vijayawada l monday l april 28, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Global Economic Uncertainty Hits New Highs Amid U.S. Tariff International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook warns economic uncertainty has surpassed levels seen during Covid-19 ‘an environment of fear and volatility’ world trade uncertainty index up The report attributes this uncertainty to the unpredictable nature of the US tariff policy under President Trump. Recent tariff hikes, including a significant increase to 145% on Chinese products, have created an environment of fear and volatility in financial markets, said the report released on Sunday in Barcelona ■ ■ IMF’s world trade uncertainty index is seven times higher than in October 2024, with global GDP growth forecasts revised downward to 2.8% for 2025 and 3% for 2026 Financial markets are experiencing instability similar to Covid19, with US bond prices falling as investors begin to sell them 1.2% is the The euro area’s growth forecast figure for 2026 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 heads-up: chief of defence staff meets rajnath singh NIA takes over probe, forces ready to strike m aya n k s i ng h & m u k e s h r a n j a n @ New Delhi IN the wake of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives and the possibility of an Indian retaliation against Pakistan-backed terror groups, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday to brief him on key military decisions taken after the attack. The Indian Navy on Sunday conducted successful multiple anti-ship firings, showcasing its readiness for long-range precision strikes. “Indian Navy stands combat ready, credible, and futureready in safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests anytime, anywhere, anyhow,” the Navy said in a statement. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have taken a hit, after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met on April 23 followed by India withdrawing its Defence, Navy and Air Ad, visors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, reducing the overall strength of the high commission to 30 from 55. The Indus Waters Treaty, functional since 1960, has been suspended, and the only operational land border crossing at Attari has been shut down. Diplomatic ties with Pakistan have been down- graded, prompting Pakistan to shut its airspace to Indian airliners and suspend all trade with India. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe into the Pahalgam terror attack, intensifying efforts to collect evidence and identify perpetrators. NIA teams, overseen by an Inspector General of Police, a Deputy Inspector General of Police and a Superintendent of Police, are examining eyewitnesses, analyzing videos, and scrutinizing entry and exit points to piece together the sequence of events. Intelligence agencies have traced the attack’s digital footprints to safe houses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi, suggesting a clear Pakistan hand, sources said. A local videographer, who was there to film reels for tourists in Baisaran, has now become one of the key witnesses for the NIA, as a senior official said, “The photographer in a bid to save his life climbed a tree, but he continued videographing the incidents that unfolded there.” Meanwhile, Sunday was the last day for Pakistanis having short-term visas in 12 categories to leave India. A long queue of vehicles was seen at the Attari-Wagah border crossing. As many as 537 Pakistani nationals left India since April 24 after the government revoked their visa, officials said. Navy conducts war drills in arabian sea China calls for restraint, backs impartial probe JAYA N TH JACOB @ New Delhi Navy ships undertake multiple anti-ship firings in Arabian Sea to demonstrate readiness for long range strikes | PTI PM vows ‘harshest punishment’ for conspirators r a j e s h k u m a r t h a k u r @ New Delhi prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that the families of the victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir will receive justice, and the perpetrators and conspirators will face the harshest response ever imagined. Addressing the nation through his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Modi expressed deep anguish over the attack that claimed the lives of at least 26 civilians, mostly tourists. “The whole world stands with 140 crore Indians in our fight against terrorism,” Modi said, adding that the unity of the country and solidarity of its people is the biggest strength in the war against terrorism. He ac- Expect more ‘torpedoes’ in Donald Trump’s next 100 days Agen c i e s US President Donald Trump, who completes 100 days in power on April 29, will spend his next 100 days of his presidency to seal trade and peace pacts, media reports quoting White House officials said. After a series of ‘loud’ changes during his first 100 days, including social policy areas such as transgender rights, Trump may deploy some ‘torpedoes in reserve’ over the next three months, reports said quoting officials. This could mean more ‘executive actions’ that have become the hallmarks of Trump’s first 100 days. Sources said the administration was still working on a travel ban for citizens from multiple countries. Since taking office on January 20, Trump has enacted sweeping changes on domestic and foreign policy priorities, upending the world economic order with tariffs, slashing the size of the government with job cuts, and scrapping diversity programmes. He is expected to travel to Michigan this week for a rally marking the 100-day milestone. A BSF personnel guides Pakistani nationals arriving at Wagah border to cross over to their