, he kept his faith in his bowlers, who maintained their line and length and despite conceding the odd boundary, continued to coax the best from his players.

And the last man to go was Taskin Ahmed and it was Ashwin yet again who was the man responsible, getting the Bangladesh man out for LBW despite empire Marais Erasmus going upstairs for a review.
 
India had won the toss, chasing to bat and had posted a mammoth first-innings total of 687/6 (Virat Kohli 204, Murali Vijay 108, Wriddhiman Saha 106) with skipper Kohli becoming the first man to score a double hundred in four consecutive Test series.

Bangladesh responded with a decent total of 388/10 (Mushfiqur Rahim 127, Shakib Al Hasan 81, Mehedi Hasan 51), but fell a long way short of the target and while India had the option to enforce the follow on, they chose to bat again.

In a span of 29 overs, the Indian batsmen put up 159 runs on the board for the loss of 4 wickets (Cheteshwar Pujara 54*, Virat Kohli 38, Ajinkya Rahane 28) as they declared Day four, giving the visitors a improbable target of 459.

While the hosts were expected to beat Bangladesh, the match still had to be won and Anil Kumble's wards did the job well to prepare for the upcoming home series against Australia in the best manner possible.

India beat Bangladesh by 208 runs in the one-off Test in Hyderabad on Monday, ending the Tigers’ stubborn resistance on the final day’s play as Virat Kohli’s unbeaten streak as India’s Test captain extended to 19 matches.

India had set Bangladesh a hefty target of 459 on Sunday, and the visitors made a real fight of it, but eventually crumbled at 250/10 after some smart bowling from the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Bangladesh were faced with the daunting prospect of batting out on the final day with seven wickets remaining and for a while that seemed possible, as Shakib Al Hasan (22) and Mahmudullah (64) continued their good work from the previous day’s play. Hasan didn't last long in the morning session, falling to Jadeja’s guile and while captain Mushfiqur Rahim then started a promising partnership with Mahmudullah, his decision to attack Ashwin backfired spectacularly.

The skipper departed for just 23 runs and next was Sabbir Rahman (22) who was given out LBW by Ishant Sharma after engaging in a war of words with the gangly pacer moments prior to his dismissal. 
As his teammates wickets started to tumble, Mahmudullah went too, attempting a hook shot off Sharma, only to misjudge the length and the resulting shot carried straight to Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

While the tail-enders continued to frustrate Kohli, he kept his faith in his bowlers, who maintained their line and length and despite conceding the odd boundary, continued to coax the best from his players.

And the last man to go was Taskin Ahmed and it was Ashwin yet again who was the man responsible, getting the Bangladesh man out for LBW despite empire Marais Erasmus going upstairs for a review.
 
India had won the toss, chasing to bat and had posted a mammoth first-innings total of 687/6 (Virat Kohli 204, Murali Vijay 108, Wriddhiman Saha 106) with skipper Kohli becoming the first man to score a double hundred in four consecutive Test series.

Bangladesh responded with a decent total of 388/10 (Mushfiqur Rahim 127, Shakib Al Hasan 81, Mehedi Hasan 51), but fell a long way short of the target and while India had the option to enforce the follow on, they chose to bat again.

In a span of 29 overs, the Indian batsmen put up 159 runs on the board for the loss of 4 wickets (Cheteshwar Pujara 54*, Virat Kohli 38, Ajinkya Rahane 28) as they declared Day four, giving the visitors a improbable target of 459.

While the hosts were expected to beat Bangladesh, the match still had to be won and Anil Kumble's wards did the job well to prepare for the upcoming home series against Australia in the best manner possible.

When one talks about love, one certainly can’t exclude the effect of Indian cinema they have had in their love life. From the one-liners to those romantic songs and the various ideas to make your love happy, the young lovers owe it all to Bollywood.

But now one can see that Bollywood has long dropped the idea of producing cheesy romantic films with a dreamy storyline and unrealistic characters. Having said that, one doesn’t mean that Bollywood has stopped producing romantic flicks, they do and are still a pro at it but now the filmmakers strive to make more millennial-centric films to keep up with the changing times and the changing romance scenario.

Although the classics like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam will forever be regarded as the best romantic movies that Bollywood has bestowed upon its audience, the youth is always on a lookout for something that is different and something that breaks the stereotypes.

