Kerala: 3 sisters, aged 18, 23, 26 drown in pond in front of helpless father

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada district has secured the top position in Karnataka in the SSLC (Class 10) results for the academic year 2024–25, with a pass percentage of 91.12%, as announced on Friday.

In the previous academic year (2023–24), the district had ranked second in the state with a higher pass percentage of 92.12%. Despite a 1% drop in the pass rate this year, the district has risen to the top position. In 2022–23, it had ranked 17th with 89.52%.

Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) Venkatesh S Patagar attributed the district’s improved rank to several focused initiatives. Among them were the timely completion of the syllabus by December 2024 and subject-wise special classes.

Special attention was given to slow learners through dedicated support classes. The department also organized fortnightly parent meetings to track students' academic progress.

To instill discipline and a consistent study routine, schools made regular wake-up calls to students in the mornings and evenings. Other initiatives included model question paper practice, the 'Jnana Sinchana' live YouTube series, online doubt-clearing sessions, and interactive radio phone-in programs.

Students were also encouraged to attempt the 'Vijayeebhava' question paper series, developed and published by the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Udupi.

Newcastle (Washington) / Mysuru: In a deeply disturbing incident that has shocked both the tech world and local communities in India and the U.S., a Mysuru-based entrepreneur allegedly shot and killed his wife and one of their sons before turning the gun on himself at their residence in Newcastle, Washington. 

The couple’s younger son, aged seven, survived, having stepped out of the house shortly before the tragedy unfolded.

The accused, Harsha Kikkeri (57)—also known as Harshavardhan—was the founder and CEO of HoloWorld, a Mysuru-based robotics company. His wife Shwetha and one of their sons were found dead at the scene along with Harsha, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). Authorities responded to a 911 call at a townhouse in the 7000 block of 129th Street on Thursday night (U.S. time). Upon arrival, deputies found three bodies and confirmed that the scene posed no further threat to public safety.

While investigators are treating it as a murder-suicide, the exact motive remains unknown. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to release the names or ages of the deceased children. The case remains under active investigation.

A Life of Innovation and Ambition

Hailing from Kikkeri village in Karnataka’s Mandya district, Harsha was an engineering graduate from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE), Mysuru. He went on to work with Microsoft in the United States, where he was involved in cutting-edge robotics development.

In 2017, Harsha and Shwetha returned to India and co-founded HoloWorld, a robotics startup that soon made headlines for its product HoloSuit—a bi-directional, wireless full-body motion capture suit. Touted as the world’s first of its kind at an affordable price, the suit was designed for applications across healthcare, sports, education, and skill development.

HoloWorld's products were exported to multiple countries, including the US, UK, and Israel. Indian cricket star Yuvraj Singh served as the brand ambassador. Harsha even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss deploying robotic soldiers along India's borders. As a respected member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) network, he frequently spoke at tech and innovation forums.

Despite his professional achievements, the recent tragedy has left many in the tech and entrepreneurial communities grappling for answers.

Community in Mourning

Neighbours in the Newcastle suburb described the family as kind, quiet, and largely private.

“We would exchange greetings. I often saw the mother walking her children to school—she was very warm,” said Alex Gumina, President of the local Homeowners Association.

Another neighbour recalled, “She was always smiling, and her younger son was especially affectionate. We’re devastated—this is unimaginable.”

Residents are planning a community gathering over the weekend to honor the family and support the surviving child.

Business Winds Down After Pandemic

HoloWorld’s corporate headquarters in India was located in Vijayanagar Third Stage, Mysuru, specifically housing its division HoloEducation. The company operated actively from 2018 until it scaled down in 2022 amid the pandemic. The premises have since remained vacant.

“I haven’t been in touch with them in years,” said the building owner. “They shut down during COVID, and I only heard about the tragedy yesterday.”

The incident has sent shockwaves through Mysuru’s business circles. Bhaskar Kalale, Chairman of EqualizeRCM India and President of TiE Mysuru Chapter, expressed deep condolences, calling the event “heartbreaking beyond words.”

US President Donald Trump says he is willing to reach an agreement with Iran that allows Washington to “blow up” Tehran’s nuclear energy facilities.

“It’s that simple,” he said during an exchange with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, on Wednesday.

“I would much prefer a strong, verified deal where we actually blow them up…,” Trump said, referring to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Deal’s outcome: Either ‘Nice aggression’ or ‘vicious aggression’

The 78-year-old former president added that there were only two possible outcomes, namely “blowing them up nicely or blow them up viciously.”

This is not the first time, Trump and other American officials have urged “total dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear energy program. The US president had last made the insistence during comments on the NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

Observers said such statements underline the US administration's continued aggressive approach towards the Islamic Republic and its nuclear energy program.

The adversarial standing comes while Washington and Tehran have been engaging in indirect talks since March. The talks’ initiation marked drawn-out absence of such engagement between the two sides that had been caused by Washington’s illegal and unilateral withdrawal from a historic nuclear deal between Tehran and others in 2018.

Most recently, Trump’s regional envoy Steve Witkoff said, “The president wants to see this solved diplomatically if possible, so we’re doing everything we can to get it going."

Trump’s remarks, though, diagonally contradict Witkoff’s statement about the president’s alleged interest in a diplomatic solution.

Trump also said potential American aggression against Iran’s nuclear sites had to result in “de-nuking them.”

The US and its allies have for long been trying to accuse the Islamic Republic of pursuing “nuclear weapons,” despite the country’s repeated avowal not to either pursue, develop, or stockpile such weaponry as per moral and religious imperatives.

Tehran’s peaceful nuclear policy has been verified unexceptionally by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which has never found any indication of such pursuit, as it has put the country's nuclear activities under the most extensive investigative processes compared to any other member of the United Nations nuclear agency.

The Western narrative, though, has been used extensively to try to justify escalating sanctions, military threats, and covert operations targeting Iran and its nuclear infrastructure.

Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic has invariably vowed to deal effectively with attempts on the part of the US, its allied states, or proxies at engaging in military adventurism against the country.

The assertion was last reiterated by Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's permanent ambassador to the United Nations, who underscored on Monday that the country would unquestionably defend its sovereignty against any threat or use of force.