country on Sunday | PTI cused the terrorists and their masterminds of trying to push Kashmir back into turmoil, by executing a major conspiracy . “This attack in Pahalgam shows the desperation of the patrons of terrorism; displays their cowardice.” He noted that the attack was a setback to the progress and peace that was returning to Kashmir, where construction work had gained unprecedented pace, democracy was getting stronger, and new opportunities were being created for the youth. The Prime Minister urged the nation to demonstrate strong willpower in the face of the ghastly terrorist attack on Tuesday and said, “We need , strong willpower ... Today the world is watching, after this terrorist attack, the whole country is speaking in one voice. The anger that the people of India feel is also being felt across the whole world.” Curious case of 4 Pak natls with LTVs in Madanapalle E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed 26 lives, the Andhra Pradesh government has identified 21 Pakistani nationals residing in the state on short-term visas and issued notices for their immediate departure. The directive aligns with the Central government’s revocation of all Pakistani visas effective April 27, 2025, with medical visas valid until April 29, in response to the attack attributed to Pak-based terror groups. Meanwhile, a curious case surfaced in Madanapalle during police verification as four Pakistan nationals were found staying with long-term visas (LTVs). However, these four were exempted from visa revocation, police confirmed. A local woman, Gulabi Jan, who worked in Saudi Arabia, married a Pakistani man and returned to Madanapalle with her children. Her husband, who visited her a few years ago, returned to Pakistan. He died there a couple of years ago. The family is eking out a livelihood by working in a catering business. When a debate broke out locally about their legal status, police confirmed that their LTVs are valid. The Andhra Pradesh police conducted an extensive operation to identify the Pakistan nationals in the state. During the operation, the police found five individuals in Annamayya district, two each in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Sri Sathya Sai, and Anantapur districts, and one each in Krishna, Nellore, Kurnool, Nandyal, Kadapa, and Rajamahendravaram districts.  P4 express read US deploys missiles, holds drills near China hotspots Batan Island: The US military has deployed an anti-ship missile launcher for the first time on Batan Island in the Philippines, just a sea border away from Taiwan. US and Philippine forces separately unleashed a barrage of missile and artillery fire that shot down several drones acting as hostile aircraft in live-fire drills in Zambales province facing the disputed South China Sea. Buzz returns as tourists trickle in to Pahalgam Pahalgam: Resilience has triumphed over terror and fear as tourists have begun returning to Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where terrorists killed 26 people in one of the deadliest terror attack on civilians in over three decades long militancy. On Sunday, tourists in small groups arrived in Pahalgam, which earlier looked like a ghost town after Tuesday’s terror attack. Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, China on Sunday urged restraint by both sides. Beijing also backed Islamabad’s demand for an ‘impartial investigation’ into the Pahalgam terror attack, adding that it is ‘closely monitoring’ the situation. “Conflict is not in the fundamental interests of India and Pakistan, or conducive to regional peace and stability… Both countries should exercise restraint, meet each other halfway and promote the cooling of the situation,” Chinese state media quoted Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi as saying during a phone call with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Sunday . During the call, Dar briefed Wang on the latest developments and the latter offered support for Pakistan’s “legitimate security concerns and its efforts to uphold sovereignty and security interests”. Reaffirming Beijing’s support for Islamabad, Wang added, “China has always supported Pakistan in its resolute anti-terrorism actions.” CM vows to turn Amaravati into a world-class capital E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu proclaimed that the relaunch of Amaravati capital city works, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2, will mark a monumental chapter in the state’s history , symbolizing a resolute shift from past destruction to a vibrant future of development. Addressing a high-level review meeting at his Undavalli residence with state ministers and senior officials, Naidu described Amaravati as the embodiment of Andhra Pradesh’s collective pride, aspirations, and emotional sentiment, asserting that no force could undermine its significance. He lambasted the previous government for orchestrating a series of conspiracies and deliberate attacks aimed at derailing the capital project, yet emphasized that Amaravati - born from the unified dreams of people across all regions and communities - has resiliently withstood numerous challenges and adversities. Reflecting on the coalition government’s achievements, Naidu highlighted that within just 10 months of assuming power, his administration has successfully tackled the myriad obstacles inherited from the prior regime, reviving long-stalled projects and setting the stage for Amaravati’s resurgence. He underscored the poetic justice of PM Modi, who laid the foundation stone for Amaravati, now returning to restart its construction - delivering a powerful rebuke to those who sought to dismantle the capital’s vision.  P4