In a photo taken by an Associated Press photographer, the boy can be seen being carried by two uniformed officers, suspended in the air amid a backdrop of the White House.
Though short-lived, the toddler’s escapade may be historic: It’s possibly the first successful breach of the White House barrier since the fence’s height was doubled to 13 feet four years ago due to several intrusions. The new fence did, however, come with gaps an inch wider, totaling 5.5 inches.
It also appears to be the first baby breach at the White House in eight years. In 2015, a 4-year-old made it into a secured area as well, causing security officers to draw their weapons on the north lawn. And the year before that, a toddler squeezed through the fence in front of the residence.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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#Time #Baby #breaches #White #House #fence
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Hyderabad: Kothagudem police arrested Communist Party of India (Marxist) Local Organisation Squad (LOS) commander and deputy commander on Tuesday.
Superintendent of police G Vineeth said that during vehicle inspections on the outskirts of the at Bhadrachalam town by the local police two persons moving suspiciously were caught and questioned.
During the interrogation, the two their connections with the Maoist party as Dhumam LOS commander Kunjam Ungal and deputy commander Musike Raje of Dolaraj, Sukma district in Chhattisgarh. Ungal alias Pradeep, is a resident of Vedira village and Raje is his wife.
Ungal is accused in the killing of four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans in an ambush and looting of firearms in 2009, killing of 10 CRPF jawans through a bomb blast and looting of arms in 2010, killing of 14 CRPF jawans and looting of arms in an ambush in 2014 besides his involvement in other attacks on police forces, said the SP Vineeth.
Raje is accused in several incidents involving exchange of fire with police.
Ungal joined the Balala committee in 2005 and later became a member of the Maoist party in 2009. Raje had also joined the Balala committee in 2010 and became Maoist party member in 2013.
New Delhi: Several students from Jammu and Kashmir aspiring to get admission to Jamia Millia Islamia are in a fix after the university allegedly removed Srinagar as an entrance exam centre.
They say they will now have to spend thousands of rupees on travelling and accommodation in Delhi to sit in the entrance test. Several students alleged that they were getting Delhi as the only option when filling out the application forms online for admission to most undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes.
However, Jamia administration said the Srinagar Centre was not removed for all courses but had to be cancelled for some programmes as the number of applicants in that particular course was fewer than 50.
The admission prospectus had listed seven test centres Thiruvananthapuram, Lucknow, Delhi, Patna, Kolkata, Srinagar and Guwahati. Students were allowed to opt for any of the centres. The prospectus had mentioned that if the number of applicants is either 49 or less, the test for that course will be held in Delhi.
Students say this is unfair and puts avoidable economic burden on them to book air tickets and hotels. They have urged Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar to allow them to sit in entrance test at a centre in Srinagar.
“I have filled an application form for admission to an LLM programme and three applications for my sister in UG courses. There was no option for Srinagar. I cannot come to Delhi just for an entrance test. It will cost me over Rs 25,000 for travelling and accommodation,” Sameer Ahmed Sofia, 27, told PTI over phone from Srinagar.
“There are scores of students who share my concern. We have not received any communication why Srinagar was removed as the centre. I have asked many students whether their application forms showed Srinagar. All of them have said ‘no’,” he added.
Muneeb Ayub Bhatt, 25, has applied for a PhD course. His father is a carpenter and earns around Rs 400 per day.
“I have done my graduation and post-graduation from Srinagar. Now for a better opportunity and exposure, I want to come to Delhi. Why they are hindering our entry into Delhi? My father earns Rs 400 per day. He is the sole earning member and you are expecting me to come to Delhi to give an entrance test. Where would I stay and how will I manage the travel,” Bhatt said.
Hundreds of students from the Kashmir Valley appear for entrance tests across courses every year.
Jamia Millia Islamia provides reservation and relaxation under special provisions to candidates from Jammu and Kashmir. Their admission is considered over and above not exceeding two seats in the programmes offered by faculties.
