PAK, Naqvi keep wc suspense alive After Bangladesh was removed from the event, PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi said the government will take final call about them playing the T20 WC After meeting PM Shehbaz Sharif, Naqvi took to social media to confirm that final decision will be taken on Friday or Monday. “I had a productive meeting with the PM and briefed him about ICC matter. He directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table,” Naqvi posted on X. vijayawada l tuesday l january 27, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION 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 New-age arsenal on display at R-day parade with EU done, signing today J a v a r i a R a n a @ New Delhi A successful India makes the world more stable, says EU chief Ursula von der Leyen operation between India and Europe across diverse sectors,” After several false starts, ne- Prime Minister Narendra Modi gotiations for the India-Europe- said in a social media post. an Union Free Trade AgreeDescribed as the ‘mother of ment (FTA) concluded on all deals’ by the Commerce Monday. A formal announce- Minister Piyush Goyal, the Inment will be made on Tuesday . dia-EU FTA will be signed after Confirming the development, two decades of talks, which beCommerce Secretary Rajesh gan in 2007. The talks were susAgrawal said: “Negotiations pended in 2013 as both sides have been successfully opted for certain proconcluded. The deal tectionist measures. has been finalised.” The negotiations were Commerce ministry relaunched in June sources said while the Negotiations have 2022. pact will be announced been successfully Both sides will keep on Tuesday, processes certain sensitive secconcluded. The deal has been like legal scrubbing tors out of the deal. Infinalised and ratification by EU dia does not want to member states could open up the dairy and Rajesh Agrawal, take another year. Commerce Secretary agricultural sectors. The India-EU deal “A successful India was closed in the presmakes the world more ence of European Council Pres- stable, prosperous and secure. ident António Costa and Euro- And we all benefit,” Von der pean Commission President Leyen said. She even said that Ursula von der Leyen, who the engagement between India were in India as special guests and the EU “will culminate tofor the Republic Day. “Their morrow in the signature of our presence underscores the grow- Security and Defence Partnering strength of the India-EU ship”. India has a trade surplus partnership and our commit- with the EU, which stood at $15 ment to shared values. The vis- billion in FY2025, with exports it will add momentum to the of $75.9 billion against imports deepening engagement and co- of $60.7 billion. P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi President Droupadi Murmu, President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and PM Narendra Modi after attending the Republic Day parade in Delhi I PTI 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- E x p r e s s Re a d Governor highlights Amaravati revival Vijayawada: For the first time after the bifurcation of AP 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. CM N Chandrababu Naidu, Dy CM K Pawan Kalyan, HC judges, Ministers and AIS officers were present I P4 Lokesh’s Yuvagalam reshapes AP politics Vijayawada: Three years ago exactly on January 27, 2023, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh commenced the historic padayatra ‘Yuva Galam’ reflecting the hopes and aspirations of crores of people in the State. Lokesh brought about a fundamental transformation in State politics. The Yuvagalam Padayatra, which began on January 27, 2023, at the feet of Lord Sri Varadarajaswamy in Kuppam, covered 11 erstwhile districts touching 97 Assembly constituencies I P4 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 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 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. 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 India, Canada work on March visit of PM Carney to push trade talks j aya n th 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 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.