Wednesday, June 4, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Heat wave kills 49, toll 1,094 New Delhi, June 3 Heat wave intensified in several parts of the country today claiming 49 lives, mostly in the worst-hit Andhra Pradesh, to take the toll so far to 1,094. In video (28k, 56k)

BREAKING NEWS Pilot dies in MiG-21 crash New Delhi, June 4 An Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashed shortly after taking off this morning killing the pilot, sources here said.

Monsoon likely by June 10 Punjab page: Heat wave claims two lives NCR Tribune: Delhi continues to sizzle

With most of the water sources having dried up because of the heatwave, men fill buckets with water from a 150-year-old well in Bhopal on Tuesday. — AFP photo

Riot widows ‘detained’ near Nawanshahr
Beerowal (Nawanshahr), June 3
About 500 members of the Danga Pirat Welfare Society, who were accompanying the “shaheedi jatha” comprising five widows selected for self-immolation in front of the Punjab Chief Minister’s residence at Chandigarh this afternoon, were virtually put under “house arrest” at a gurdwara here for more than three hours by the district administration with the help of the police this morning.

Female members of the “Sikh Danga Pirat Welfare Society” on the Beerowal Gurdwara premises where they were “detained” by the Nawanshahr police on Tuesday. — Photo S.S. Chopra

Editorial: Shame of ’84
Punjab page: Govt forms panel

No Nanakshahi holidays in Punjab
Chandigarh, June 3
The Punjab Government today formally rejected the Nanakshahi Calendar. It refused the SGPC’s request to order holidays as per this calendar.

4 more RLD MLAs from UP reach J&K
Srinagar, June 3
Another four Rashtriya Lok Dal MLAs from Uttar Pradesh arrived here today to join their nine colleagues, already here, to foil “poaching” by the BSP BJP government following withdrawal of their party’s support to the Mayawati government.

Start talks with Pok: PM tells Pak
New Delhi, June 3
The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said tonight that if talks were to resume with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, it had to be on the one-third portion of Kashmir which was under Pakistani occupation.

G-8 pledges to rebuild Iraq
Evian, June 3
World leaders today closed out an annual summit by pledging to rebuild Iraq and combat the threat of nuclear weapons in Iran and North Korea.

Protests over privatisation of water

Medha Patkar’s condition worsens
Nasik, June 3
The condition of NBA leader Medha Patkar today deteriorated on the fifth day of her indefinite fast demanding the rehabilitation of people affected by Sardar Sarovar Project before monsoon.

Badal to consult aides today Meeting clergy tomorrow Amritsar, June 3 Mr Parkash Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, would hold in-camera meeting with his close aides, including members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Sikh scholars here tomorrow, ahead of his June 5 meeting with the Sikh clergy.