Future tense as north Indian migrants face MNS ire
Centre rushes more paramilitary forces to Maharashtra
Mumbai, February 12
The situation in Maharashtra, particularly in parts of Mumbai, continued to be tense following reports of attacks on North Indian migrants and their properties in different parts of the state by suspected activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

SP leader Abu Azmi is escorted by security persons outside the party's Colaba office in Mumbai on Tuesday. — PTI photo

Phagwara frenzy after banners removed
Protesters block national highway, damage vehicles
Phagwara, February 12
Several vehicles, including three Punjab Roadways buses, as many number of cars and at least six two-wheelers, were damaged in and around Phagwara as a mob blocked the Amritsar-New Delhi national highway No. 1 for about four hours.

Indo-Pak buses diverted
Punjab page: Thousands stranded for hours

Study validity of Punjab’s land Act, SC to HC
New Delhi, February 12
The Supreme Court has directed the Punjab and Haryana High Court to examine the constitutional validity of a land amendment Act brought in by the state government, apparently, with the aim of nullifying its judgement in a case of illegal land allotments.

Infiltration down: Baig
New Delhi, February 12
Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig today said that the level of infiltration in the state had reduced and the neighbouring country was not orchestrating such attempts in the manner it was doing in the past.

64 killed in Lanka clashes
Colombo, February 12
At least 64 persons were killed in fierce ground clashes and shelling of a key military base close to a Catholic church by Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka’s embattled northern region, officials here said today.

CPM planning alternative to UPA, BJP: Basu
Kolkata, February 12
The CPM wants to build a third front alternative to the UPA and also the BJP, to come to power after the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, and accordingly party general secretary Prakash Karat has been negotiating with all like-minded political parties, said veteran leader Jyoti Basu here today.

Rajpal opts out of Olympic qualifiers
Chandigarh, February 12
India’s preparations for the all-important Olympic hockey qualifiers have received a jolt as the team’s top forward player Rajpal Singh has decided not to play in the tournament to be held at Santiago (Chile) from March 1.

"Despite my superb performance in the Asia Cup and the recent Test series against Belgium, I am being given the impression that I need to improve my game to excel in major tournaments...

India, Russia hold talks on N-deal New Delhi, February 12 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today briefed his Russian counterpart Victor A. Zubkov on his government’s ongoing efforts to finalise a safeguards agreement with the IAEA. The two Prime Ministers also discussed “all aspects” of Indo-Russian relations and vowed to take their strategic partnership from strength to strength.