| 
  
 
  
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            | Surat, August 3 At least 38 persons,
              including nine women, were killed and several injured when a
              powerful blast razed three residential buildings in the Varachha
              area of the city in the wee hours today. Fire
              brigade sources here said 38 bodies had so far been pulled out of
              the rubble of the buildings.
 
 Rescue workers remove the debris of a collapsed building after a powerful explosion at Varachha in Surat on Sunday.
 — PTI photo
 |  |  Hindustan-Tibet
        road remains blockedChandigarh, August 3
 Heavy rain continued to lash the
        entire northern region of the country for the second successive day
        today, throwing life out of gear and disrupting power supply. Shimla
        continued to receive a heavy downpour, recording 22.4 mm of rainfall
        till this morning, the Meteorological Centre here said.
 |  | 
    
        | 
 
        
 | President
        to meet kin of MiG-21 victimsNew Delhi, August 3
 
  President
        A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, supreme commander of the armed forces, has decided
        to meet the members of families of pilots who had been killed in MiG-21
        crashes. Dr Kalam was likely to give an audience to the members of these
        families on August 5.  Indo-Pak air link may resume
        this month Editorial:
        George’s sortie Amritsar, August 3
 Pakistan High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan who returned to India after attending a meeting in Islamabad on the resumption of rail links with India, today said Pakistan was ready to start the
        "Samjhauta Express" between the two countries.
 Nation page:
  Rights
        violations in PoK under fire at UN meeting 
  Hurriyat
        ready to discuss all issues, says Bhat 
  Kashmiri
        Pandits’ poser to human rights panel 
  Jamali
        sees hope on Kashmir issue 
 
 
            
                | Panchayati Raj Act in Punjab from Oct 2
        
          
            | Ludhiana, August 3 Punjab is likely to implement the Panchayati Raj Act from October 2 this year. In the first phase the panchayats would be empowered to oversee and monitor the functioning of primary schools, primary health centres, veterinary hospitals, the Social Welfare Department and the supply of drinking water.
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                |  | Advani: govt for simultaneous LS, Assembly poll August 3,
                2003
 |  
                |  | PM, Advani vow to build Ram temple August 2,
                2003
 |  
                |  | Babri tapes rock Parliament August 1,
                2003
 |  
                |  | No
        speech of Advani in Babri tapes July 31,
                2003
 |  
                |  | Mayawati eats her words July 30,
                2003
 |  
                |  | US
        Gen to plead for troops July 29,
                2003
 |  
                |  | Interest
        rate on farm loans cut July 28,
                2003
 |  
                |  | Japan clears troops for Iraq July 27,
                2003
 |  
                |  | China refuses to recognise Arunachal July 26,
                2003
 |  
                |  | Nation on verge of disintegration, says Chandra Shekhar July 25,
                2003
 |  |