FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms BHOPAL | TUESDAY | JANUARY 27, 2026 | Pages | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Pakistan agrees to play after Naqvi meets PM Sharif ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN MONEY PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit President sets the stage India, EU concludes negotiations for FTA successfully: Comm Secy Cinema Nayanthara glimpsed in Patriot US and India share historic bond: Trump PTI NEW DELHI Successful India makes world more stable: Ursula PTI NEW DELHI 77TH REPUBLIC DAY | Presidents of European Council, European Commission grace celebrations as chief guests Op Sindoor to missiles: India flexes military might PTI NEW DELHI India ushered in its 77th Republic Day on Monday with a grand display of its cultural heritage, economic growth and military might that included warplanes, indigenously-built missiles, newly-raised units and lethal weapons used during Operation Sindoor. President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen graced the celebrations as chief guests, marking a significant diplomatic moment alongside the military display. The annual military parade reflected India's strategic au- fp Briefs BHOPAL Tiger cub dies in Pench The efforts to reunite an orphaned cub with its mother failed in Pench Tiger Reserve in Sidhi district as it died during the reunion process. After post mortem, the carcass was burnt in presence of senior forest officials. On January 24, an orphaned 5-month-old female cub was found in Ari Buffer range. It was physically weak. When camera traps were searched, a tigress along with four cubs was seen in the area. With the hope of reuniting with its mother, cub was left at the same place. However, the condition of cub worsened the next day. It was taken in in a cage and meat and water was offered to it. On January 25, it died. JABALPUR Pillar collapse kills worker A tragic accident claimed the life of a labourer from West Bengal while two others sustained severe injuries at an under-construction ring road project in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur. According to reports, as many as 22 labourers were at work when the incident occurred on Sunday night. MANILA shortly after she, Costa and von der Leyen, flanked by the Indian president's bodyguards, arrived at the Kartavya Path in a traditional buggy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, several other Union ministers, the country's top military brass, foreign diplomats and senior officials were among the spectators. "The Republic Day parade showcased India's formidable security apparatus, reflecting the nation's preparedness, technological capability and unwavering commitment to safeguarding its citizens," Modi said on social media after the ceremony. The United States and India share a historic bond as the world's oldest and largest democracies, US President Donald Trump said on Monday as he greeted India on its 77th Republic Day celebrations. Trump's greetings came amid continuing strain in ties between the two countries over a range of issues, including Washington's policies on trade and tariffs. "On behalf of the people of the United States, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the government and people of India as you celebrate your 77th Republic Day," the US president said. "The United States and India share a historic bond as the world's oldest and largest democracies," he added. Trump's message was put out on social media by the US embassy in New Delhi. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also extended greetings to India. A successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday after witnessing the 77th Republic Day celebrations at the majestic Kartavya Path, a day ahead of the India-EU summit. Von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa attended the Republic Day parade as chief guests, joining a select group of global leaders who have graced the nation's biggest ceremonial event in the last seven decades. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, several other Union ministers, the country's top military brass, foreign diplomats and senior officials were among the spectators. "It is the honor of a lifetime to be Chief Guests at the Republic Day celebrations. 4Contd on | nation PM: EU leaders’ presence reflects growing strength of India-EU ties Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the presence of leaders of the European Union at the Republic Day celebrations underscores the growing strength of the IndiaEU partnership and the commitment to shared values. "India is privileged to host European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during our Republic Day celebrations," Modi said in a post on X. "Their presence underscores the growing strength of the India-European Union partnership and our commitment to shared values," he said. ‘Our democracy emphasises citizen-centric governance’ IANS Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Titled “Our Democracy, For The People”, the piece offers a profound reflection on the moral and constitutional foundations of India's republic. In his response on X to Singh's post, PM Modi wrote: “On Republic Day, Raksha Mantri, @rajnathsingh Ji, elaborates that citizens are at the centre of governance today. He notes that the republic is advancing social justice