Morning digest: U.S. Senate votes to acquit Donald Trump, Uttarakhand Police perform last rites of unidentifed bodies in Chamoli, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day.

FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump listens during an event on Operation Warp Speed in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. .Trump is making unsupported claims of massive voting fraud, demanding recounts and calling for audits. All of this an effort to discredit the outcome and, in the process, put democracy itself on trial. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Uttarakhand disaster | Police perform last rites of unidentified bodies in Chamoli

Uttarakhand Police have performed the last rites of more than a dozen unidentified bodies and ten body parts a week after a snow avalanche hit  Chamoli district  and triggered a flash flood which left 204 persons missing. Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, Ashok Kumar, said 38 bodies and 19 body parts have been recovered from different places.

Higher studies and the marginalised | Poor representation of SCs, STs in Ph.D. programmes at IIT Madras

Students from the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities have significantly poor representation and acceptance rate in Ph.D programmes at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, analysis of data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act revealed.

U.S. Senate votes to acquit Donald Trump as Republicans save him from impeachment again

Donald Trump on Saturday was acquitted by the U.S. Senate in his second impeachment trial in 12 months, as his fellow Republicans shielded him from accountability for the deadly 

assault by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol , a shrine of American democracy.

Farmers’s protests | Protest sites gear up for change in seasons

With the stalemate over farm laws continuing some of the protesting farmers at the Singhu border outside Delhi are preparing for a long haul, installing semi-permanent structures at the protest site. Farmers have been protesting at the borders of the national capital for nearly three months now demanding a repeal of the three agriculture laws brought in by the Centre.

In PLA military strategy document, clues to China’s border moves

As India and China on February 10 began the first steps of implementing a disengagement plan after more than nine months of a tense stand-off at multiple points along the  Line of Actual Control (LAC) , the causes of last year’s border crisis still remain a mystery.

Parliament proceedings | Opposition creating fake narrative on Budget, says Nirmala Sitharaman

The Finance Minister asserted that the Budget was an instrument to construct  atmanirbhar bharat .

More fatalities likely among poor victims of road crashes: World Bank report

In the study, low income households reported twice the numbers of deaths post-crash vis-à-vis high income households. The risk of a victim undergoing disability after a crash was also two times more likely among poor families.

Interview | Incentivise States for disinvestment in public sector enterprises: Finance Commission chief

Terming the central government’s decision to “transparently” acknowledge a fiscal deficit of 9.5% of GDP this year as “a very positive development”, N.K. Singh said the Centre could incentivise the States to adopt a similar practice as this would enhance the confidence of investors in India’s overall debt and fiscal deficit trajectory.

Strong quake hits off Fukushima in Japan, triggers blackouts

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 hit off the coast of eastern Japan on Saturday, shaking buildings and triggering widespread blackouts, but there appeared to be no major damage and no tsunami warning was issued.

Ind vs. Eng second Test | Rohit puts his stamp of authority as India thrives

India finished the day on 300 for six with opener Rohit conjuring 161, his seventh Test hundred. Rishabh Pant, playing with typical bravado, was batting on 33 at stumps.

Premier League | Relentless Manchester City march on, Liverpool lose again

Manchester City's relentless march towards reclaiming the Premier League title continued with a 3-0 romp over Tottenham Hotspur after champions Liverpool capitulated at Leicester City to suffer a third consecutive defeat on Saturday.