Abe goes the extra mile for Modi
PM�s Japan tour begins, both sides ink pact to develop Varanasi into smart city
Kyoto, August 30
Setting the tone for their formal Summit on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Saturday spoke about a "strong and robust future" for the bilateral ties, with the Indian leader hoping that the two sides would strive to achieve in five years the unrealised potential of five decades.

PM Narendra Modi (R) is welcomed by his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe at Kyoto on Saturday. AFP

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In Spectrum today

Lore of the Jullundur Brigade by Pushpindar Singh Chopra BOOKS Bringing backdrops to the foreground Reviewed by Roopinder Singh

Jaitley: Economy on recovery path
New Delhi, August 30
With the GDP growth figure hitting a two-and-a-half-year high, coinciding with the completion of 100 days of the Narendra Modi government in the office, the Centre today said the scenario would help accelerate growth in the coming months.

FM Arun Jaitley at a press conference in New Delhi

Pak standoff turns violent; protester killed
Thousands of anti-government protesters armed with sticks broke through security cordons and marched towards the residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, forcing the police to open fire. Sources said a woman was killed in the firing and many others were injured.

Protesters march toward PM Nawaz Sharif�s house in Islamabad. AFP

Georgia leaves Punjabi farmers in lurch, denies visa to many
Chandigarh, August 30
Kuldip Singh�s dream to till farms in far-off Georgia, situated on the east end of the Black Sea near Russia, has turned sour. He is not sure whether he will be able to visit that country again. He is also worried about several lakhs of rupees he deposited in a bank in Georgia for the land he purchased there.

Noted historian Bipan Chandra dies at 86
New Delhi, August 30
Noted historian Bipan Chandra died this morning, leaving behind a world of memories for his students and a repertoire of top-class historiography for researchers. Chandra, 86, died at his Gurgaon home after a prolonged illness. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi expressed grief at the death of Chandra and extended condolences to his family.

Fiat on PM�s Teacher�s Day speech puts Punjab schools in a fix Chandigarh, August 30 The Centre�s directive to the state government to ensure all students watch PM Narendra Modi�s live televised Teacher�s Day speech on September 5 has put 40,000 schools in Punjab in a bind.