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Three killed in Lucknow Muharram clash; Curfew clamped

     Lucknow: At least three people were killed and 15 others injured in clashes between two Muslim groups on Sunday here during a Muharram procession. Curfew has been imposed in some areas. The clashes erupted when Shi'ites took out a tazia (replica of the Imam Hussain's tomb at Karbala in Iraq) procession through the old Lucknow city. The rival groups pelted stones at each other and torched several shops and vehicles. District officials said the situation was tense but under control. "We came to know that some people were taking out a tazia procession when tension erupted. People started throwing stones at each other. The situation had aggravated, but, now it is under control," said Aradhana Shukla, Lucknow District Magistrate. Earlier, way back in 1976, the city administration had banned Muharram processions following clashes between the Shia and Sunni communities. However, the procession was allowed in 1999 following an agreement between the two sects. Every year, Muslims across the world mourn the tragedy of Karbala on the tenth day of the month of Muharram. It was on this day in the 13th century that the army of Yazid, said to be an usurper of the Caliphate killed Imam Hussein, in the battle of Karbala along with 72 of his relatives, friends and supporters. But his sister is reported to have escaped along with some children from settlements set on fire by the army of Caliph. The "martyrdom" day of Imam Hussain is marked by prayers, processions led by Tazia or replica of the Imam Hussain's tomb at Karbala in Iraq, and self-flagellation by mourners.

Govt to spend Rs 120 cr for tsunami warning system: Sibal (Go To Top)

     Kolkata: Union Minister for Science, Technology and Ocean Development Kapil Sibal said today, the Centre government would spend Rs 120 crore in developing tsunami warning system which would be put in place within two years' time. Giving his valedictory speech at the fifth All India People's Technology Congress organised by FOSET here, he said that Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting Technology (DOART) would be used by installing sensors at six kilometres at the bottom of the ocean, a system which would help in getting early warning signals. In addition to this, there was also a need for software technology for conducting bathymetric surveys along the Indian coastline, which would help in measure the speed of the tsunami and identify the coastal areas which it was going to hit. Sibal said that the technology would be used along the Sumatra- Myanmar faultline in the east and the Kutch region in the west. The Minister said that any earthquake measuring more than 7.5 on the Richter scale has the potential to result in a tsunami. Sibal said that although the last recorded tsunami in the Indian Ocean was in 1883, he said that every country should have its own disaster management system for tackling this kind of natural calamity.

Campaigning enters last leg in Bihar, Jharkhand (Go To Top)

     Ranchi/Patna: The high-voltage campaign for assembly elections in Bihar and Jharkhand today entered its last leg before it winds down tomorrow setting the stage for the third and final phase of polling which will decide the fate of Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi among others. On the penultimate day of of electioneering, the star campaigners were former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpaye in Jharkhand and BJP President L K Advani both of whom targetted Congress. An estimated two crore 65 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the last phase of polling in the two states scheduled for February 23.

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