visakhapatnam l monday l march 17, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Trump launches retaliatory strikes on Yemen’s Houthis US President Donald Trump launched a largescale military strike against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saturday, killing at least 31 people Biggest U.S. military operation since jan Favoured Houthi spots targeted The strike was in response to the group’s attacks against Red Sea shipping. The unfolding strikes—which one US official told Reuters might continue for weeks—represent the biggest US military operation in West Asia since Trump took office in January. The Houthis’ political bureau described the attacks as a “war crime” | P9 ■ ■ Residents in Sanaa said the strikes hit a building in a Houthi stronghold and “shook the neighbourhood like an earthquake”. Strikes also targeted Houthi military sites in Yemen’s southwest city of Taiz, and a power station in the town of Dahya, where Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the Houthi leader, often meets his visitors 101 people injured in the strikes, mostly women and children 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 58-ft Potti Sriramulu statue to come up in Amaravati What kind of ideology thrives on bloodshed and the export of terror? We are not the sole victims. Wherever terror strikes in the world, the trail somehow leads to Pakistan E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Prime Minister Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a podcast with Lex Fridman, in New Delhi | PTI Pak’s terrorist mindset hurting peace, says Modi Islamabad must mend ways; disputes with China being worked out; Trump 2.0 stronger Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced that a 58-foot tall statue of Potti Sriramulu will be installed in Capital Amaravati in honour of Amarajeevi’s 58-day-long hunger strike for the creation of Andhra State. The statue installation will be completed before the next birth anniversary of Sriramu- lu, along with a memorial in Amaravati. Sriramulu’s native house in Padamatipalli will be converted into a museum. A modern health centre and a high school building will also be constructed in the village, he said. Participating in Sriramulu’s birth anniversary celebrations at Undavalli on Sunday, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to the statue of Amarajeevi. On the occasion, he said APCRDA, HUDCO sign `11,000 cr loan pact for Amaravati E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) signed an agreement with the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) for `11,000 crore loan for the development of Capital Amaravati at the residence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Undavalli on Sunday . HUDCO CMD Sanjay Kulshrestha, Director (Corporate Planning) M Nagaraj, Finance Director Daljit Singh Khatri, Vijayawada Regional Chief BSA Murthy APCRDA Commis, sioner K Kannababu, Additional Commissioner M Naveen, and Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development) S Suresh Kumar were present. According to Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P Narayana, the first phase of Amaravati development is estimated to cost `26,000 crore, and the total project cost is likely to be `50,000 crore. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have already committed `15,000 crore to the capital development. HUDCO has also sanctioned `4,400 crore for housing projects in the State. APCRDA officials exuded confidence that the HUDCO aid will accelerate the development of Capital Amaravati. EVERY noble attempt by India for peace with Pakistan was met with hostility and betrayal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview with American computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman, broadcast on Sunday. “We sincerely hope that wisdom prevails upon them and they choose the path of peace,” Modi said in his three-hour podcast. “Wherever ter ror strikes in the world, the trail somehow leads to Pakistan,” he said, citing the example of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the attack, took refuge in Pakistan, he pointed out. Calling out Pakistan’s ‘terrorist mindset’, he said: “Today it stands as an epi, centre of turmoil not just for India but for the world.” Modi recalled how he had specially invited the then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony in 2014 with the hope that the two countries could turn a new leaf. “Yet, every no- ble attempt at fostering peace was met with hostility and betrayal,” he said. On India’s relations with China, he said differences are natural between two neighbouring countries. “But our focus is to ensure that these differences don’ t tur n into disputes,” he said, adding that India prefers dialogue to sort out differences. Acknowledging the border dispute with China, he said efforts are on to address them through dialogue and consultation. “Slowly but surely trust should , return,” he added. Cooperation between India and China is beneficial not just for the two countries but also for global stability and prosperity, Modi noted. “Since the 21st century is Asia’s century we want India , and China to compete in a healthy way Competition is not . a bad thing, but it shouldn’t turn into conflict,” he said. When asked about his views on US President Donald Trump, Modi said in the second term, Trump seems “far more prepared than before”, adding that he has a clear roadmap in his mind with well-defined steps. Hafiz Saeed’s close aide shot dead in Pakistan M’luru police bust Karnataka’s biggest drug cartel, arrest two H a r p r ee t b a j w a @ Chandigarh V i n c en t D ’ S o u z a @ Mangaluru A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, wanted by Indian security agencies for several deadly terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, was eliminated by gunmen in Pakistan, officials said on Sunday . Zia-ur-Rehman alias Abu Qatal was gunned down in the Jhelum area of Punjab on Saturday evening. His security guard was also killed. Considered the lead handler of LeT founder and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, Rehman led the LeT