Vijayawada-Guntur set to be announced as new Andhra Pradesh capital on Thursday

 The new capital of Andhra Pradesh will be officially announced on Thursday in the state assembly. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is set to announce the Vijayawada-Guntur area as new capital region. However, the Sivaramakrishnan committee constituted by the UPA government had said that designating the region as the capital would bring up economic and environmental problems.

The opposition YSR Congress is demanding a discussion on the new capital.

The Naidu government has drawn up ambitious plans to transform Andhra Pradesh into a "bustling" state and place it among the top three states in the country by 2022.

Development of 14 major and minor ports, rivalling Singapore on the maritime front, three international airports and 14 domestic airports, three 'mega cities' and 11 'smart cities' and 28 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are top on the government's agenda to make AP an "air and maritime hub" and propel economic development.

Creation of inland waterways in the state and a National Waterway connecting coastal town Kakinada with Puducherry is also on the anvil.

Add the five "grids" and the seven "missions", the plans look massive for a state that is seeking to re-build itself in the aftermath of the bifurcation.

The five grids contemplated by the government are water, power, highways, gas and fibre optic. The seven missions comprise primary sector, social empowerment, skill and knowledge development, urban development, industry sector and infrastructure sector.

These missions will have specific objectives to push the growth plans envisaged by the government, create jobs and help alleviate poverty. "A society without poverty.. a state that is a centre of technology...And, a joyous population confident of its bright future... That is my ultimate vision for Andhra Pradesh," says Naidu.

"I will ensure that we create the entire ecosystem and develop each city into a growth centre and eventually transform Andhra Pradesh into a bustling state," he promises, adding that he would convert the current adversities (caused by the state's division) into opportunities for all-round progress.

However, everything remains only on paper as of now, with no firm estimates of the finances required or the time frame within which the projects could be completed.

The biggest factor that could make or mar these grandiose projects is the availability of funds, as the state remains bankrupt. The state government is banking largely, if not solely, on the Centre to finance major projects like ports, airports and road networks, apart from smart cities.

"Our assistance to the state will be project-specific and not free grants," Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said during his recent trip to the state but the Naidu government wants the Centre to fulfil the "commitments" made in the AP Reorganisation Act-2014 and extend all financial help to the truncated state.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured he would do 'justice' to the state," the Chief Minister had announced after a recent meeting with him.

But the state is yet to prepare comprehensive project reports to be presented to the Centre. "Everything is only on the drawing board right now. We have to workout finer details of each plan before we can prepare detailed project reports," a Principal Secretary to government, involved in the process, told PTI.

In the case of international airports, the task is rather easier with respect to Tirupati and Visakhapatnam. Work on upgrading the existing domestic airport at Tirupati into an international one is already going but problems in identifying a suitable location has been holding up the construction of a new civilian international airport in port city Visakhapatnam.

The existing international airport in Vizag is currently under the control of Indian Navy. As Vijayawada is tipped to become the new capital of the state, a new international airport (possibly a greenfield) has to be built but plans for this have not even been drawn so far.

Among the five 'grids' mooted, the state hopes to draw funds from the Centre for the power and fibre-optic grids under the 'Power for All' and 'Bharat Broadband Network Project'.

"All these projects are like a five-year plan. Accordingly, we are preparing the project reports with varying priorities. Some of them will be ready in the next fortnight or so and we will then forward them to the Centre for financial assistance," a top bureaucrat said.

Inside Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh's 'Wedding'

Actress Deepika Padukone makes a picture-perfect bride in white while actor Ranveer Singh looks dashing as a groom in his suit.

The guests are ushered for their wedding reception and the newly-weds cut the cake. And after Ranveer stuffs the cake in his mouth, he dies. "That's a wrap up for Ranveer Singh," announces Finding Fanny director Homi Adajania.

Ranveer Singh, who will be seen in the film playing a cameo as Deepika Padukone's husband Gabo (who dies minutes after the wedding), talks about his role and the wedding sequence in this behind the scenes clip.

Ranveer says that he agreed to play the part since he found it amusing. "Homi explained the scene and it was very funny. I'm quite excited for it." In an earlier interview, Homi had said that Ranveer's energy is infectious.