and enabling economic inclusion. Together, these efforts uphold the constitutional vision of a welfare-oriented democratic republic.”Singh's article asserts that the true strength of a republic is measured not merely by military prowess, economic achievements, or global standing, but by how tonomy and diverse sourcing of its defence hardware with Russian-origin platforms showcased alongside USmanufactured ones. Although the overarching theme of the event was 150 years of 'Vande Mataram', the Indian military's Operation Sindoor too found prominence at the parade on the Kartavya Path, the centrepiece boulevard of the national capital. The parade commenced with the President Droupadi Murmu taking the salute EU opens probe into Grok over sexual deepfakes 3rd row seats for Rahul; India-EU FTA US Senator blames Navarro, Vance, negotiations Cong says LoP insulted conclude Trump for resisting India trade deal AP PTI NEW DELHI BRUSSELS European Union regulators on Monday opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X after his artificial intelligence chatbot Grok started spewing nonconsensual sexualised deepfake images on the platform. The scrutiny from Brussels comes after Grok sparked a global backlash by allowing users through its AI image generation and editing capabilities to undress people, putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. Some governments banned the service or issued warnings. The 27-nation EU's executive said it was looking into whether X has done enough as required by the bloc's digital regulations to contain the risks of spreading illegal content such as "manipulated sexually explicit images." That includes content that "may amount to child sexual abuse material," the European Commission said. These risks have now "materialised," the commission said, exposing the bloc's citizens to "serious harm." The Congress on Monday accused the BJP government of insulting the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, by seating them in the third row during the Republic Day parade event at Kartavya Path. Sharing pictures of their leaders seated in the back rows during the ceremony, several Congress leaders raised questions over the "protocol mess-up" and propriety. Congress chief Kharge was 4Contd on | nation first seen seated in the third row along with Rahul Gandhi. Later, he was moved to the front row next to former vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar. Sharing the picture of Rahul Gandhi and Kharge seated in the third row, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said on X, "Does such treatment of the leader of the opposition in the country meet the standards of any decorum, tradition, and protocol?" "This only reveals the frustration of a government plagued by an inferiority complex. 4Contd on | nation NEW DELHI On India's 77th Republic Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the citizencentric ethos of contemporary governance by sharing an insightful article penned by NEW DELHI: Negotiations for the long-awaited IndiaEuropean Union FTA have been successfully concluded, and the deal will be officially announced on Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday. Describing the agreement as balanced and forward-looking, Agrawal noted that it would strengthen economic integration between India and the EU and significantly boost trade and investment flows.The FTA is expected to come into force sometime next year after the legal review of the text, a process that could take around five to six months, following which the formal signing will take place. Ratlam village declares social boycott over love marriages Administration orders action PTI RATLAM Residents of a village in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh have issued a social boycott diktat against those who elope for marriage and their families, prompting authorities to order action after a video related to the issue went viral on social media. The diktat was issued in Pancheva, about 50 kilometres from the district headquarters, with residents claiming the social boycott decision was taken after eight couples from the village eloped and got married in the past six months. A video showed a man announcing that young men and women who elope and marry for love as well as their families will be socially boycotted and not invited to any event. Even those helping such persons will face the same action, he further stated. Other action, as announced by the man in the video, included denying employment to such couples as well as daily necessities like milk. 4Contd on | nation PTI WASHINGTON Republican Senator Ted Cruz has blamed White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, Vice President J D Vance and President Donald Trump for resisting a trade deal with India, according to a US media report. During private meetings with donors, Cruz told them about "battling" the White House to accept a trade agreement with India, Axios reported, citing audio recordings of their conversation provided by a Republican source. When a donor asked who in the administration is resistant to reaching such accords, Cruz 11 jawans hurt in IED blasts BIJAPUR: At least 11 security personnel were injured in multiple IED blasts at Karregutta Hills in Bijapur on Sunday. As per Bilapur Police, all injured personnel were evacuated and airlifted to Raipur for treatment. Their condition