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Sat, 26 January 2013
Indo-Pak water talks put off due to tension
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23:06 Indo-Pak water talks put off due to tension
Talks between the Water Secretaries of India and Pakistan, scheduled to be held in Islamabad during January 28-29, have been put off in the wake of tensions between the neighbours over ceasefire violations along the Line of Control.
"The talks have been postponed. New dates for the talks are yet to be decided," an official of Pakistan's Foreign Office told PTI.
The official, who did not wish to be identified, did not specify reasons for the postponement of the parleys. The two sides were scheduled to discuss the Tulbul navigation project-Wullar Barrage issue during the talks.
22:22 Media should not focus only on rape: Bhujbal
Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal today said media coverage should not be restricted 'only to stories of crime and rape' but also focus on positive and development-centric stories.
"The role of both the print and electronic media is very important... But media is often seen focusing on issues of corruption, publishing stories of rape on the front page.
They should focus on development stories and positive news also", Bhujbal said at a function here. He was addressing the gathering at the launch of the third edition of English daily 'Lokmat Times' at Kalidas Kala Mandir here.
22:17
A mild tremor measuring 3.2 on Richter Scale today shook Kutch, rekindling memories of the devastating earthquake which had hit the same day in 2001.
The tremor was recorded late evening with its epicentre 11 km North-West from Bhachau taluka of Kutch, officials of the Institute of Seismological Research said.
However, no loss of life or damage to property was reported, they said. Mild tremors were felt near Bhachau in the recent past, but the intensity increased suddenly this evening, ISR officials said.
21:50 10 police killed in Afghanistan suicide attack: Official
AFP reports At least ten policemen were killedand 18 others, mostly civilians, were wounded in a suicideattack today in a crowded area of the northeast Afghan city ofKunduz, provincial authorities said.
"We have 10 dead, including the counter terrorismpolice chief and head of traffic police and their bodyguards.Eighteen others are wounded, 13 civilians and five policemen,"Kunduz police spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussani told AFP.
The toll was confirmed by provincial governorspokesman Enayatullah Khaleeq. According to the head of the Kunduz health department,Saad Mukhtar, 19 people in total were wounded in the attack,which police officials said took place around 5:20 pm.
21:03 Sarah Palin and Fox News part ways
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and Fox News have ended their fractious relationship.
The 2008 vice presidential candidate had continued to speak out on politics as a paid contributor to the channel but turned down a recent offer to renew her contract with the network, according to a source close to Palin.
Fox News confirmed that Palin would no longer be with them as a political analyst, CNN.com reports. The decision apparently ends, at least for now, a relationship, which has hit rough patches in the last year.
Reports said Palin angered network president Roger Ailes by announcing on a different news outlet she would not run for the White House in 2012, the paper said, In August of last year, she posted on Facebook, "I''m sorry Fox cancelled all my scheduled interviews tonight," raising again questions about her future with the network, the paper added. Palin's contract expired at the end of 2012.
20:49 B'desh garment factory fire kills six workers
At least female six workers were killed today after a blaze swept through a small garment factory in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, police and fire officials said.
The latest fire comes two months after the country's deadliest garment factory blaze that killed 111 workers and put the spotlight on the industry's appalling safety and labour issues.
Fire officials today said the workers, who were paid as little as $37 a month at the plant in Dhaka's Mohammadpur suburb, which employed some 300 people, died during a stampede and from suffocation after the fire broke out during a lunch break.
20:22 FIR filed against Asish Nandy for Dalit remarks
Noted author Ashis Nandy today kicked up a storm with his comments that people from OBC, SC and ST communities were the "most corrupt", remarks that came under all round attack.
Hours after Nandy made the remarks at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival, an FIR was lodged with the police against him in Jaipur under Section 506 IPC (criminal intimidation) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes(Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The FIR was filed by Rajpal Meena, Chairperson of the SC/ST Rajasthan Manch and the matter will be investigated, police said. "It is a fact that most of the corrupt come from OBCs and Scheduled Castes and now increasingly the Scheduled Tribes," he said participating in a session at the Festival.
Going further, he said, "I will give an example. One of the states with the least amount of corruption is state of West Bengal when the CPI(M) was there. And I must draw attention to the fact that in the last 100 years, nobody from OBC, SC and ST has come anywhere near to power. It is an absolutely clean state."