Deepika also revealed that there was no face for the character of Gabo, and someone casually suggested that Ranveer could do it. "He prepared for it like he would do for a full role in a film," she said.

The film also stars Arjun Singh, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur and Naseeruddin Shah and is slated to release on September 12.

Girl Dies After Uncle Allegedly Hits Her For Asking For Rs 10

 An 11-year-old girl died after she was allegedly hit by her paternal uncle for demanding Rs 10 to pay in her school for the Teacher's Day function in Sahebgunj district, police said today.

Kajal Kumari, a Class V student of Bindudham Middle School, had demanded Rs 10 from her grandmother when her uncle Chandan Thathera, who was standing nearby, got annoyed over the demand and allegedly hit her on top of her head yesterday in Bindudham Naya Tola area, Inspector of Ranga police station Anil Kumar said.


The girl died on the spot, the Inspector said, adding that Chandan was at large.

The girl's father, Omprakash, who is a carpenter, was not at home when the incident occurred, he said.

Kajal had demanded the money to pay in school to get a Teacher's Day stamp worth Rs 10.

After Beheading of Steven Sotloff, Obama Pledges to Punish ISIS

 President Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday to punish the Sunni militants whose videotaped beheadings of two American journalists he said had "repulsed" the world, saying the United States would lead a regional and international coalition to beat back the terrorists.

"Our objective is clear, and that is: degrade and destroy ISIL so that it's no longer a threat, not just to Iraq but also to the region and to the United States," Obama said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group. He was speaking at a news conference here on the eve of a NATO summit meeting in Wales, as pressure built for him to articulate a broader military strategy to take on the Islamic State militants. (Read: Second Syria Beheading Raises Stakes for United States)

"It's not only that we're going to be bringing to justice those who perpetrated this terrible crime against these two fine young men," the president said. "The United States will continue to lead a regional and international effort against the kind of barbaric and ultimately empty vision" the group represents. (Journalist Steven Sotloff's Beheading Video Authentic: US)


Obama's strongly worded statement came after he drew criticism from allies and foes last week, when he said that he had not yet developed a strategy for confronting the Islamic State group in Syria. US airstrikes in Iraq, the president said Wednesday, had "borne fruit" by "blunting the momentum" of the militants in that country and averting the humanitarian disasters it had threatened to spark.

He spoke just hours after the White House said intelligence agencies had analyzed a video showing the beheading by an Islamic State fighter of American Steven J. Sotloff, a 31-year-old freelance journalist, and considered it authentic. (Also read: Despite Dangers, US Journalist Steven Sotloff was Determined to Record Arab Spring's Human Toll)

"Whatever these murderers think they will achieve by killing innocent Americans like Steven, they have already failed," Obama said in his first comments on Sotloff's killing since the video was released.

"We will not be intimidated," the president said. "Their horrific acts only unite us as a country and stiffen our resolve to take the fight against these terrorists."

The video marks the second time in two weeks that the militant group released a graphic depiction of the beheading of an American, intensifying pressure on the president to order military strikes on the group in its sanctuary in Syria. (Slain US Journalist Steven Sotloff Also Had Israeli Citizenship: Official)

Obama said he was not yet ready to order such action, saying he wanted to be sure that the mission would be effective and that allies at home and abroad supported it.

"It is very important from my perspective that when we send our pilots in to do a job, that we know that this is a mission that's going to work, we're very clear what our objectives are, what our targets are, we've made the case to Congress and we've made the case to the American people, and we have allies behind us," Obama said, "so that it's not just a one-off." (Read: James Foley, Other Hostages Held by Islamic State Were Waterboarded)

Pressed on whether he was talking about the elimination of the Islamic State, Obama suggested he was seeking instead to limit the group's reach.

The president said his goal was to ensure that the Islamic State "is not an ongoing threat to the region," and that the group "is degraded to the point where it is no longer the kind of factor that we've seen it being over the last few months."

Obama said that if the United States were to be joined by the international community, "we can continue to shrink ISIL's sphere of influence, its effectiveness, its financing, its military capabilities to the point where it is a manageable problem."

