Bikers kill 5, injure 80 in two towns
n Terrorists pick Modasa in Gujarat and Malegaon this time
n Malegaon under curfew as violence erupts
Malegaon/Banaskantha, September 29
At least five persons, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed and 80 injured tonight as terrorists set off bomb blasts in the communally-sensitive town of Malegaon in Maharashtra and Modasa town in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district.

200 kg ammonium nitrate recovered

EU backs nuclear cooperation with India
The European Union (EU) today strongly supported civil nuclear cooperation with India as the two sides took their economic partnership to a new plane by deciding to increase the volume of bilateral trade to 100 billion Euros in the next five years and conclude a broad-based trade and investment agreement by the end of the next year.
Allays EU concern over attacks on Christians

It’s a deal: French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomes Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the EU-India summit in Marseilles.
— AFP photo

N-Arms
PM: No support for Iran
In a strong statement that will obviously annoy Tehran no ends, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asserted that there was no question of India supporting the nuclear weapon ambition of Iran.

US lawmakers reject bailout
New York/Washighton, September 29
US lawmakers rejected a $700 billion bailout plan for the financial industry in a shock vote that sent global markets sliding as the world credit crisis claimed more banks. By a vote of 228-to-205 the House of Representatives rejected a compromise plan that would have allowed the Treasury Department to buy up toxic debt from struggling banks.

Cigarette cos lose battle in SC
New Delhi, September 29
The Supreme Court today refused to stay the proposed ban on smoking in public and private buildings, including offices, restaurants, clubs and pubs, from October 2 and directed other courts not to pass any order on petitions relating to the subject.

Naxals blow up jeep on prez’s patrol duty
Four CRPF men killed
Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) September 29
Four CRPF personnel, including a Deputy Commander, were killed and three others injured today when Maoist naxalites ambushed a police jeep on patrol duty during President Pratibha Patil’s visit to the famous Chitrakote waterfall on the Indrawati river in Bastar district.

Paddy procurement begins in Punjab
Chandigarh, September 29
Punjab today started the procurement of paddy two days ahead of schedule, anticipating a bumper harvest. Special arrangements have been made throughout the state to ensure that all paddy arriving in mandis is lifted without delay and payments cleared to the farmers within 48 hours of the lifting of the paddy. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has advanced a credit limit of Rs 13,000 crore to Punjab to ensure immediate disbursal of payments to farmers.