19:43 India, Pak armies exchange sweets on R-Day
Indian and Pakistani troops today exchanged sweets along the Line of Control in Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir even as cross-border bus service and trade remained suspended after beheading of two Indian soldiers.
Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged sweets at the Chakan-da-Bag cross point along the LoC in Poonch sector as a goodwill gesture, army officials said.
The flag meeting at the LoC was cordial, they said adding the Indian side was represented by Col P D S Bal and Najor S S Sehgal and the Pakistani side by Lt Col Javid and Major Yasin.
The Border Security Force and Pakistani Rangers also exchanged sweets at Suchetgarh on the International Border in Jammu district.
19:06 5 Indian sailors held hostage in Nigeria are freed
Five Indian sailors kidnapped off Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta and held captive for more than a month have been released, a spokesman said.
On December 17, heavily-armed pirates stormed a German oil tanker SP Brusselsbelonging to the Medallion Marine company. They went on to loot the ship and took the Indians hostage.
18:19 Vishwaroopam screened in K'taka despite protests
Despite protests from Muslim outfits, actor-director Kamal Haasan's controversial film Vishwaroopam was screened in Karnataka and was marred by protests in some places, police said.
Though the film was scheduled to be released in the state from tomorrow, the screening started from today, police said, adding "adequate protection is being given for screening of the film".
Screening of the film was disrupted in some parts of Mysore, Bangalore and Shimoga districts following protests, the police said.
17:37 British teacher pins Indian flag on trouser at R-Day function
A visiting British teacher today caused a flutter when he pinned a miniature Indian national flag on his trouser to cover a torn portion in the leg area at the official Republic Day function in Tirunelveli .
Paul Fixer Dyke from a London school, on a visit to a private matriculation school here under an exchange programme of education department, was seen sitting in the front row with the metal flag pinned to cover the torn area.
District Collector Samayamoorthy had asked officials to bring Dyke and his woman collegue Lora Clarke to the dais to honour them on learning about their presence at the function.
As Dyke started moving, his pant got torn after coming into contact with a crowbar used for fastening the shamiana at the venue. He later fixed the torn pant by using the metal flag, which he was sporting on his shirt.
17:30 Deadly clashes in Egypt following football verdicts
Deadly clashes erupted today in Egypt's canal city of Port Said killing at least 14 people including two policemen following a court sentencing 21 football fans to death for last year's post-match riot.
The violent clashes erupted after a Cairo court handed down the death sentences over the football riot last February in which 74 people were killed, and came a day after violence swept Egypt on the second anniversary of its uprising.
Officials said the army would be deployed in the area. As news of the verdict spread, the families of the sentenced gathered in front of a prison in Port Said.
17:11 Act against BSY's MP son, BJP leadership told
Karnataka BJP President K S Eshwarappa today said the party's central leadership has been urged to take "appropriate action" against B Y Raghavendra, MP, for his close association with Karnataka Janata Paksha led by his father B S Yeddyurappa.
"I don't have powers to take action myself. Hence we have urged the central leadership take action against Raghavendra for associating himself with KJP," he told reporters in Bangalore.
Eshwarappa said Speaker K G Bopaiah would examine the issue of resignation of 13 BJP MLAs. "Governor H R Bhardwaj has stated that the government is safe," he said.
17:02 No Zero Dark Thirty in Pak over Osama raid link
Pakistanis will be unable to watch 'Zero Dark Thirty' in theatres as distributors have decided against importing the film on the hunt for Osama bin Laden due to security concerns and fears of upsetting the powerful security establishment.
As the film by Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow racks up award nominations and is rolled out in other countries in region, Pakistani distributors said they were unwilling to acquire the movie because of its unflattering references to the military and the ISI.
"No one has imported it. Some films just don't have commercial potential. It would be unviable for us to import Zero Dark Thirty," Nadeem Mandviwala, one of Pakistan's leading film distributors, told PTI.
Others in the film business said they had learnt the hard way that it would never be easy getting any film with a reference to bin Laden past Pakistan's fastidious censor board.
16:05 Pak launches inquiry into Indian prisoner's death
Pakistan has launched a judicial inquiry into the death of Indian national Chambel Singh, who was serving a five-year jail term for spying, following allegations that he died after being beaten by prison staff.