In the latest video, Sotloff is shown kneeling in the same fashion as another American journalist who was recently beheaded, James Foley, with a masked figure standing above and wielding a knife. Sotloff addresses the camera and describes himself as "paying the price" for Obama's decision to strike the group in northern Iraq.

The president was briefed on the video Tuesday before his departure for Estonia.

His remarks, which were made at a joint news conference with President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia, came at the start of a three-day visit to Europe that was choreographed to project a strong response by Obama and European allies to Russia's increasingly bellicose moves in eastern Ukraine. But with the situation there changing rapidly and the surfacing of the second Islamic State video, the trip is instead serving to showcase the vexing array of pressures weighing on the president to move more decisively on crises around the globe.

Obama arrived in Estonia on Wednesday for a day of private meetings with Baltic leaders and public statements meant to reassure allies - particularly those bordering Russia - that the United States and Europe are serious about defending them from their newly aggressive neighbor.

He was scheduled to travel to Wales later in the day for a NATO summit meeting, at which members are expected to endorse a rapid-reaction force capable of deploying quickly to Eastern Europe, their strongest response yet to Russia's stealth military intervention in Ukraine.

Confronting the Islamic State group is not on the formal agenda for the NATO meeting, but it is very much an issue expected to be addressed on the sidelines, where US Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will be working to enlist help from allies in developing a strategy to counter the militant group.

10 highlights of Modi's visit to Japan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday concluded his successful five-day tour of Japan. Here are 10 highlights from his visit.

1. Japan has promised to give $35 billion to India through public and private funding over the next 5 years for developmental projects, including building of smart cities and cleanup of river Ganges.

2. Both sides have signed five pacts covering defence exchanges, cooperation in clean energy, roads and highways, healthcare and women while vowing to take their relationship from strategic partnership to a special strategic partnership.

3. Japan has lifted the ban on six Indian entities including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) which was imposed in the aftermath of 1998 nuclear tests.

4. The two sides agreed to enhance their defence and strategic cooperation to a new level and also decided to speed up negotiations on a civil nuclear deal that could not be concluded now.

5. In Kyoto, a pact was signed under which Modi's Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi will be developed on the pattern of Kyoto 'smart city' with the help of Japan.

6. Tokyo will help India in providing financial, technical and operational support to introduce Bullet trains, a project that Modi has been actively pursuing.

7. Prime Minister Modi has asked NRIs to visit India at least once a year to boost tourism.

8. Both sides have signed a MoU for cooperation in heritage conservation, city modernisation and cooperation in the fields of art, culture and academics.

9. Both countries have decided to build a strong, deep and strategic relationship under the India-Japan Cooperation framework.

10. India has decided to set up a Special Management Team directly under the PMO to facilitate proposals from Japan.

Shweta Basu Prasad of Makdee fame arrested for prostitution

Noted actor Shweta Basu Prasad was arrested in Hyderabad on Sunday for being involved in a high-profile prostitution racket.

Reports said the 23-year-old actor was caught "in a compromising position" after the Hyderabad Police raided a famous hotel at the upscale Banjara Hills in the city.

Shweta rose to fame after she won the National Award for Best Child Artiste in 2002 for her role in Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Makdee'. She later featured in several Hindi films and TV serials, including Nagesh Kukunoor's 'Iqbal' and Ekta Kapoor's 'Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki'. She then moved to Hyderabad to work in Telugu films. She also starred in a few Bengali and Tamil movie.
After her arrest, the actor released a statement in which she said she was out of money and had no other way to support her family.

"I have made wrong choices in my career, and I was out of money. I had to support my family and some other good causes. All the doors were closed, and some people encouraged me to get into prostitution to earn money. I was helpless, and with no option left to choose, I got involved in this act. I'm not the only one who faced this problem, and there are several other heroines who have gone through this phase," Shweta said in her statement.

The police said they have also arrested several well-known businessmen along with the actor. The actor underwent a medical test before being lodged in a rescue home run by the Woman and Child Welfare department. She is likely to stay there for three months. The inmates are provided with free food, clothing, medical care and vocational training.
Balu, who was reportedly collecting Rs 1 lakh each from high-flying customers, has been sent to jail.

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