tadepalligudem l tuesday l january 27, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION PAK, Naqvi keep suspense alive over World Cup participation After Bangladesh was removed from the event, PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi said the government will take final call about them playing the T20 WC PCB keeping ‘all options’ on the table opt out of WC or boycott India match? After meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Naqvi took to social media to confirm that final decision will be taken on Friday or Monday. “I had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister and briefed him on the ICC matter. He directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table,” Naqvi posted on X. ■ ■ This issue came about after Pakistan wanted to show solidarity to Bangladesh who were replaced by Scotland after requesting to shift their matches out of India. It is understood PM Sharif was briefed on multiple scenarios, including the possibility of boycotting just the India match Feb 15 is when India and Pakistan are scheduled to play in Colombo 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 Free trade deal with EU done, signing today Pics: PTI, Shekhar Yadav, P Jawahar A successful India makes the world more stable, says EU chief Ursula von der Leyen From L: President Droupadi Murmu, President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and PM Narendra Modi after attending the Republic Day parade in Delhi; IAF flypast in Operation Sindoor format comprising 2 MiG-29, 2 Rafale, 2 Su-30MKI and 1 Jaguar; TN Governor R N Ravi with CM M K Stalin after hoisting the Tricolour in Chennai P U SH P ITA DEY @ New Delhi gan in 2007. The talks were suspended in 2013 as both sides After several false starts, ne- opted for certain protectionist gotiations for the India-Europe- measures. The negotiations an Union Free Trade Agree- were relaunched in June 2022. ment (FTA) concluded on “The European Union reMonday. A formal announce- mains a vital economic & strament will be made on Tuesday . tegic partner for India, and we Confirming the development, value our shared commitment Commerce Secretary Rajesh to a mutually beneficial, ambiAgrawal said: “Negotiations tious India-EU FTA for the have been successfully con- prosperity of our businesses cluded. The deal has been and people,” Goyal stated in his finalised.” social media post. Commerce ministry sources Both sides will keep certain said while the pact will be an- sensitive sectors out of the nounced on Tuesday processes deal. India does not want to , like legal scrubbing open up the dairy and and ratification by EU agricultural sectors. member states could “A successful India take another year. makes the world more The India-EU deal Negotiations have stable, prosperous and was closed in the pres- been successfully secure. And we all benconcluded. The ence of European efit,” Von der Leyen deal has been Council President said. She even said that finalised António Costa and Euthe engagement beRajesh Agrawal, ropean Commission tween India and the EU President Ursula von Commerce Secretary “will culminate tomorder Leyen, who were row in the signature of in India as special guests for our Security and Defence the Republic Day “Their pres- Partnership”. . ence underscores the growing India has a trade surplus strength of the India-EU part- with the EU, which stood at $15 nership and our commitment billion in FY2025, with exports to shared values. The visit will of $75.9 billion against imports add momentum to the deepen- of $60.7 billion. The EU acing engagement and coopera- counts for 17% of India’s total tion between India and Europe goods exports and one-third of across diverse sectors,” Prime its IT services exports. Analysts Minister Narendra Modi said say the FTA could boost India’s in a social media post. exports to the region by over Described as the ‘mother of 50% in the next five years. all deals’ by the Commerce This is the fourth FTA India Minister Piyush Goyal, the In- will be signing since 2025. Last dia-EU FTA will be signed after year, it concluded FTAs with the two decades of talks, which be- UK, New Zealand and Oman. Kuki village torched in fresh Manipur violence p r a s a n ta m a z um d a r @ Guwahati Fresh violence erupted in Manipur on Monday with a Naga rebel group bur ning down several houses belonging to members of the Kuki community in Kangpokpi district. Claiming responsibility for the arson attack at K Songlung (II) village, the Zeliangrong A building burns after it was set on fire United Front (ZUF) said it was in Manipur’s K Songlung village | X targeting illegal poppy cultivation, narcotics trafficking and encroachment of the territory of the Zeliangrong Inpui Naga people by illegal immigrants. Reacting to the incident, the Kuki-Zo organisation Committee on Tribal Unity threatened to shut down two national highways from midnight on January 27 if the authorities failed to apprehend the perpetrators within 24 hours. New-age arsenal on display at R-day parade J a v a r i a R a n a @ New Delhi India-China relations have continued to improve and develop, aligning with interests of both countries and their people, and are of great significance for promoting world peace I extend my heartfelt congratulations to people of India on your 77th Republic Day. US-India share a historic bond as the world’s oldest and largest democracies Xi Jinping, China President Donald Trump, US President THE 77th Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path on Monday brought Operation Sindoor and India’s military might to the forefront with patriotic commemoration under the ‘Vande Mataram’ theme. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa attended as chief guests, marking the first collective participation of the European Union leadership at India’s national celebrations. Cultural and historical elements linked to the Independ- India, Canada work on March visit of PM Carney to push trade talks j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi INDIA and Canada are working to finalise a visit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to New Delhi in March, as both sides seek to accelerate negotiations on a bilateral trade deal. The visit would mark the next phase in warming ties between the two countries, which have moved to restart talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) after a diplomatic impasse. New Delhi and Ottawa are in talks to finalise the terms of reference for the CEPA negotiations, which aim to double bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030, sources said. The push for a CEPA has gained urgency amid rising trade tensions with the United States. India is currently subject to 50% US tariffs on certain goods, while Canada faces 35% levy under measures imposed by the Trump administration. Against this backdrop, New Ryots switch to pulses amid water scarcity Lokesh’s Yuvagalam reshapes AP politics Vijayawada: Limited irrigation water in canals and reservoirs has prompted Andhra Pradesh farmers to shift from waterintensive paddy to shortduration, low-water pulse crops this Rabi season. Total cropped area stands at 17.05 L hectares, 82% of normal I P3 Vijayawada: Exactly three years ago, on Jan 27, 2023, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh began the historic Yuvagalam from Kuppam, covering 3,132 km. The event redefined AP’s politics with coalition candidates winning in 90 of the 97 segments covered by Lokesh I P4 ‘Great Green Wall’ to fortify North Andhra coast With rising climate risks and repeated exposure to cyclones, storm surges and coastal erosion, the State government has begun the structured implementation of the Great Green Wall Project along the coast as a long-term coastal protection initiative. The programme, launched under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan, is also being implemented in the Visakhapatnam Circle, which comprises the coastal districts of Visak h a p a t n a m , A n a k a p a l l e, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam. The Circle covers a total coastline of about 344 km, along with other coastal districts in the State. Conceived as a large-scale ecological bio-shield, the project is designed to strengthen natural coastal defences while safeguarding communities, livelihoods, infrastructure and fragile ecosystems. Rather than being a single plantation drive, it is structured as an integrated green barrier system combining shelter-belt plantations, mangrove restoration, sand dune stabilisation and Delhi has sought to diversify export markets and expand trade agreements beyond US. The two sides are also looking to deepen cooperation in the civilian nuclear sector, and India is exploring increased investment from Canadian pension funds. Car ney’s remarks at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos are widely seen as Canada’s shifting strategic posture. He said Canada was pursuing new trade and security partnerships with countries including India, Qatar, Thailand, as well as Mercosur and ASEAN. Ties with Canada have substantially improved since Carney became PM last year. E x p r e s s Re a d eco shield U s h a P e r i @ Visakhapatnam ence struggle were reflected in tableaux from different states along the Kartavya Path, as the official theme was ‘150 Years of Vande Mataram’. The parade featured a European Union defence contingent as well, with four flag bearers on three vehicles carrying flags of the European Union, the EU Military Staff and EU naval missions Operation Atalanta a n d O p e r a t i o n A s p i d e s, respectively . The tri-services tableau, “Operation Sindoor: Victory Through Jointness,” was a standout which recreated the strike at Muridke terror camp community forestry into a continuous coastal protection framework. Explaining the approach, Chief Conservator of Forests of Visakhapatnam Circle, BM Diwan Mydeen, said the project is