Refuting reports that Singh was beaten up, Ishtiaq Ahmed, the additional superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail said the Indian prisoner had developed pains in his chest while having breakfast on January 15 and was taken to a state-run hospital.
"We shifted him to Jinnah Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. The apparent cause of death was cardiac arrest, according to the doctors," Ahmed told PTI.
Following allegations and media reports that Singh was assaulted by prison staff, authorities launched a judicial inquiry into his death.
14:33 Veteran singer S Janaki rejects Padma Bhushan
Veteran south Indian playback singer S Janaki has declined to accept the Padma Bhushan award as she feels that the honour has come late in her five-and-half-decade long career.
"I refuse the Padma award... I have been singing for the last 55 years. I consider the recognition of my fans in various languages as the highest award," she told reporters at Ottappalam near Pallakad in Kerala.
However, 75-year old Janaki, who has over 20,000 songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi to her credit, said she had no grouse against the government.
14:08 Ashis Nandy's remarks spark controversy at JLF
The Jaipur Literature Festival today witnessed fireworks after political critic Ashis Nandy made a controversial comment on corruption and people belonging to OBC, SC and ST communities which drew a strong response from the audience.
At a panel discussion at the Festival, Nandy said, "Most corrupt people come from OBC, SC and ST communities".
Journalist Ashutosh, who was among the panelists, and most members from the audience took strong exception to the statement. "This is the most bizarre statement I have heard. The Brahmins and the upper cast can do away with all the corruption but when a low caste person emulates the same thing it becomes so wrong. Such statement is not right," he said.
"Most of the people who are doing corruption are people from OBC, SC and ST communities and as long as it remains Indian republic will survive," Nandy said. His comments were met with boos from the audience.
However, Nandy later clarified that what he meant was that most of the people getting caught are people from OBC, SC and ST communities as they don't have the means to save themselves unlike people from upper castes.
14:06 Obama talks with Hollande on Mali offensive
US President Barack Obama spoke with his French counterpart Francois Hollande over efforts to deny terrorists a safe heaven in Mali and offered his support for building the African-led International Support Mission in the troubled country.
"On Mali, the President expressed his support for France's leadership of the international community's efforts to deny terrorists a safe haven in Mali," the White House said adding that Hollande thanked Obama yesterday for the significant support provided by the United States to this effort.
The two leaders emphasised the need to rapidly establish the African-led International Support Mission in Mali, as well as the importance of the Interim Government of Mali establishing a political roadmap that will lead to elections and restoration of democratic governance, the White House said.
12:54 Padma winner Mary Kom worried about Indian boxing
Her personal high of being awarded the Padma Bhushan has coincided with turbulent times for Indian boxing, leaving Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom with "mixed feelings" about getting country's third highest civilian honour.
"Obviously, it is a great honour to be considered worthy for this award but at the same time I am saddened by the current state of affairs in Indian boxing. So, it is a case of mixed feelings for me," the Olympic bronze-medallist, who is already a Padma Shri, told PTI over phone from her home in Manipur.
"It is actually pleasant surprise for me because I don't think anyone was talking about me," she said.
12:52 R-Day in Delhi parade turns bitter for some
Hundreds of enthusiastic people who braved the winter chill and travel restrictions to turn up at the Rajpath to witness the Republic Day parade had a bitter experience with police denying them entry citing overcrowding though they possessed valid tickets.
Police personnel at the venue refused entry to several valid ticket and pass holders saying the stands were already filled and they cannot allow them inside as it may lead to security issues.
"I have travelled all the way from Mathura, and have a valid ticket worth Rs 300, and have been waiting here since 5 in the morning, but I am now told that the enclosures are full, and entries have been closed," said Ajay Tripathi, a first time visitor of the parade.
12:27 Goa governor on R-DAY: Secure women, children
Goa Governor B V Wanchoo today expressed concern over "sick and neurotic minds" perpetrating heinous crimes on innocent women and children in some parts of the country, including the state.
"People with sick and neurotic minds are perpetrating heinous crimes on our innocent women and children in some parts of the country, including Goa," he said, addressing a gathering after inspecting the Republic Day parade in Panaji.
The governor's statement comes in the backdrop of last week's rape of a seven-year-old girl in a Vasco-based primary school. The accused, a middle-aged person, is still at large.
