Tuesday, February 19, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

9 hurt in UP poll violence
Voting suspended in four booths

Lucknow, February 18 Nine persons, including a polling officer and two candidates, were injured in poll-related violence in the second phase of Assembly elections for 145 seats in central UP while polling had to be suspended in four booths.

UP Chief Minister Rajnath Singh casts his vote at a polling booth in Lucknow on Monday. — PTI photo

• Exit polls show BJP losing in 2nd phase

CLASSIFIED ADVTS

BRIDES WANTED

GROOMS WANTED

OTHERS

HOW TO PLACE ADVTS

TRIBUNE SPECIALS 50 years of Independence Tercentenary celebrations Tehelka expose Maharaja Ranjit Singh: special features & photos

Tests point to plague
One more death takes toll to four
Chandigarh, February 18
Even as the PGI has decided to wait for a final confirmation from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, (NICD), New Delhi of the exact cause of the disease which has today claimed its fourth victim, according to sources, the PGI’s own report on the results of its various microbiological tests conducted to identify the bacteria points to it being plague.

• Edit Page: Health system on test

• Himachal Page: Doctors to study Rohru rats

Warnings on disease were ignored
Shimla, February 18
The death of four persons due to the outbreak of “plague” in the Rohru area of the district has exposed the laxity of the health authorities who had ignored the warnings of an expert regarding recurrence of the disease.

Report submitted to PMO
New Delhi, February 18
A day after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee sought details regarding reported cases of plague-like disease in Himachal from Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, the state government has submitted a report to the Prime Minister’s Office on the disease spread in Rohru subdivision in Shimla district.

USA sees no restraining role

New Delhi, February 18 Claiming that his country did not have a large military presence in the region, Gen Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the USA, today ruled out playing any restraining role in the present stand-off between India and Pakistan on the border and stressed that the two countries had to work out their problems bilaterally. In Video (28k, 56k)

Gen Richard B. Myers

Weapon- locating radars for India soon
New Delhi, February 18
India is likely to get the urgently needed weapon locating radars (WLR) from the USA soon with a high-level military team arriving here on Wednesday to negotiate the deal.

• Pak alarmed at Indian defence purchases

Analysis
Military ties with USA on new high
New Delhi, February 18
Military-to-military relations between India and the USA are set to reach a new high in the coming months. The two countries’ top military brass will be engaged in talks to explore newer areas of defence cooperation, decide on mutually convenient dates for holding joint exercises, discuss ways to combat terrorism together and even go for research, development and production of weapon systems jointly.

Ultras fire rockets in Rajouri
Jammu, February 18
A school building was damaged when militants fired three rockets in Rajouri town in Jammu division last night but there were no reports of any casualties, official sources said here today. Unidentified militants fired three rockets in succession from the eastern side of the town around 10 p.m. yesterday, they said.

• Edit Page: The killings in Rajouri

30 Army aspirants cheated
Dharamsala, February 18
As many as 30 unemployed youths of Kangra district joined the Army, but little did they know that they were being “hoodwinked” and charged Rs 30,000 each for adorning the uniform.