The J&K Students Association said despite seats being reserved for students from the Union territory, the university has failed to provide exam centres in Srinagar, making it difficult for students to pursue their dreams.
With the entrance exams scheduled for the first week of June, the association has expressed concern that many students may miss the tests if a centre is not set up locally.
“It would not be possible for candidates staying in far-flung areas to take exams in Delhi due to the scorching heat and financial constraints. It is not possible for a majority of students to afford air tickets and book hotels. It will take them days to reach Delhi and students who have opted for more than one subject will have to stay longer,” the association’s national convenor Nasir Khuehami said.
The JMI has already notified exam schedules for different courses, but has not announced exam centres in Srinagar yet, despite repeated requests by students and parents, he said.
“The remoteness of exam centres should not be a barrier for Kashmiri students, particularly those from marginalised communities. For many, travelling to other states is an expensive and time-consuming process that they cannot afford,” Khuehami added.
Jamia Millia Islamia Registrar Nazim Husain Al-Jafri has termed the students’ allegations “baseless”, saying it takes lakhs of rupees to conduct entrance tests.
“We need to send examination papers, book a centre, hire examiners and supervisor, and send two individuals from the university. It costs us lakhs of rupees to conduct entrance tests. We have a rule that if the number of applicants is either 49 or less, the test of that programme will be conducted in Delhi,” Jafri said.
“It is not like only Srinagar centre has been cancelled. The cancellation has been done at other centres also. This has been notified also,” he added.
Gensler has long argued that much of the lightly regulated $1 trillion market violates U.S. securities rules because many of the products consist of unregistered securities.
Gensler, an ally of top progressives like Senate Banking Chair Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), has been on a collision course with McHenry since the GOP took control of the House in January. The veteran regulator’s turbocharged rulemaking agenda includes planned overhauls of the private equity industry and stock market trading, along with a sweeping climate disclosure proposal that Republicans have battered with claims of government overreach.
But much of the fireworks during Tuesday’s marathon five-and-a-half-hour hearing were over crypto.
McHenry — along with other Republicans like Reps. French Hill of Arkansas and Bill Huizenga of Michigan — attacked Gensler over his approach to regulation. They said he was too focused on enforcement and not enough on providing clarity for the industry. They also blasted the SEC chair for stonewalling their efforts to investigate his response to the FTX failure, with McHenry calling the agency’s responses “unacceptable.”
“If you continue to thwart this institution by ignoring our requests and providing incomplete responses, we will be left with no choice but to pursue all avenues to compel the information or documents we need,” McHenry said.
In one contentious exchange, McHenry challenged Gensler to explain whether Ether — the second-largest crypto token after Bitcoin — is a security, while hinting at a potential turf war between the SEC and another regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam, whose agency oversees derivatives products, has said that Ether falls under the CFTC’s jurisdiction.
“Do you think it serves the market for an object to be viewed by the commodities regulators as a commodity and the securities regulator to be viewed as a security? Do you think that provides safety and soundness for the products?” McHenry asked Gensler, who led the CFTC during the Obama administration. “I think ‘no’ should be a very simple answer for you here.”
But Gensler declined, citing a longstanding precedent for SEC officials to not comment on specific cases. Instead, he offered a high-level response explaining the SEC’s test for determining whether an asset is a security.
The SEC chair called on exchanges, brokers and issuers to comply with the same rules that Wall Street follows.
“It’s not a matter of a lack of clarity,” he said. “This is a field that in the main is built up around non-compliance.”
Democrats, led by ranking member Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), defended Gensler’s crypto strategy — as well as most of the SEC’s agenda. Waters said his approach to crypto marked a “stark difference” from that of previous SEC officials. And Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut criticized Republicans for taking issue with the SEC for doing “too much, too quickly” just weeks after blasting bank regulators for doing “too little” and moving “too slowly” following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
The hearing offered Republicans a rare opportunity to harangue Gensler to his face rather than through public letters and official statements.