"I feel concerned that the morbid mentality and brutal behaviour among some people is assuming alarming proportions.
"This needs to be arrested to save our national dignity and ensure the security of our women and children."
"Let us all hope that sanity will prevail, and those who commit heinous crimes and brutality on innocent people, are brought to book," Wanchoo said.
11:43 IAF stunts conclude amazing R-Day parade at Rajpath
And after those scintillating air stunts by the Indian Air Force jets, guests and participants are standing on their feet as the national anthem is being played out.
And balloons in the colour of our national flag flying high in the sky mark the conclusion of the brilliant 64the Republic Day celebrations.
11:38
And here come the Jaguar jets in arrowhead formation, followed by Trishul maneuvers by thundering Sukhois.
Also a vertical charlie by a SU-30 MKI jet on display. Stunning!
11:35 R-DAY: IAF Chakra, Hercules formations flypast
And Indian Air Force is showing its skills with its stunning Chakra and Hercules formations. The crowd is scintillated.
11:31 R-DAY parade: Army's stunt show amazes the crowd
One of the most sought-after events in the Republic Day parade, the amazing motorbike stunts show of the Indian Army is underway. Predictably, people, especially children, are on their feet to cheer for the superb stunt showcasing.
11:25
Now students of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in New Delhi perform Dalkhai, a popular folk dance form in Odisha.
11:21
Now students of Kendriya Vidyalaya perform a stunning dance on environment conservation.
11:20 R-Day: Children's pageant brings instant smiles
And here comes the Children's Pageant section, consisting of a thousand schoolchildren from accross the national capital. Their introductory act, based on Chhau, a folk dance based in Bengal's Purulia, has brought instant smiles on the faces of PM Singh and Chief Guest Bhutan King.
11:15
And here comes the unit of the National Bravery Award winning children.
11:13
And here comes the tableau of Union Ministry of Social Justice, followed by the tableau of I&B Ministry, dedicated to Indian cinema.
11:07
And here comes the tableau from Delhi, showcasing the capital as the cultural hub in the country.
11:02
The tableaux of Rajasthan and Bihar also display indigenous handicraft.
11:01
Followed by magificent tableaux from Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The Odisha tableau showcases Chandan Yatra of Lord Jagannath.
10:59
The Kerala tableau features houseboats.
10:56
And now comes the lovely tableau from Jammu and Kashmir, showcasing Pashmina handicraft.
10:54 64th R-Day parade: State tableaux march to glory
14 state tableaux included in Rpublic Day parade this year. The tableau from Uttar Pradesh, celebrating Holi, is leading the 'jhankiyan'.
10:53
Here comes the Karnataka tableau, a tibute to Kinnal handicraft.
10:47 Sunny day greets Delhiites on Republic Day
A sunny morning with a nip in the air greeted thousands of spectators gathered to witness the 64th Republic Day parade at the majestic Rajpath in New Delhi today though the minimum temperatures remained below normal.
The low was recorded at 6.4 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal and up by 0.8 degrees from yesterday's 5.6 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperature in the last 24 hours was recorded at 21.1 degrees Celsius, which is one degree below normal for this time of the year.
Though there was a fog cover and a nip in the air in the early hours, spectators in large numbers came to Rajpath to witness the kaleidoscopic image of India's cultural heritage and military prowess.
10:43
And now comes the Delhi Police marching contingent.
10:42
Here comes RPF marching contingent saluting the President.
10:34
Our readers can watch the live webcast of Republic Daya parade here
10:30
AWACS mounted on Brazilian Embraer aircraft being showcased.
10:29
Here comes the Indian Air Force, showcasing latest acquisitions in their tableau. Their band is playing 'Space Fight'.
10:26
Infantry contingent being led by Maratha Light Infantry.
10:25
8th Gorkha Rifles also part of the parade.
10:22
Garhwal Rifles led by Capt Raghav Swaroop.
10:21
Capt Deepak Upadhayay leads 11 Ladakh Scouts
10:14
Here comes a unit of Radio Trunking System Mark II.
10:13
Now the Brahmos cruise missile is saluting the President's dias, followed by Pinaka multi-rocket launcher led by Lt Mayank Mishra.
10:10 64th Republic Day parade begins at Rajpath
A contingent of main battle tank Arjun is leading the parade.