is reported to be stable. Meanwhile, on January 18, six Naxals were killed in an encounter in Bijapur district under Bastar range, officials said. Police officials said that following an encounter on January 17-18, the bodies of six Naxals were recovered. Swiss think tank study India’s air superiority forced Pak to seek ceasefire 100 missing as ferry sinks Agencies At least 13 bodies were recovered and more than 100 people remained missing after an inter-island ferry carrying more than 300 passengers and crew sank early Monday morning in waters off Basilan province in the southern Philippines, authorities said. Philippine Coast Guard in Southwestern Mindanao said the ferry was en route to Jolo Island in Sulu province from Zamboanga City. A new study by a respected Swiss military history and strategy think tank has concluded that India's Operation Sindoor in May last year marked a decisive shift in the balance of air power in South Asia, culminating in New Delhi achieving clear air superiority and compelling Pakistan to seek a ceasefire after four days of intense fighting. The report, published by the Centre for Military His- tory and Perspective Studies (CHPM) in Switzerland and authored by military historian Adrien Fontanellaz, offers one of the most comprehensive independent reconstructions so far of the 88-hour India-Pakistan air war from 7 to 10 May 2025. While international headlines at the time focused narrowly on the loss of at least one Indian Rafale on the opening night, the Swiss analysis argues that this single episode obscured the far more significant oper- OP SINDOOR According to report, Indian political leaders gave armed forces wide latitude to plan a response that would be sufficiently spectacular to deter future attacks ational outcome: India systematically broke Pakistan's air defence and strike capacity and ended the conflict on its own terms. Operation Sindoor was launched after a deadly terrorist attack on tourists at picturesque Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, which New Delhi linked to Pakistan-based terrorist groups. According to the report, Indian political leaders gave the armed forces wide latitude to plan a response that would be "sufficiently spectacular" to deter future attacks, even at the risk of escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In the early hours of May 7, the Indian Air Force (IAF) struck high-value terrorist infrastructure, including headquarters and major camps linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-eTaiba. Two key sites - Bahawalpur and Muridke - were hit with long-range precision weapons, with post-strike assessments confirming that multiple buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. 4Contd on | nation Republican Senator Ted Cruz mentioned White House economic adviser Peter Navarro, Vance and "sometimes" Trump, it said, citing a nearly 10-minute recording that dates back to early and mid-2025. PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio. The Texas Republican Senator, who is eyeing a 2028 White House run, also warned that Trump's tariffs 4Contd on | nation could decimate the economy and lead to his impeachment. Cruz said that after Trump introduced the tariffs in early April 2025, he and a few other senators had a call with the President in which they urged him to stand down. He said the lengthy call, which stretched past midnight, "did not go well," and that Trump was "yelling" and "cursing." The India-US ties witnessed a major downturn after President Trump slapped a whopping 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including a 25 per cent punitive levy over Russian oil purchases. 4Contd on | nation UAE backs out of Pak airport deal after President’s India trip NEW DELHI United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's surprise India trip seemed to have a ripple effect on South Asian geopolitical equations, bringing an indirect setback for Pakistan. Soon after Sheikh Nahyan's three-hour visit, Abu Dhabi scrapped its plan to operate Islamabad International Airport-- an agreement in talks since August 2025. The development was confirmed by Pakistani publication The Express Tribune, which reported that the plan was shelved after the UAE lost interest in the project and failed to name a local partner to outsource operations. The Pakistani media report did not link the collapse of the deal to any political motivations, but it comes amid a growing rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Once the closest of Gulf allies, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are locked in an unusual public confrontation over support to rival groups in Yemen. While Islamabad inked a defence deal with Riyadh and wants to form what is being described as an "Islamic NATO" with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the UAE has signed new defence deals with India. Saudi Arabia is also leaning on Pakistan's military knowhow, while the UAE has signed new defence deals with India. Nearly 4 decades ago, the UAE had remained one of Pakistan's largest trading partners and a key source of remittances, with thousands of Pakistanis working in various sectors. Both countries had collaborated on defence, energy, and investment projects. But, over the years, the relations have been plagued by safety concerns, licensing controversies and ageing infrastructure in Pakistan.