House logjam hitting investor mood: PM
Aggressive Manmohan slams BJP for lack of consensus on reforms
New Delhi, August 30
Ruling out reversal of reforms to fight the currency shock, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in an uncharacteristically aggressive mode slammed the main Opposition party, the BJP, for the pervasive Parliament logjam which was hurting investor confidence and lack of political consensus which was holding up important reforms such as implementation of Goods and Services Tax and reduction of subsidies.

Nation page: Combative PM takes BJP by surprise

Trucks carrying cattle set ablaze in Gurgaon, Rewari
Gurgaon, August 30
Scores of trucks carrying cattle were set ablaze in Gurgaon and Rewari on Friday by ‘animal rights activists’, who claimed that these were being taken for slaughter.

Bhatkal admits to ISI link; remanded in NIA custody
New Delhi, August 30
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was today allowed 12-day custody of Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his associate Asadulla Akhtar by a Delhi court. Before being flown to Delhi, NIA officials interrogated Bhatkal and Asadulla in Patna where the top IM operative reportedly confessed to his links with Pakistan’s premier spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), a TV channel reported.

Editorial: Top terror catch

India launches its first defence satellite
Bangalore, August 30
India’s maiden dedicated defence satellite was launched by an European rocket early today, giving a boost to Navy’s modernisation push to improve space-based communications and intelligence gathering over a wide oceanic region including the country’s landmass.

Boost for Navy

The Ariane 5’s heavy-lift launcher blasts off with the GSAT-7 satellite from the spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana.

Bhutan promises security cooperation with India
New Delhi, August 30
Bhutan today reassured India that it would not allow its territory to be used for anti-India activities by insurgent groups operating in Northeastern states. The assurance came at a meeting Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had with Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay shortly after the latter's arrival here on a six-day visit to India.

As ‘unwell’ Asaram ignores summons, cops off to Bhopal
Jodhpur/Bhopal, August 30
Ignoring the summons, Asaram Bapu today failed to appear before Jodhpur police for questioning in a sex assault case and its team headed to Bhopal to interrogate him and make an arrest if he does not provide "concrete" defence.

Setback for Asaram in Gujarat HC