Disengagement at all friction points necessary, says India
EAM tells Chinese minister bilateral relations have been severely impacted
India has now told China clearly that the disengagement of troops “at all friction points” in the Ladakh sector alone will lead to the restoration of peace and tranquility between the two countries, adding that “both sides should now quickly resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh” after the “successful” disengagement at the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso lake. This was made clear by India’s external affairs minister S. Jaishankar in a 75-minute phone call with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Thursday afternoon, when the two ministers also agreed to establish a hotline between them.
Jaishankar told the Chinese minister that “bilateral relations have been impacted severely over the last year, adding — in an obvious reference to the deadly Galwan Valley clash last June — that “disturbance of peace and tranquility, including by violence, will inevitably have a damaging impact on the relationship”. But seeking to put the blame on India, the Chinese foreign minister claimed that “there has been some wavering and back-pedalling in India’s China policy, and practical cooperation between the two countries has been affected”.
Significantly, while India stepped up the pressure on China to disengage from all friction points, Beijing — in a statement put out by the Chinese foreign ministry — only said “it is imperative for the two sides to cherish the hardwon
relaxation… further ease the situation and improve the border management and control mechanisms”. But China did say that “India wants more dialogue and consultation with China to realise quick disengagement at the remaining points”.
In a statement on Friday, the external affairs ministry said, “The external affairs minister and the state councillor and foreign minister of China, Wang Yi, had a phone conversation on Thursday. It
lasted 75 minutes. The two foreign ministers discussed the situation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh and also issues related to overall IndiaChina relations. EAM… noted that the bilateral relations have been impacted severely over last year. EAM said that boundary question may take time to resolve, but that the disturbance of peace and tranquility, including by violence, will inevitably have a damaging impact on the relationship.”
The MEA added, “Noting
the completion of disengagement in Pangong Lake area, EAM emphasised that both sides should now quickly resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.
EAM said that once disengagement is completed at all friction points, then the two sides could also look at broader de-escalation of troops in the area and work towards restoration of peace and tranquility… It was therefore necessary that the two sides should work towards early resolution of the remaining issues. It was necessary to disengage at all friction points in order to contemplate de-escalation of forces in this sector. That alone will lead to the restoration of peace and tranquility and provide conditions for progress of our bilateral relationship.”
In its separate statement on the conversation, the Chinese foreign minister said, “state councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi ... noted that what had led to the situation last year at the China-India boundary was clear and that lessons from the past deserve deep contemplation. There has been some wavering and back-pedalling in India’s China policy, and practical cooperation between the two countries has been affected. This does not serve the interests of either side. Decades of experiences have shown repeatedly that heightening differences does not help solve problems, and that it only erodes the basis of mutual trust.”
Beijing added, “Wang said that the frontline troops of the two countries have recently completed disengagement in the Pangong Lake areas. The situation on the ground has been noticeably eased. It is imperative for the two sides to cherish the hard-won relaxation, and work together to consolidate the progress, keep up the consultation momentum, further ease the situation, and improve the border management and control mechanisms. The two sides also need to advance the boundary talks to build up mutual trust and realise peace and tranquility in the border areas.”
Washington, Feb. 26: The United States hailed progress in turning around its troubled
Covid-19 vaccine rollout, as the European Union said it was on track to meet jab targets and Asia's inoculation drive gained pace on Friday.
Brazil hit 2,50,000 fatalities — the second-highest national death toll after the United States — while the worldwide vaccine campaign received the endorsement of Queen Elizabeth II, 94, who urged people not to be wary of the shot.
President Joe Biden declared the US rollout is now “weeks ahead of schedule” as he celebrated 50 million doses administered since he took office on January
20, but he warned Americans to keep masking up.
“We’re moving in the right direction despite the mess we inherited,” Biden said, referring to the program under his predecessor Donald Trump.
The United States is the world’s hardest-hit country, with coronavirus deaths crossing the 5,00,000 mark earlier this week.
Rollouts in Asia also gathered momentum as Hong Kong and South Korea began their mass vaccination programs on Friday. —
London, Feb. 26: The UK government on Friday won a major legal battle as the Supreme Court ruled against allowing a London-born 21year-old woman of Bangladeshi descent, who ran away to Syria as a teenager to join the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group, to return and fight her citizenship case.
The unanimous decision — with all five top court justices in agreement —comes six years after the then 15-year-old schoolgirl, Shamima Begum, ran away with two other friends to join the Islamic State (ISIS) group in February 2015. Begum had her British citizenship revoked on national security grounds shortly after she was found in a Syrian refugee camp in Feb. 2019.
“The Supreme Court unanimously allows all of the Home Secretary’s appeals and dismisses Ms Begum’s cross-appeal,” said Lord Robert Reed, the President of the Supreme Court. “The right to a fair hearing does not trump all other considerations, such as the safety of the public,” he said.
Begum was born in the UK to parents of Bangladeshi heritage. Begum, dubbed an ISIS bride in reference to her marriage to Dutch ISIS fighter Yago Riedijk, was one of three schoolgirls from Bethnal Green in east London who travelled via Turkey to ISIS headquarters in Raqqa. —
Life insurance policyholders will soon be able to receive a discount if they pay the policy premium in advance. Also, from April onwards, those buying a personal accident cover would have the option to take a standarised cover, named Saral Suraksha Bima, from all general and health insurers.
Acting on representations from the industry, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has decided to permit life insurers to offer discounts on regular premiums paid in advance.
As per the draft guidelines issued by the regulator, the discount rate shall be equal to interest rates on savings bank accounts of State Bank of India as on April 1 of each financial year. Further, an addition of at least 100 bps shall be applicable for advance premiums received during the entire financial year.
"The industry has been undertaking several measures to ensure that renewal premiums are paid on time, as persistency is a key metric. By paying premiums in advance of three months or more, the policyholder can get a discount on premium that is higher than the interest rate on a savings account. While the customer will get a discount, we will have the renewal premiums already in the books. We will have to deploy our resources for reminding only those people who have not made advance payment," said Atri Chakraborty, chief operating officer, IndiaFirst Life Insurance.
According to him, the discount will be calculated for the number of months the premium is paid ahead of the renewal date. Currently, around 10 to 12 per cent of the policyholders pay their renewal premiums ahead of the due date.
The regulator has, meanwhile, asked general and health insurers to offer a standard personal accident insurance product with common coverage and policy wordings across the industry from April 1, 2021. This product, Saral Suraksha Bima, will have the basic mandatory covers as specified in Irdai guidelines and will be uniform across the market.
The insurer can determine the price according to the covers offered. The policy tenure of the standard product shall be one year. This policy would also be offered as a group product. Minimum entry age will be 18 years and maximum age shall be at least 70.
The base cover will have to provide a death benefit up to 100 per cent of the sum insured to the policyholder if the death occurs due to injury in an accident, or the person dies within 12 months from the date of accident. The insured will also get 100 per cent of the sum insured for permanent total disablement and 50 per cent for permanent partial disablement.
Hospitalisation expenses arising due to accident shall be indemnified up to 10 per cent of base sum insured. On death or permanent total disability of the insured person, a one-time educational grant of 10 per cent of the base sum insured, per child, should be paid to all dependent children.