10:07
Now the gallantry award winners, including Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra winners, follow the parade commander.
10:06
The parade second-in-command Major Genral Rajbir Singh is leading the parade.
10:02 64th R-DAY: President unfurls the national flag
President Pranab Mukherjee unfurls the national flag at Rajpath.
09:57
More guests arrive at Rajpath for Republic Day celebrations.
09:51
President Pranab Mukherjee also arrives at the India Gate to attend his first Republic Day parade. He is accompanied by Chief Guest Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
09:44
Two-minutes silence being observed at the Amar Jawan Jyoti as a tribute to our soldiers.
09:43 64th R-DAY: PM lays wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A K Antony arrived at India Gate for 64th Republic Day celebrations in the national capital. They were received by the three Service Chiefs.
PM laid wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti. He was accompanied by defence minister and the three Service Chiefs.
09:23 Tight security in capital for R-Day celebrations
A thick security blanket was thrown around the capital today with thousands of armed personnel keeping a tight vigil to thwart any possible terror strike or any untoward incident during the Republic Day celebrations.
Snipers with sophisticated arms were on high-rises while hundreds of police personnel kept the eight km parade route from Rajpath to Red Fort under their watch to ensure that the event passed peacefully.
Around 25,000 police personnel, including those from paramilitary forces and sharpshooters from the elite National Security Guards were deployed across the city in the run-up to the national celebrations.
Policemen kept a tab on the visuals from over 160 CCTVs between Rajpath and Red Fort, the route of the parade. Mobile hit teams, anti-aircraft guns and sharpshooters of the NSG were also on the job at various places while paramilitary and Delhi Police commandos kept a close watch along the route.
"There was a special emphasis on anti-sabotage checks, access control measures and intelligence coordination. The entire route of the parade was covered by special security and anti-terror arrangements.
"Elaborate air defence measures, including deployment of anti-aircraft guns, were also taken to check intrusion of air space," a senior police official said. Besides the air defence measures, helicopters of the Indian Air Force hovered around Rajpath and all along the route of the parade.
Vehicles entering the city were randomnly checked. As the city witnessed a terror strike only four months ago, the security establishment left no stone unturned to ensure an incident-free celebrations.
No vehicles were allowed to ply on Rajpath from 6 pm yesterday while vehicular movement was restricted on Tilak Marg, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg upto Red Fort from 4 am.
03:49 Five dead in Egypt clashes on revolt anniversary
Five people were killed in the Egyptian canal city of Suez, as protesters clashed with police and mass rallies shook Egypt on the second anniversary of the revolt that ousted Hosni Mubarak and brought Islamists to power.
Doctors at the Suez Hospital told AFP five people were shot in the chest and stomach with live bullets. It was not immediately clear whether the dead were civilians or police.
The health ministry said 379 people were injured in clashes in nine provinces.
The unrest came on the second anniversary of a revolution that brought to power Islamist President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, and a day after clashes between protesters and police.
After the seismic political changes of 2011, the Arab world's most populous nation is struggling to find a balance between a leadership that boasts the legitimacy of the ballot box and opponents who accuse it of betraying the goals of the revolution.
Egypt is also in the throes of an economic crisis as foreign investment and tourism revenues dwindle, the Egyptian pound stands at its lowest level against the dollar and a budget deficit shows no sign of recovery.
01:06 Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan oldest Padma award winner
At the age of 105, Hindustani vocalist Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan has been chosen for this year's Padma Shri award, achieving the distinction of being the oldest person to get a Padma award.
In 2011, India's first woman photo-journalist Homai Vyarawala was honoured with the Padma Vibushan at the age of 97. She died last year.
The repertoire of Khan, the vocalist from West Bengal, includes khayal, dhrupad, dhamar and thumri.
Currently confined to a wheelchair, Khan who has lost the ability to walk and whose hands have become gnarled with age, still manages to regale audiences with his powerful singing.
Also a poet, Khan has written around 2000 compositions under the pseudonym 'Rasan Piya'.
01:06 Padma Bhushan for Godrej, Thyagarajan
Industrialists Adi Burjor Godrej and Ramamurthy Thyagarajan have been selected for Padma Bhushan, one of the country's highest civilian awards.
Dalit entrepreneur Kalpana Saroj, VLCC Founder Vandana Luthra and CMD of Rajshree Group Rajshree Pathy are the three businesswomen selected for Padma Shri awards.
