South korea put under martial law Chennai l wednesday l december 04, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l late city EDITION Yoon Suk Yeol, S Korean Prez Hours after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law— to protect the country from North Korea’s ‘communist forces’—the country’s parliament voted to lift it. It’s unclear what effect the vote will have, though the president is obliged to comply. In the picture, soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on Tuesday after the declaration of martial law | AFP | P11 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Improvement in India-China ties, says EAM CM announces rain relief package `2,000 cash for families in three districts, `5L for kin of those who lost their lives E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai P REE T HA NAIR @ New Delhi the conclusion of disengagement in Eastern Ladakh, achieved through a step-by-step process, will allow both countries to pursue other aspects of bilateral engagements in a calibrated manner, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday . Making a statement on India-China ties in the Lok Sabha, Jaishankar said the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas would be the basis for the relationship moving forward. Jaishankar’s statement in Parliament, the first since the India and China reached an agreement to disengage from Depsang and Demchok friction points, came a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia’s Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. Prior to the meeting, both countries had firmed up an agreement on patrolling by We are clear that their militaries along the Line of the maintenance Actual Control. of peace and The minister also said that in his tranquillity in recent meeting with Chinese forborder areas is a eign minister Wang Yi, they reached prerequisite for an understanding that the Special the development Representatives- and the Foreign of our ties Secretary-level mechanisms will be S Jaishankar convened soon. With disengagement complete, he said the next priority is de-escalation, which would address the massing of troops along the LAC. India is committed to engaging with China “through bilateral talks to arrive at a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable settlement”, he said. Underlining three principles, he said both sides should respect the LAC, neither side should attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo, and agreements reached in the past must be abided by in their entirety . Maharashtra BJP looks to slice home cake to please Shinde S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday called on aggrieved caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the latter’s official residence to resolve the deadlock over portfolio allocation ahead of the swearing in ceremony of the Mahayuti government in a couple of days. In 2019, Fadnavis missed the bus to become CM as he dithered in calling up the undivided Shiv Sena’s leader Uddhav Thackeray to iron out wrinkles in their alliance. By the time he came around to doing so, Uddhav had hardened his position and refused to take the call. Fadnavis tried to avoid that misstep this time. As per the current plan, Fadnavis would retain home while the finance portfolio will go to Ajit Pawar and urban development to the Shiv Sena. The BJP will also hold revenue. But since Shinde is particular about home, the BJP is weighing options of bifurcating it so that both parties get a share of the powerful portfolio. manjolai HC bins tea workers’ plea Madras HC dismisses petitions challenging workers’ VRS scheme, paving the way for estate closure and eviction of workers | P2 B’desh raps India HC over Tripura violence Y e s h i S e l i @ New Delhi Bangladesh on Tuesday summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma in Dhaka to register its protest over a mob breaching the premises of its Assistant High Commission in Tripura’s Agartala the previous day The country also suspended all visa . and consular service at Agartala with immediate effect. The development marked a new low in ties between the two nations after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina from power. India has already arrested seven individuals and suspended three police personnel in connection with the vandalism in Agartala. Verma met Bangladesh’s Acting Foreign Secretary Riaz Hamidullah and later described the interaction as routine. “We have wide ranging relationship, multi faceted relationship. We want to build positive, stable, constructive relationship. We have so many inter dependencies,” Verma said. Tiruvannamalai landslide death toll went up to seven on Tuesday with two more bodies recovered from site | Express rain situation: PM speaks to CM Chennai: The PM spoke to CM M K Stalin to inquire about the flood situation and assured all possible support. DMK leader Kanimozhi told reporters in New Delhi that DMK MPs had sought an audience with the PM to personally explain the situation| P4 INSIDE Politicians, officials face wrath | P4 Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday announced a comprehensive relief package for people affected by Cyclone Fengal in Villupuram, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, including cash of `2,000 each to the affected families, based on ration cards, in Villupuram, Cuddalore and Kallakurichi districts. Chairing a meeting at the secretariat in Chennai on Tuesday the , chief minister directed officials to extend `5 lakh compensation each to the families who lost relatives due to the cyclone or floods. The government will also provide `10,000 as compensation for damaged huts, prioritise the construction of houses under the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam (housing scheme) for completely damaged huts, and provide `17,000 per hectare to standing crops damaged up to 33% and above (irrigated crops including paddy). Additionally, `22,500 per hectare for perennial crops and trees (33% damage and above), `8,500 per hectare for rain-fed crops damaged upto 33% and above, `37,500 for cattle (buffalo, cows), `4,000 for the loss of a goat or sheep, and `100 for the loss of a chicken will also be provided. The chief minister also directed the district administrations to conduct special camps for reissuing lost documents like voter ID, Aadhaar, and family cards, and to provide new textbooks and notebooks to the affected students.  P7 MInister defends dam water release Chennai: Minister Duraimurugan on Tuesday strongly defended the decision to release water from the Sathanur dam, stating that it averted a major disaster. The minister asserted that the timely discharge of 1.80 lakh cusecs of water prevented a potential catastrophe | P4