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 ■ ■ Over the holidays I had time to reflect. I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister after the party selects its next leader... Last night I asked the president of the Liberal Party to start that process visakhapatnam l tuesday l january 07, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Trudeau, Just-out of office J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Justin Trudeau on Monday announced his resignation as both the Prime Minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party, putting an end to days of speculation amid rising discontent with his leadership. He will, however, remain in office until the Liberal Party selects a new leader. Pressure has been mounting on him from within the party and outside to step down. Trudeau has been accused of using allegations against India to divert attention from escalating domestic challenges, including a struggling economy and growing dissent within his party . The resignation of close ally Chrystia Freeland as deputy PM and finance minister in December also dealt a significant blow. Freeland’s departure was reportedly due to policy disagreements, particularly over his approach to possible US tariffs under Donald Trump and his overall economic strategy In September, . his government was weakened after the New Democratic Par- ty led by Jagmeet Singh withdrew support. Under Trudeau, Canada’s relations with India soured over his government’s alleged support to Khalistani separatists and his claims of New Delhi’s involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani radical in Canada. He has held the prime minister’s office since 2014. Justin Trudeau HMPV cases in Big Maoist strike in 20 mths, 8 jawans killed India: Much ado about nothing E j a z k a i s e r @ Raipur 5 cases reported so far; needless scare, assure healthcare experts K a v i ta B a j e l i - D at t @ New Delhi India reported five cases of the globally circulating human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which is seeing an outbreak in China, causing worldwide panic as it comes five years after the Covid-19 pandemic. While two children each tested positive for the virus in Bengaluru and Chennai, one such case was reported in Ahmedabad. In its pushback, the government emphasised that HMPV is self-limiting and manageable. Union health minister J P Nadda said it is not a new virus as it was first identified in 2001 and has been circulating in the entire world ever since. “There 2001 bug is no reason to worry,” Nadda says no reason he added. to worry; it was first State governments in identified in 2001 Kar nataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Virus is self-limiting Delhi issued guidelines and manageable, says for its prevention (See health ministry box). While two infants Karnataka, TN, Delhi, were detected with Maharashtra issue HMPV in Bengaluru, advisories on with no international prevention travel history, one case Cover the mouth and was reported in Gunose while sneezing/ jarat. Later in the day, coughing, wash two children tested poshands, wear masks in itive for HMPV in Chencrowded places nai. “The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has detected two cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Karnataka. Both cases were identified through routine surveillance for multiple respiratory viral pathogens, as part of ICMR’s ongoing efforts to monitor respiratory illnesses across the country ,” the government said in a statement. World Health Organization’s former chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on X, “According to @ICMRDELHI, #HMPV accounts for about 3% of respiratory pathogens detected in the laboratory network, testing ILI and SARI cases. Influenza A & B, SARSCoV2 & RSV are other circulating viruses.” Security forces cordon off a crater at the blast site on the Bedre-Kutru road in Bijapur district, Chattisgarh | Express Eight District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and a civilian driver were killed in a powerful blast triggered by the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in strife-torn Bijapur district, about 400 km south of Raipur. The blast was carried out on Monday when a joint team was returning from anti-Maoist operations. This incident marks the first major attack by Maoists since April 26, 2023, when 10 jawans were killed in an IED blast in Dantewada. According to Sun- Expert panel set up to give technical advice to AP govt on HMPV ‘risk from virus minimal’ Reiterating that the current risk from the virus is minimal, the Health Minister assured the public that there is no cause for panic. Officials said 20-bed isolation wards have been set up in all govt hospitals E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada With three cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) reported in Karnataka and Gujarat, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting on Monday with Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav and officials from the Health Department to review the preparedness for addressing the virus, assess the current situation, and outline mitigation strategies. During the teleconference, officials explained that HMPV has been prevalent since 2001. They reassured that the virus has a low fatality rate and does not warrant immediate panic. They also highlighted that there has been no increase in cases of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) or influenza-like illnesses (ILI) in the State. Additionally they confirmed that no HMPV , cases have been reported in the State so far. In response, Naidu instructed the Health Department to monitor SARI and ILI cases closely . The Chief Minister was informed that a task force, consisting of microbiologists, pediatricians, pulmonologists, and preventive medicine experts, has been established to provide technical advice to the government and recommend actions for future management. Regarding preparedness at health facilities across the State, officials noted that 10 ICMR-accredited virology labs in the State have been designated for testing.  