With the Valentine’s Day around the corner, here’s looking at the Bollywood movies that kept the romantic quotient high but stayed far away from the melodrama that surrounds a usual Bollywood romantic movie:-

Jab We Met (2007)

Director Imtiaz Ali was one of the first directors to try out the unconventional love story, he gave the over-the-top and larger than life characters a miss when he came up with ‘Jab We Met’ one of his bests starring Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor. Jab We Met is about a happy-go-lucky girl Geet (Kareena Kapoor) and a reserved, heartbroken boy Aditya Kashyap(Shahid Kapoor) who was on the verge of committing suicide. He meets Geet on a train, who plans to elope with her lover and finds himself pulled into her crazy life. Soon their life's train starts running on the same track and they fall in love.

Love Aaj Kal (2009)

Another Imtiaz Ali creation, Love Aaj Kal is a story about a young boy and girl (Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone), who are caught in a competitive and technology-driven world where love is a trivial thing and career is the priority but they find themselves overcoming distances, failures and heartbreaks to find each other again and preserve what they had abandoned. 

Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani (2012)

Starring one of the best known couples of Bollywood, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani helmed by director Ayan Mukherji is a story about two people, a photojournalist and a doctor, who met on a trip, became friends and fell in love but never realised it until they met again, caught up between career and love, their separate paths merged into one for a happy ending.

Tamasha (2015)

Ranbir and Deepika weaved magic again as Ved and Tara in Tamasha. They met in Corsica, just like any other commitment phobic millennial they mingled on the condition of anonymity but contrary to their beliefs, the cupid struck. Once back in Delhi, Tara met with a completely transformed Ved who was a storyteller but had taken up a corporate job, frustrated with his forced profession, Ved embarked on a journey to find his true self with Tara by his side.

Ok Jaanu (2016)

Although the Aditya Roy Kapur-Shraddha Kapoor starrer failed to create magic in the box office but their fun banter and chemistry was loved by all. Ok Jaanu addressed some of the major concerns that the young couples face when they decide to move in together without getting married. It also depicted how a commitment-phobic couple decided to give love a shot without ignoring their career. AR Rahman's music along with a light-hearted love story was a perfect treat.

When one talks about love, one certainly can’t exclude the effect of Indian cinema they have had in their love life. From the one-liners to those romantic songs and the various ideas to make your love happy, the young lovers owe it all to Bollywood.

But now one can see that Bollywood has long dropped the idea of producing cheesy romantic films with a dreamy storyline and unrealistic characters. Having said that, one doesn’t mean that Bollywood has stopped producing romantic flicks, they do and are still a pro at it but now the filmmakers strive to make more millennial-centric films to keep up with the changing times and the changing romance scenario.

Although the classics like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam will forever be regarded as the best romantic movies that Bollywood has bestowed upon its audience, the youth is always on a lookout for something that is different and something that breaks the stereotypes.

With the Valentine’s Day around the corner, here’s looking at the Bollywood movies that kept the romantic quotient high but stayed far away from the melodrama that surrounds a usual Bollywood romantic movie:-

Jab We Met (2007)

Director Imtiaz Ali was one of the first directors to try out the unconventional love story, he gave the over-the-top and larger than life characters a miss when he came up with ‘Jab We Met’ one of his bests starring Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor. Jab We Met is about a happy-go-lucky girl Geet (Kareena Kapoor) and a reserved, heartbroken boy Aditya Kashyap(Shahid Kapoor) who was on the verge of committing suicide. He meets Geet on a train, who plans to elope with her lover and finds himself pulled into her crazy life. Soon their life's train starts running on the same track and they fall in love.

Love Aaj Kal (2009)

Another Imtiaz Ali creation, Love Aaj Kal is a story about a young boy and girl (Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone), who are caught in a competitive and technology-driven world where love is a trivial thing and career is the priority but they find themselves overcoming distances, failures and heartbreaks to find each other again and preserve what they had abandoned. 

Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani (2012)

Starring one of the best known couples of Bollywood, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani helmed by director Ayan Mukherji is a story about two people, a photojournalist and a doctor, who met on a trip, became friends and fell in love but never realised it until they met again, caught up between career and love, their separate paths merged into one for a happy ending.

Tamasha (2015)

Ranbir and Deepika weaved magic again as Ved and Tara in Tamasha. They met in Corsica, just like any other commitment phobic millennial they mingled on the condition of anonymity but contrary to their beliefs, the cupid struck. Once back in Delhi, Tara met with a completely transformed Ved who was a storyteller but had taken up a corporate job, frustrated with his forced profession, Ved embarked on a journey to find his true self with Tara by his side.

