L A T E S T      N E W S

N Korea conducts apparent nuke test

Seoul: North Korea appeared to have carried out a threatened nuclear test today, with international monitoring agencies reporting a seismic event near the site of Pyongyang's nuclear test site.

The tremor, whose magnitude was estimated at between 4.9 and 5.1, was detected at 11:57am (0827 IST) with the epicentre in Kilju county, where the North's Punggye-ri test site is located.

The US Geological Survey noted the seismic activity -- also confirmed by monitors in South Korea, China and Japan -- had a very shallow depth of just one kilometre (0.6 miles).

The South Korean defence ministry and the presidential Blue House both said they were trying to verify whether a nuclear detonation had taken place.

Pyongyang has been threatening a "higher-level" nuclear test for weeks despite warnings of severe repercussions from the UN Security Council.

If confirmed, it would mark the third time the North has detonated a nuclear device, following previous tests in 2006 and 2009.

Kashmir Valley remains under curfew

Srinagar:  Curfew continued in Kashmir Valley for the fourth consecutive day today even as authorities blocked all roads leading to the hometown of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru to foil any attempts by people to assemble there on the fourth day ceremony of the deceased.

"Curfew is in place in the Valley for the fourth straight day. The night passed off peacefully," a police spokesman said.

He said there were no reports of any fresh incident of violence or violation of curfew this morning.

The authorities have blocked all roads leading to Sopore town, the hometown of Guru, as some separatist outfits had called for a march to mark the fourth day of his death today.

Valley residents remained without mobile Internet services and newspapers for the fourth day while news channels remained off air on cable TV networks.

Additional forces have been deployed at vulnerable spots following clashes between protestors and law enforcing agencies.

Three persons have died while over 50 others including 23 cops have been injured in the clashes since Saturday, when Guru was hanged inside Tihar Jail in Delhi.

2G expose: JPC may grill CBI chief

New Delhi: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Ranjit Sinha and Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar will face the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Tuesday over the latest twist in the ongoing 2G spectrum scam investigation.

The twist in the tale happened when a leading TV news channel aired visuals and the taped conversation between CBI prosecutor AK Singh and Sanjay Chandra, Managing Director of Unitech and one of the high-profile accused in the 2G scam case.

The expose by the channel showed AK Singh discussing the prosecution strategy with Chandra.

This will be the first time when the CBI chief will face the JPC over the 2G scam.

According to reports, Sinha and other top CBI officials will appear before JPC this morning to inform it about the progress made so far in the 2G case.

"It is a serious matter as it relates to the CBI investigation into the 2G scam. Let us see what the CBI has to say. But the issue will definitely come up in Tuesday's meeting," JPC Chairman P C Chacko had said on Monday.

The news channel played the audio tape of the purported conversation between Singh, the CBI prosecutor, and Chandra in which Singh purportedly suggests how a key prosecution witness would depose in the special court hearing the 2G case.