South korea put under martial law KOCHI l Wednesday l December 04, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 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 | P9 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 Pampa-Sannidhanam ropeway will India-China ties, be realised by 2026, says Vasavan says Jaishankar S h ya m P V @Kochi Disengagement process complete; next step is de-escalation in massing of troops on LAC P R E E 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 the two remaining friction points of Depsang Plains and Demchok, 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 their militaries along the Line of Actual Control. The minister also said that in his recent meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, they reached an understanding that the Special Representatives- and the Foreign Secretary-level mechanisms will be 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, he said, to engaging with China “through bilateral talks to arrive at a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable settlement”. Underlining the three key principles that must be observed under all circumstances, he said both sides should strictly 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 . We are clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas is a prerequisite for the development of our ties S Jaishankar Border vigil to continue While substantial progress has been achieved in defusing face-offs, the management of border areas will require further attention in light of India’s recent experiences, Jaishankar said The ropeway service from Pampa to Sabarimala Sannidhanam, aimed at facilitating the movement of devotees and goods, will be realised before the 2026 pilgrimage season, Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan has said. During an interaction with TNIE as part of the Express Dialogues series, Vasavan said the proposed ropeway will be set up under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract at a cost of approximately `150 crore. The government hopes to begin construction by January or February next year. Once the ropeway is ready it would take less than 15 , Representational pic minutes to reach the hilltop from Pampa. “We hope to complete the project before the 2026 pilgrimage season,” he said. The minister said the forest department will be provided 4.53 hectares of land in Kollam district in lieu of the land acquired for the ropeway project in BJP weighs new proposal to appease Eknath 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. Fadnavis is set to be sworn in as CM after he is ‘elected’ the BJP legislative party leader on Wednesday As per the current plan, Fad. navis would retain home while the finance portfolio will go to Ajit Pawar (NCP) and urban development to Shiv Sena. The BJP will also hold the revenue portfolio as also the positions of Speaker and Chairman of the legislative council. The NCP will get the Deputy Speaker’s post while Sena will get the post of Deputy Chairman of the council. Of the 43 ministries up for grabs, BJP will get 21-22, NCP 9-11 and Sena 10-12. But since Shinde is particular about home, the BJP is weighing the possibility of bifurcating it so that both parties get a share of the portfolio. Shinde has also demanded the Speaker’s position. The BJP wants Shinde to take up the deputy CM’s post along with some key portfolios but he is yet to yield. Sabarimala. It was 17 years ago that the state government mooted the ropeway project. “The previous proposal was only for carrying goods. Now, the Kerala High Court has given the nod for carrying elderly people and persons with disabilities, too. Only then will the project’s full potential be realised. We have set a target to start construction by the end of January or the beginning of February next year. The paperwork is being expedited,” Vasavan said. Sources said the 2.7-km-long ropeway will start from Pampa hilltop and end near Malikappuram police barracks. Each cabin can carry up to 500kg.  ● More on P4 EXPRESS READ Donating body: HC raps Lawrence’s kids Kochi: Expressing concern over the dispute related to donating the mortal remains of CPM leader M M Lawrence to Kalamassery MCH, the HC asked his children to have some respect for the deceased. P4 Agartala vandalism: B’desh raps India envoy 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 Agartala. P8 16 pages, including 4 pages of kOCHI Express Hand over churches or face contempt charges, SC warns Jacobite group E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @Kochi The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Jacobite faction of the Malankara Church to hand over six churches — three each in Ernakulam and Palakkad — to the Orthodox group and file an affidavit in this regard. Failure to comply would result in the initiation of contempt proceedings, the top court warned. The order pertains to the Odakkal St Mary’s Orthodox Church, Pulinthanam St John’s Besphage Orthodox Church and Mazhuvannoor St Thomas Orthodox Church in Ernakulam, and Mangalam Dam St Mary’s Orthodox Church, Erickinchira St Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Church and Cherukunnam St Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church in Palakkad. A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan issued the order while hearing a batch of special leave petitions filed by officials of the state government, Kerala Police and some Jacobite faction members against a Kerala High Court order issued on October 17 directing the district collectors of Palakkad and Ernaku● More on P4 lam to take possession of the six churches.