Wednesday, February 23, 2011, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 2:30 am (IST)

Godhra train burning case
31 convicted, 63 acquitted
* Court accepts conspiracy theory
* Prime accused among those let off
* Sentence on Feb 25
Ahmedabad, February 22
Thirtyone persons were today convicted and 63 others, including the main accused Maulvi Umarji, were acquitted by a special court here in the 2002 Godhra train burning incident that left 59 persons dead and triggered violence in Gujarat that claimed the lives of over 1200 people.

Editorial: Judgement on Godhra

Defiant Gaddafi vows to die as martyr
Uses tanks and warplanes to suppress growing rebellion
Tripoli, February 22
Muammar Gaddafi vowed to die in Libya as a martyr in an angry television address today, as rebel troops said eastern regions had broken free from his rule in a burgeoning revolt.

Delhi deplores violence in Libya
Editorial: It’s Libya’s turn, now

An image grab taken from Libyan state television on Tuesday shows Muammar Gaddafi delivering a nationwide address in Tripoli. — AFP

2G scam: PM announces JPC probe
New Delhi, February 22
Giving in to pressure from the Opposition, the UPA government today finally announced in the Lok Sabha that a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) would soon be constituted to look into the 2G Spectrum scam. And with the announcement ended the confrontation between the UPA regime and the Opposition, a demand that had led to complete washout of the winter session of Parliament.

Nation page: List your coalition compulsions: BJP to PM

Maoists release Collector, JE
Bhubaneswar, February 22
After being held hostage for seven days, Malkangiri district collector RV Krishna and a junior engineer were released by the Maoists tonight hours after the Orissa Government conceded the remaining six of their 14 demands. Naxal ideologue Varavara Rao said the Maoists handed over Krishna and Pabitra Majhi to "four sarpanchs" in the Govindpur area in Chitrakonda forests, about 150 km from Malkangiri.

A file photograph of abducted Malkangiri Collector R Vineel Krishna with his family at Kandhamal during his posting as Sub-Collector in Baliguda. — PTI

SC okays rapists’ compromise pact
New Delhi, February 22
In a verdict, the first of its kind, the Supreme Court today reduced the sentence of three persons, convicted for gang raping a woman in Ludhiana district in 1997, from 10 years to 3.5 years on the basis of a “compromise formula,” under which they would pay Rs 1.5 lakh to the victim. A Bench comprising Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra scaled down the sentence, following the pleadings by the convicts as well as the victim that they had arrived at a "compromise formula" and as such did not want to pursue the case.

65 dead in New Zealand quake
Melbourne, February 22
At least 65 persons were killed as a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck New Zealand’s southern city of Christchurch early today, crushing buildings and leaving hundreds of people trapped and screaming for help. “The death toll I have at the moment is 65 and that may rise. So it is an absolute tragedy for this city, for New Zealand and for the people that we care so much about,” New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said.

A car is seen crushed under debris after an earthquake in Christchurch. — Reuters

Indian weddings may have fewer guests To save food, Union Govt mulls trimming guest lists at weddings, other functions New Delhi, February 22 Food Minister KV Thomas has come up with a unique idea to reduce the wastage of foodgrains. His plan is to limit the food served at various functions, especially weddings, by trimming the fat guest list. What’s more, the idea is finding favour with the Congress.