being implemented as a long- term ecological security system for the coastline. “Activities planned under the programme include the expansion of casuarina shelter-belts, palmyrah dibbling, coconut plantations, regeneration of mangrove forests, strengthening of sand reaches with sandbinding species, block plantations in vacant lands using fast-growing species, avenue plantations along coastal roads, and community plantations on government lands using windbreaking species, along with wildlife conservation measP4 ures,” he explained. Bareilly magistrate quits over UGC norms Bareilly: Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri resigned from service on Monday citing deep disagreement with government policies, especially the new UGC regulations introduced to stop caste discrimination. Agnihotri said the new rules could foment caste-based discontent | P7 in Pakistan destroyed by the Indian Armed Forces on May 7 last year. It also showcased the S-400 anti-missile system used in Operation Sindoor, HAROP loitering munitions, Rafale jets with SCALP missiles, and a Su30 MKI launching BrahMos at hardened shelters. In a first, the military columns were presented in a phased “battle array”, with ground and aerial combat elements displayed in a sequence intended to reflect contemporary battlefield deployment. The IAF staged a 29-aircraft flypast, led by the new ‘Sindoor’ formation, comprising Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29 and Jaguar that were deployed during the four-day clash with Pakistan. The Defence Research and Development Organisation showcased its Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, dubbed the “carrier killer”, for the first time. The system incorporates the novel hypersonic glide vehicle technology . The display also featured major strike and air defence systems, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and the Akash Medium Range Surface to Air Missile. A total of 30 tableaux participated in the parade. HISTORIC R-DAY fete IN AMARAVATI Guv highlights capital revival & river linkage Express News Service @ Vijayawada For the first time after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the State government organised Republic Day celebrations in the capital city of Amaravati, at Nelapadu village, on Monday . Governor Syed Abdul Nazeer unfurled the National Flag at the main official ceremony to mark the 77th Republic Day celebrations and received the Rashtriya Salute from police personnel. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan, High Court judges, Ministers, AIS officers and farmers attended the Re p u bl i c D ay p a r a d e a s guests. The Governor took the salute from 11 contingents of the Indian Army, AP Special Police, CRPF, Kerala Armed Police, NCC, Bharat Scouts and Guides, Youth Red Cross and other organisations. Addressing the gathering, Governor Nazeer said it was a proud and historic moment to unfurl the National Flag in the Governor Nazeer speaks at Amaravati Republic Day event I Prasant Madugula capital city of Amaravati for the first time after the State bifurcation. He expressed confidence that the TDP-led NDA coalition gover nment was working with quiet determination to revive growth and fulfil the aspirations of the people. “Today’s celebration is historic. For the first time, the National Flag is being unfurled in Amaravati, the people’s capital of Andhra Pradesh. For several years, our State remained without a clear direction, its capital project stalled and its economic confidence shaken. The absence of continuity eroded investor trust and weakened fiP4 nancial stability .” Let tech take load off field staff: Naidu Express News Service @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has asked the officials to make maximum use of technology to reduce the work burden on employees at the field level. He said training should be provided to those lagging behind in the utilisation of technology, along with continuous monitoring. This, he said, would help in achieving better results. Reviewing the RTGS with officials of various departments at his Camp Office on Monday , the Chief Minister observed that several governance-relat- ed issues could be resolved through technology He wanted . officials to encourage employees to make extensive use of technology and asserted that 2026 should turn into a technology-driven decision-making year. Underscoring the need to increase the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in government services, the Chief Minister said that grievances should be resolved expeditiously using AI. He added that greater focus would be laid on data-driven governance. Officials informed the Chief Minister that as many as 878 government services are currently being extended to citizens through Mana Mitra WhatsApp Governance, and that 1.43 crore people have availed these services so far. Later, the Chief Minister conducted a review of agriculture, Revenue, highways and fire services.