Agartala riddled with blasts
Low-intensity bombs  planted on bikes
n Five in 90 minutes n Two dead, 100 injured
The blasts occurred four days after the Army shot dead seven suspected HuJI militants from Bangladesh in Dhubri district  bordering Bangladesh in western Assam 

Blast at Gul Bazar 7.30 pm

Radar Market 7.35 pm

GB Market 8.15 pm

NS Road 8.40 pm

Palace Compound 9 pm

Guwahati, October 1 Two persons were killed, over 100 injured when a series of five explosions rocked Agartala, the capital of Tripura, within a span of 90 minutes. The low-intensity bombs were planted either on bicycles or motorcycles.

A policeman takes an injured to the hospital; and (right) an injured woman waits for help after serial blasts in Agartala  on Wednesday. — PTI

123: US senate considers two amendments
The US Senate on Wednesday debated on the US-India civilian nuclear agreement and considered two amendments that sought to ensure US nuclear exports did not help boost India’s nuclear weapons programme or contribute to a future nuclear test.

Manmohan confident of 8 per cent growth
On board PM's special aircraft
Asserting his government's commitment to economic reforms with a human face, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said the growth rate this year would be between 7.5 per cent and 8 per cent.
Manmohan Singh addresses the media at an on board press conference en route New Delhi on Wednesday. — PTI

  When PM expressed anguish on turban ban

Too early to talk about  PM candidate, says Manmohan
Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s indication of projecting him notwithstanding, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh feels that there are several leaders in the Congress who are equally or better qualified than him to be projected as the party’s prime ministerial candidates for the next elections.

We are trying to normalise ties with Pakistan: PM
India has made “serious efforts” to normalise ties with Pakistan and hopes that Islamabad would address New Delhi’s concerns about infiltration and ceasefire violations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said today.

Finally, smoke-free India
New Delhi, October 1
Hotels, restaurants, airports, railway stations, offices, shops and factories today prepared to enforce a smoking ban in public across India in a major effort to curb tobacco use that authorities say kill an estimated 900,000 people in the country every year.

Is Mehsud dead?
Taliban denies death rumours
A Taliban spokesman in Pakistan has denied media reports that leading tribal militant Baitullah Mehsud has died of an illness and termed it as government propaganda. “He is fit and well,” the spokesman, Maulvi Umar, said over phone. 

Badal, FM lock horns on subsidies These’ve to go sooner or later: Manpreet Chandigarh, October 1 The wedge driven by subsidies has once again brought Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his nephew-cum-finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal face to face, forcing the former to issue a stern warning to all his cabinet colleagues to refrain from issuing any “irresponsible statements” that violate the declared line of the party.