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New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was conferred one of Japan’s top national awards for his “significant contribution to the enhancement of relations and promotion of friendship” between Japan and India , becoming the first Indian to receive the rare honour.

Singh was awarded ’The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers’ by Japanese Emperor Akihito at an glittering ceremony held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday.

A Japanese Embassy statement in Delhi called the award a "high level National Order" and a rare honour awarded to those who are recognised for their distinguished contribution, adding "Manmohan Singh is the first Indian recipient of this Order."

Singh had earlier said that said he was truly honoured and felt "humbled by the love and affection showered upon me by the people and government of Japan."

He said it had been his dream to see India-Japan relationship grow and prosper and "this is an objective towards which I have worked, not only in my tenure as the Prime Minister of India, but across the larger part of my career in public service".

Singh had served as the prime minister of India for 10 years from 2004 till 2014 when the Congress lost power to the Narendra Modi-led BJP.

He is among 57 foreign recipients named for the 2014 Autumn Imperial Decorations.

After Wagah explosion, Pakistan Taliban faction threatens PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: After claiming responsibility for the suicide bombing at the Wagah border in Pakistan that killed at least 60 people and left over 110 injured, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, has directly threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The suicide bombing near Wagah check point in Pakistan has drawn wide condemnation in India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeting: "Terror attack in Pakistan near Wagah Border is shocking. I strongly condemn such a dastardly act of terrorism."

Responding to the PM condemnation on microblogging website Twitter, Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for JamaatulAhrar, said: “You are the killer of hundreds of Muslims. We wl take the revenge of innocent people of Kashmir amd Gugrat (sic).”

According to a news agency, Indian and Pakistani intelligence agencies had both picked up plans for an imminent strike on their Wagah land border ahead of the blast. Heightened security possibly averted a more devastating attack.

Reuters also quoted a Pakistani intelligence official as saying: "It appears the bomber wanted to target ground zero where Pakistan and India border officials stand together to perform the flag ceremony but he could not enter due to tight security on the last gate. Had he managed to reach the place, there would have been the worst scenario at both sides."

Meanwhile, an official from the Research and Analysis Wing has been quoted as saying by the news agency that the blast at the border was squarely aimed at Pakistan’s security forces.

"It is reprisal attacks against the establishment there. It’s been a long time coming, ever since the TTP (the Pakistan Taliban) has been under pressure," he said.

He said the attack may have been an attempt by al Qaeda’s new Indian Subcontinent wing to demonstrate its potential at a time when the network has been overshadowed by Islamic State, which anecdotal evidence suggests is gathering support in South Asia.

"They have tried to focus on large casualties and a sensational incident," he said.

An Indian official said the Home Ministry received two intelligence warnings in mid-October of possible attacks along the border or at the Golden Temple in the nearby city of Amritsar, the most sacred site for Sikhs.

"Based on these reports the BSF was ordered to upgrade security and a red alert was also issued," said a senior Home Ministry official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to media.

"Warnings from intelligence departments are a regular feature but this time we had a clear input that the retreat and Golden Temple could be prime targets. This message was conveyed to the local police."

A teenaged suicide bomber blew himself up on November 02 near the Wagah border in Pakistan’s Lahore district, minutes after the popular flag-lowering ceremony at the main India-Pakistan land border crossing.

Love jihad can be countered by counseling girls: Bhagwat

Agra: Raking up the ’love jihad’ issue, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that it can be "countered" by counseling girls about values and suggested that seeking police help should be the last option.

Answering questions on the last day of three-day Yuva Sankalpa Shivir yesterday, Bhagwat said the only way to "counter" ’love jihad’ is by inculcating good ’sanskars’ (values) in girls by their parents.

He said good counseling of girls can prevent them from falling in the "trap" of ’love jihad’.

If still the girl is led astray, a meeting with the parents of the boy could be held to sort out the matter, he said.

If this too fails, help of the police should be sought, Bhagwat added.