Ok Jaanu (2016)

Although the Aditya Roy Kapur-Shraddha Kapoor starrer failed to create magic in the box office but their fun banter and chemistry was loved by all. Ok Jaanu addressed some of the major concerns that the young couples face when they decide to move in together without getting married. It also depicted how a commitment-phobic couple decided to give love a shot without ignoring their career. AR Rahman's music along with a light-hearted love story was a perfect treat.

With no solution in sight for government formation in Tamil Nadu, the ruling AIADMK has asserted that a majority of its MLAs are behind General Secretary VK Sasikala and claimed the chances of Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao "inviting" her today were "high." 

Party spokesperson Vaigai Chelvan said Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had the support of seven MLAs and cannot therefore prove his majority in the state Assembly in the event of a floor test.

"He says he can prove his majority based on the wrong information given by someone. Majority of the AIADMK MLAs are with Chinnamma (Sasikala) and we are ready to prove our strength (in a floor test)," he told reporters here.

Sasikala was the elected Legislature Party leader of AIADMK and therefore the Governor should invite her to form government, he added.

"We expect the chances of his inviting (meeting) her today are high," he said.

To a question on 11 MPs switching over to the camp of Panneerselvam, Vaigai Chelvan expressed confidence that they would return to the Sasikala fold.

In growing support for Panneerselvam, six more AIADMK MPs had joined his camp yesterday, taking the number of Parliamentarians in his favour to 11.

Sasikala had yesterday vowed to protect the party nurtured by her long-time friend, late Jayalalithaa, saying "I will give my life for this cause".

Addressing the MLAs at the resort near here, which she visited for the second time in two days, Sasikala had said, "You 129 MLAs are like an ocean. None can contain it by building a check dam. No efforts will destabilise this government. None can hurt us and there is no need to fear." 

She also dismissed allegations that they have been held "hostage" at the resort, saying the MLAs were staying at the resort of their own accord and that they were "free".

The bandh called by Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) Kohima and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) demanding Chief Minister T R Zeliang's resignation affected normal life in Nagaland on Monday even as no untoward incident was reported.

Volunteers of several Naga tribal organisations, supporting the NTAC Kohima and JCC, were deployed in important locations of the state. Vehicles were off the road, people preferred to stay indoors. Business establishments, educational institutions and government offices, including the State Civil Secretariat and Assembly Secretariat were closed.

The bandh has been called against the Chief Minister's refusal to step down, as demanded by both the organisations.

The Nagaland government had fulfilled two demands of NTAC with regard to declaring the entire process of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) election with 33 per cent reservation for women as null and void and suspending the police personnel involved in January 31 police firing on the protesters leading to the killing of two youths.

The organisations, however, were steadfast in their demand for the CM's resignation.

However, confusion prevails whether the bandh is an indefinite one of just for today as the NTAC Kohima and JCC, which are spearheading the protest against the government have separately given a call for this bandh.

While NTAC Kohima has called for a 12-hour bandh on Monday and is yet to decide on its future course of action, JCC said that the bandh would be indefinite, with no exemptions to the ensuing Classes 10, 11 and 12 State Board examinations scheduled to begin from Tuesday.

Nearly 55,000 students are preparing for the secondary and Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate examinations to commence from Tuesday.

Various civil societies, political parties and students organisations, including Naga Students' Federation and Eastern Nagaland Students' Federation have appealed for smooth conduct of the board examinations.

NSF has appealed to all section of the Nagas to ensure smooth functioning of the educational institutions and facilitate hassle-free passage to the examinees.

The ENSF also said that the upcoming HSLC and HSSLC examination should be held without any disturbances.

"We can't expect the students to perform well in their exams in the midst of such social unrest," they said.

Prohibitory orders continues to remain in force in some areas of the capital, specially Raj Bhavan, Chief Minister's residential area and Jail Colony since February 2 last.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Monday said the Hindu population in India in shrinking while minorities are flourishing.

"Hindu population is reducing in India because Hindus never convert people. Minorities in India are flourishing unlike some countries around," Rijiju tweeted.

The minister embedded a news report where the Congress had alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government was trying to "convert Arunachal Pradesh into a Hindu-majority state".

Rijiju also said: "The Congress should not make such provocative statements. India is a secular country. All religious groups enjoy freedom and live peacefully."