Noted Assamese tea industrialist Hemendra Prasad Barooah and Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industries Chairman Milind Kamble have also been selected for Padma Shri awards.
Godrej is the Chairman of the Godrej Group. He has played an an important role in the development of a variety of industries by leading key organisations of trade and commerce. At present, he also heads industry body CII.
01:06 6 foreign nationals get Padma awards
Six eminent foreign nationals, including scientists and philosophers, are among 108 personalities chosen for the coveted Padma awards this year.
Aerospace scientist Satya Atluri, who is a distinguished professor at University of California in the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is the recipient of Padma Bhushan for this year.
Alumnus of Indian Institute of Science, Atluri is among 100 researchers from across the world who were highly cited in engineering during 1980-2000, Atluri's profile on University of California mentions.
Born in Odisha and an almunus of Cuttack's Ravenshaw college, 75-year-old Indian-American theoretical physicist Jogesh Chandra Pati is another recipient of Padma Bhushan.
Visiting professor at Stanford University, Pati is known for explaining nature of various electromagnetic forces and
their varying strengths.
A leading post-structuralist and literary theorist 80-year-old Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak is among 24 Padma Bhushan awardees announced for this year. She is known for her essay 'Can the Subaltern Speak?' and translation of noted French philosopher Jacques Derrida's 'De la grammatologie'.
Social worker and Gandhian Jharna Dhara Chowdhury, who runs Noakhali Ashram School in Bangladesh, is among 80 Padma
Shri awardees.
In her seventies, Chowdhury who is known as Jharna di never met Gandhi but was influenced by noted Gandhians like Charu Chowdhury, Devendra Narayan Sarkar, Madan Mohan Chattopadhaya and Ranjan Kumar Dutta.
79-year-old Japanese Professor Noboru Karashima, known for his work on Tamil scriptures, is a Professor Emeritus in University of Tokyo, Japan. He also serves as Professor Emeritus at the Taisho University, Japan. He is a recipient of Padma Shri.
London-based Christopher Pinney, an anthropologist and art historian, has been chosen for Padma Shri
01:05 Padma awards for Sharmila, Rajesh Khanna, Sridevi
Bollywood reaped a rich harvest at this years Padma awards with Sharmila Tagore, Sridevi, Nana Patekar and Ramesh Sippy besides Rajesh Khanna and Jaspal Bhatti (both posthumously) among a galaxy of film personalities to be chosen in different categories.
While the third highest civilian honour of Padma Bhushan went to Tagore, Khanna and satirist Bhatti, Sridevi, Patekar and Sippy, who gave a number of blockbusters including "Sholay", were named for Padma Shri.
The other recipients of Padma Bhushan are multilingual film producer Ramanaidu Daggubati, playback singer Sreeramamurthy Janaki, Mohiniyattom exponent Kanak Rele, Bharatnatyam dancer Saroja Vaidyanathan and Hindustani vocalist Abdul Rashid Khan.
Sufi Singer Bharati Bandhu, theatre personalities B Jayashree and Surabhi Babji, classical singer Jaymala Shiledar, tabla player Suresh Dattatray Talwalkar, actor Madhavan Nair, cameraman Apurba Kishore Bir, playback singer Sudha Malhotra, Kashmiri sufi singer Ghulam Mohammad Saznawaz, theatre director Balwant Thakur and Baul singer Puran Das Baul were named for Padma Shri.
01:05 Images suggest North Korea ready for nuke test
Recent satellite photos show North Korea could be almost ready to carry out its threat to conduct a nuclear test, a US research institute said today.
The images of the Punggye-ri site where nuclear tests were conducted in 2006 and 2009 reveal that over the past month roads have been kept clear of snow and that North Koreans may have been sealing the tunnel into a mountainside where a nuclear device would be detonated.
But it remains difficult to discern North Korea's true intentions as a test would be conducted underground.
The analysis was provided to The Associated Press by 38 North, the website of US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. The latest image was taken Wednesday.
North Korea's powerful National Defense Commission declared its plans yesterday after the UN Security Council tightened sanctions in response to a December long-range rocket launch. It described it as part of a "new phase" of combat with the United States, which retains 28,000 troops in South Korea and which it blames for leading the UN bid to punish Pyongyang.
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