strategy in planning a string of attacks in Poonch-Rajouri of J&K. In the biggest drug haul ever by Karnataka police, 37.87 kg of banned MDMA worth `75 crore was seized by Mangaluru City Police in Bengaluru. Two South African nationals—Bamba Fanta, 31, and Abigali Adonis, 30 — were arrested. The two were intercepted at Neeladrinagar near Electronics City in the state capital when they were allegedly on their way to supply the drugs to peddlers. Both the accused were staying illegally in the country police said. , Explaining their modus operandi, Mangaluru Police Com- E x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ New Delhi APCRDA and HUDCO officials exchange copies of `11,000 crore loan agreement at the residence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Undavalli on Sunday | Express missioner Anupam Agrawal said the two women used to travel from Delhi to Bengaluru on late-night flights with the drugs packed in trolley bags, and deliver it to peddlers in Nelamangala, KR Puram, Whitefield, Hoskote, Electronics City , and other places through cabs during early morning, and return. It is suspected that they were either procuring the drugs from outside India or somewhere near Delhi. Agarwal said that the operation stemmed from an earlier arrest, six months ago, of a Nigerian named Peter, who was arrested in Bengaluru with MDMA worth `6 crore. Police have prevented a major threat to the life of thousands of youth. Our government has set a target to root out drug menace Siddaramaiah, CM Grok AI Telugu slang leaves users amused U s h a Pe r i @ Visakhapatnam Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok had social media buzzing when it responded to users in fluent and unfiltered Telugu, sometimes even throwing back slang and witty retorts. Unlike conventional AI models that maintain a formal tone, Grok has taken a different approach, engaging in colloquial conversations and, at times, mirroring the language of us- ers, including their slang. It all started when a user on X (formerly Twitter) asked, “Hey @Grok, who owns the ‘Babulake Babu’ tag in Tollywood?” Grok responded with an unbiased take: “The ‘Babulake Babu’ tag in Tollywood is a hot debate! Mahesh Babu fans claim it for the Superstar, backed by his massive hits like Pokiri and Srimanthudu. But Pawan Kalyan fans argue it’s theirs, citing his unmatched mass appeal since the 2000s. The slogan’s origins are murky - both sides say the other stole it. Who do you think owns it?” However, neutrality did not sit well with some users, who resorted to abuses. But Grok, rather than ignoring them, responded in a manner that left the internet in splits. “Slang tho mock cheyyadam Tollywood fan culture lo common, kaani nenu side P4 teesukonu!”  Word of caution “Grok’s ability to respond in Telugu, including slang, helps connect with rural people. However, there is a risk of overcasualisation. Youth may misuse it,” said Sreedhar Kosaraju, Director of APDTI Network Sriramulu lived for the people, and the Telugu community . “Among several people, only a few leave an indelible mark on history. As long as Telugu history exists, Sriramulu will be remembered,” the Chief Minister said. Elaborating further, he said the sacrifice of Sriramulu paved the way for the formation of linguistic States in India. During the British rule, governance was structured through Presidencies, prioritising administrative conven- Potti Sriramulu lived for the people, and the Telugu community. Among several, only a few leave an indelible mark on history. As long as Telugu history exists, Sriramulu will be remembered N Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister ience over linguistic or regional identities. However, after Independence, the people’s selfidentity, and cultural pride strengthened, he said. Born on March 16, 1901 in Madras, Sriramulu’s family originally hailed from Nellore. He strongly believed that people should have the right to be governed in their language. His struggle for a separate Teluguspeaking State led to his ultiP4 mate sacrifice.  ‘The atmosphere felt volatile and dangerous’ Fearing for life Srinivasan says she had been blindsided by the entire turn of events. “I’m fearful that even the most low-level political speech ... can turn into this dystopian nightmare where somebody is calling you a terrorist sympathiser and making you, literally, fear for your life and safety” E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi On the morning of March 14, US federal immigration agents arrived at the Columbia University apartment of Indian student Ranjani Srinivasan to detain her. She had recently found out from the US Consulate in Chennai that her student visa had been abruptly revoked by the US State Department. The 37-year-old Srinivasan, a Fulbright scholar pursuing a doctoral degree in urban planning, wasn’t home. The agents didn’t stop coming. The following night, they returned. By then Srinivasan knew what could be in store for her. “The atmosphere felt so volatile and dangerous,” Srinivasan told The New York Times in her first interview since fleeing. “I just made a quick decision.” She packed her belongings, left her cat with a friend, and caught a flight to Canada from LaGuardia Airport. Her roommate was left to face the immigration agents who persisted in their search for Srinivasan. Hours later, Mahmoud Khalil, another Columbia student, was arrested from his apartment by authorities. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Srinivasan had voluntarily self-deported using the Customs and Border Protection Home App. Srinivasan’s ordeal is part of a larger, aggressive crackdown under the Trump administration aimed at pro-Palestinian demonstrators. She is one of several non-citizens at Columbia University who have found themselves targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in recent days. The DHS called Srinivasan a ‘ter rorist Pic: X sympathiser’ and accused her of supporting violence in support of Hamas. Her legal team denied the charges. Srinivasan, who reached the US legally in 2016, is currently in Canada. It is not immediately clear if she plans to return to India soon.