Gensler was often quick to defend the SEC’s work, but the frustration was palpable. Several lawmakers, including House Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, voiced displeasure with Gensler’s refusal to answer yes or no questions about his agenda.
Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.V.) bashed as “radical” Gensler’s high-profile bid to require public companies to disclose climate risks.
Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) said the SEC’s attempt to force private equity firms to make new disclosures to their investors would strip competition from the private funds market and harm investors. And Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), who chairs the committee’s panel on capital markets, said the planned overhaul of U.S. stock trading risks making “equity markets more costly, less efficient and overall worse” for individual investors.
Even some Democrats had questions.
Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York wondered aloud whether the SEC’s plans to update stock trading rules are “fixing what ain’t broken.”
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Aurangabad: The US aims to increase visa interview appointments for Indian students by 30 per cent this summer, US Consul General in Mumbai Mike Hankey said here on Tuesday.
He said US consulates processed nearly 1.25 lakh visa applications of students in India.
During his visit to Aurangabad, Hankey held meetings with members of industries. He also visited Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University and interacted with students.
“Last year, we sent more than 1.25 lakh Indian students to the US, setting a new record for Indian students going to the US in a year and establishing India as the leading country of sending students. This year we are trying to increase that number (of students) further,” he told PTI.
“Our goal is to expand the number of interview appointments we offer for students by 30 per cent this summer. We hope to welcome more Indian students to the USA,” Hankey added.
During his interaction with students, the American envoy appealed to them to visit websites and find an appropriate curriculum for them.
The US Consulate Mumbai tweeted that Hankey met with conservationist and industrialist Mukund Bhogale to learn about the historical legacy of the Marathwada region, efforts towards the preservation of its heritage, and areas of cooperation with the city’s business community.
He also interacted with an industrial delegation over supplying aluminium to support the global aerospace and defence supply chain.
Hyderabad: Our city is famous globally for Biryani, and heritage sites like the Golconda Fort and the Charminar. Without a doubt, the city is a haven for heritage lovers, many of whom fall in love with the history after a visit. However, just like any other place with layers of history, it is very easy to overlook some of the most important historical sites.
Hyderabad was founded in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fourth monarch of the Qutb Shahi or Golconda dynasty (1518-1687), after he decided to move out of the Golconda Fort that year. The fort, prior to that, was a walled city and to this day it has parts that have been largely forgotten. The city our founders built was destroyed in 1687 by the Mughals as part of their southern conquest, and the Asaf Jahis were later appointed as Nizams of Hyderabad (Deccan) by the Mughals in 1724.
On the occasion of World Heritage Day, Siasat.com brings for our readers list of beautiful and lesser known heritage sites, that are a must for locals and tourists alike. Heritage, which is nothing but something that is passed down from one generation to another, must be nurtured and preserved. These are considered to be the soul of a city.
Badhshahi Ashurkhana
Unlike the Charminar, which is on every tourists’s must-see list, the Badshahi Ashurkhana more often than not gets overlooked. Not only is it the second oldest monument of Hyderabad that was built by our founding king, it is also one of the handful of historical sites that still has some of its persian tiles left.
The Badshahi Ashoorkhana was constructed between 1592-96, sometime after the Charminar was built in 1591. Like other Ashoorkhanas, this one too saw bad days for nearly a century after the Qutb Shahi dynasty fell to Aurangzeb’s army in 1687. And it wasn’t until Nizam Ali (the second monarch of the Asaf Jahi dynasty) came to power that the Badshahi Ashoorkhana was given an annual grant.
The Badhshahi Ashurkhana’s wall. (Image: Siasat)
An Ashoorkhana is where Shia Muslims mourn during Ashura, the 10th of Moharram. The place is dedicated to Imam Hussain, a grandson of Prophet Muhammad who was killed in the battle of Karbala. Hussain was the son of Imam Ali, the prophet’s son-in-law (and cousin).