P4 ‘Ready to step down to strengthen party’ E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Telugu Desam Party (TDP) General Secretary, and IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh, who has played a key role in launching several welfare schemes for party activists, has now proposed a new initiative aimed at promoting activists from the village level to the party’s highest decision-making body the politburo. , During a meeting with party activists in Undi Assembly con- stituency, West Godavari district, on Monday, he said, “We are considering the idea of elevating a village-level activist to the politburo. A decision will be taken once the proposal is approved by all. Those who have served in the same position for two terms should either be elevated to the next level or take a break for one term. If the party adopts this system, Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and I would work as common activists in the next term, without holding any of- ficial positions. This will allow those who work at the grassroots level to have a chance to rise to the level of the politburo. Continuous discussions on this issue within the party are essential for its long-ter m survival.” Emphasising that the TDP is the only political party that prioritises its activists, Lokesh highlighted that, in addition to several welfare schemes, steps will also be taken to improve the financial well-being of cadP4 res. Those who have served in same position for two terms should either be elevated or take a break for one term Nara Lokesh Sullivan powers nuclear deal on his farewell visit JAYA N TH JACO B @ New Delhi THE US is in the final stage of removing all hurdles that kept the civil nuclear deal between the two countries a non-starter, outgoing US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said here on Monday . As part of the move, the US will remove Indian entities including the Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Centre and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre from its restricted list. India and the US had decided to cooperate in civil nuclear energy in July 2005, following a meeting between then prime minister Manmohan Singh and US president George W Bush. The India-US civil nuclear agreement was signed in 2008. However, there was no tangible progress in the civil nuclear energy sector as India pushed a ‘liability law’ while the US kept Indian nuclear entities in its restrictive list. The US opposed India’s nuclear liability law, which held the supplier of N-plants also accountable for any potential nuclear accident, saying it deviated from the global norm of holding only the operator liable for mishaps. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (left) with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi, on Monday | pti Formal paper work soon, says US Sullivan said the formal paperwork to remove the long-standing regulations that have prevented civil nuclear cooperation, will be done soon. “This will be an opportunity to create opportunities for entities that have been on restricted lists in the US,” he added darraj P, Bastar range inspector general of police, the IED blast targeted a vehicle carrying the security personnel, leaving a 15 ft wide and 6 ft deep crater. The explosion was so intense that it tossed the vehicle high into the air, ripping it into pieces. It is believed that the rebels had planted around 40 kg of explosives beneath the road. The DRG personnel were on their way to the base camp from Abujhmad to Dantewada via Bijapur in the ill-fated vehicle. It is believed that the Mao- ists were aware about the return of the forces along the route. Brigadier (Retd) B K Ponwar said, “It was not a cowardly attack but a guerrilla attack carried out at the weakest point of the security forces. It’s an unfortunate incident that was avoidable.” He emphasized that the basic rules of warfare should not be flouted, especially in a virtual war zone. Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai has ordered a probe. The state government aims to eliminate the influence of Maoists by March 2026. express read YSRCP MP Vijayasai appears before ED in Kakinada Port case Hyderabad: YSRCP MP V Vijayasai Reddy appeared before the Enforcement Directorate on Monday in connection with the Kakinada Sea Port Limited case. The ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against him based on the FIR the AP CID had booked in the case. The agency summoned him in connection with the allegation of forceful acquisition of shares of Karnati Venkateswar Rao | P4 Aim is to keep education and politics separate, says Lokesh Vijayawada: HRD, IT, and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh stressed the importance of keeping education free from political influence while fostering moral values and cultural awareness among students. Speaking at an event in Bhimavaram, he said, “My ambition is to make the education sector apolitical” | P4 Resignation may fuel calls for early polls Justin Trudeau’s resignation is expected to fuel renewed calls for an early election to put a government in place swiftly to deal with the incoming Donald Trump administration in the US. Trump has proposed a 25% tax on all Canadian goods entering the US. Going by opinion polls, the Liberal Party is likely to suffer a major defeat in the upcoming polls HDK, Bharat hold talks on VSP’s revival S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy chaired a meeting in New Delhi on Monday with State Industries Minister TG Bharat and other officials. The discussions centred around several key issues, including the revival of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP). The meeting is significant as it comes just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Vizag on January 8. In a post on X, Kumaraswamy stated, “The discussions centered on advancing the steel sector and working towards the ambitious target set by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi avaru to achieve 300 million tonnes of steel production annually by 2030.” Sources revealed that the meeting was convened in response to a letter from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, urging the Centre to take steps for VSP’s revival. P4