Naya Qila in Golconda Fort
The Naya Qila area is in fact believed to be about 500 years old, and is a part of the Golconda dynasty’s (which founded Hyderabad in 1591) remaining heritage in our city. The Naya Qila area, which is now cut-off from the Golconda fort due to local encroachments, was developed into an external fortification after the first Mughal attack (during the time of Emperor Shah Jahan) on Hyderabad in 1656.
The centuries old baobab tree in the Naya Qila area of Golconda fort. (Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania)
Opposite the Majnu Bastion is the Laila Bastion. Other parts of Naya Qila which are open to the public are the Baobab tree, which is believed to be over 400 years old (it is said to have been planted there by African friars), the Mustafa Khan Masjid (which was built in 1561 and predates Hyderabad), and the Mulla Khyali Masjid, which is believed to be named after the Deccan poet Mulla Khyali.
While the Majnu Bastion’s collapse is the latest instance of the city’s heritage getting damaged, in the past the HGA had also disallowed the general public from entering the Naya Qila area. However, according the ASI, there is no such restriction and the public is free to visit the place.
British Residency
The Residency building was essentially the first major building built for the British East India Company in Hyderabad. It remained so until 1947, when the British left and it was after until September 1948 (when the Hyderabad state was annexed to India through the military offensive Operation Polo), that it came under the eventual state government, which decided to hand it over to Osmania University.
It was built after the British and the second Nizam of Hyderabad (1762-1803) signed a treaty in 1798, formally allowing the British to settle down here.
The British Residency. (Image: Yunus Y. Lasania)
The structure in fact was also the place where angry Rohilla (Afghan soldiers) working in Hyderabad attacked the British during India’s first war in independence on July 17, 1857. The charge was led by Maulvi Allauddin and Turrebaz Khan, who led citizens of Hyderabad from the Mecca Masjid to the Residency building after the Friday prayers.
Visitors have to visit its website and can book entry tickets.
Raymond’s Tomb
Monsieur Michel Joachim Marie Raymond is a name that most Hyderabadis are not familiar with today, but in the late 18th century, during the period of Hyderabad’s second Nizam, he was believed to be a local hero of sorts. Raymond, who live here during the reign of Nizam Ali Khan (second Nizam) of the Asaf Jahi dynasty (1724-1948), was essentially sent to Hyderabad around the 1780s by the French from Madras to take over the French troops her long before the Nizams and the British formally sealed an exclusive agreement in 1798.
The obelisk of the French commander at Moosarambagh. (Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania)
A french man from Gascony, he landed in the French port at Pondicherry first in 1775, after which he went to Mysore where he worked under Hyder Ali (Tipu Sultan’s father). He later began working under another French commander named De Bussy, following which Raymond arrived in Hyderabad around 1786. According to legend, in March 1798, he shot and buried his two dogs and horse, then killed himself. His grave was marked with an obelisk, behind which there is a beautiful pavilion.
Nizams Museum (Purani Haveli)
Unlike the Salar Jung Museum, which is a major tourist attraction in Hyderabad, the privately-run Nizams museum is in fact a definite hidden gem. It houses many artefacts that were presented to Osman Ali Khan, Hyderabad’s last and seventh Nizam, on occasion of his 25th silver jubilee anniversary in 1937 (celebrations were postponed to a year later).
A view of the Purani Haveli palace in which the Nizams Museum is situated. (Image: Abinaya Sivagnanam).
The museum, apart from its artefacts, also has on display the world’s largest wardrobe at 176 feet that belonged to Hyderabad’s sixth Nizam Mahbub Ali Pasha. Entry fee here is slightly higher than other places. The place is situated inside the Purani Haveli palace, which is in the lane just after the Princess Durru Shevar Hospital in the Old City.
Mumbai: Full emergency was declared at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday for a Delhi-bound Air India flight owing to a glitch, a source said.
The flight had 180 passengers on board.
Air India, in a statement, said that its flight AI858 operating on Pune-Delhi route landed ahead of its scheduled time following a minor crack on the aircraft’s windshield.
“Full emergency was declared for the Air India Delhi flight from Pune at Indira Gandhi International airport at 5.44 pm on Tuesday due to a glitch. The aircraft was carrying 180 passengers on board,” the source said.
“Air India flight AI 858 operating Pune-Delhi on April 18 safely landed in Delhi ahead of its scheduled arrival time, following a minor crack on the right (starboard side) of the operating aircraft’s windshield,” the airline said.
All passengers and flight crew were safe, it said.
The aircraft will undergo the necessary maintenance procedure, and its windshield will be replaced, Air India added.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar and his dependents’ wealth grew from Rs 840.08 crore in the 2018 Assembly polls to Rs 1,413.78 crore in 2023 election showing an increase of 68.29 per cent over the last five years.
The Kanakapura MLA, who is contesting again from the same constituency, filed his affidavit on Monday.
According to the affidavit, he has a movable property worth Rs 251.69 crore which includes Rs 6.75 crore from the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF). In all, the family has Rs 273.42 crore worth movable property.
Further, the immovable assets of the former minister is Rs 972.65 crore whereas his family has total immovable assets of Rs 1,140.36 crore.
Back in 2018, Shivakumar and his family’s movable assets were Rs 101.30 crore and immovable property was Rs 738.78 crore.
The Congress leader has 19 cases registered against him including four Income Tax related, two by the Directorate of Enforcement and one Central Bureau of Investigation. All these cases are ongoing.
Lucknow: A senior Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) official on Tuesday said police will seek remand of the three assailants who shot dead gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf, and added all the questions regarding the killing will be answered.
“The murder of Atiq-Ashraf was committed in front of the media. The three shooters are under arrest. We will take them in police remand and all the questions regarding the killing will be answered,” DIG, STF, Anand Dev Tiwari told reporters.
He said whether there was a syndicate, persons or those having enmity with them, from where they got the arms — all these questions and the real motive behind the killing will be answered when the three will be taken on remand by the police.
Ahmad (60) and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a check-up.
The three assailants — Mohit alias Sunny (23) of Hamirpur, Lavlesh Tiwari (22) of Banda and Arun Maurya (18) of Kasganj — are presently in Pratapgarh jail.
When asked about the Umesh Pal murder case accused Ahmad’s wife Shaista Praveen and Guddu Muslim, who are absconding, the officer said that they will be arrested soon.
“We have limitations but they have a number of means to evade arrest. As far as Guddu Muslim is concerned he is known as Guddu ‘bombaaz’ and is expert in evading arrest while Praveen remains as ‘pardanashin’ (in veil). But we will be arresting them soon,” Tiwari said.
Apart from Ahmad and Ashraf, four others named in the Umesh Pal murder case FIR — Asad, Arbaaz, Vijay Chaudhary alias Usman and Ghulam — have also been killed.
Umesh Pal was a key witness in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, in which Ahmad was also an accused.
The FIR in the Umesh Pal murder case was lodged under relevant sections of IPC, including 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder), and under the Explosive Substances Act by his wife Jaya Pal on February 25.
New Delhi: Indian students are reported to have been restricted from around five Australian universities over fraudulent visa application cases.
According to reports emerging from sections of Australian media, it has been alleged that migrants from India used the student visa system as an easier alternative to access work rights in Australia.
Reports further said that cases of sham visas are on the rise and therefore, Australian authorities have restricted entry of Indian students.
These reports quoting investigations by leading Australian newspapers like “The Age” and “The Sydney Morning Herald”, said that mails obtained from some known universities of that country, showed the crackdown on applications from Indian students.
With Australia expecting a huge surge of Indian students this year, the reports said that cases of expected visa fraud have raised concerns within authorities.
Signing of a wide ranging agreement between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, will also allow easier travel for studying in both countries. This too is likely to pose a challenge to authorities to prevent cases of sham visas, reports said further.
