PM Modi’s Eid message for Maldives president amid strained ties

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.

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.”

Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has warned that around 1,500 citizens have lost their eyesight due to the war and another 4,000 are at risk of blindness because of severe shortages of medications and medical equipment.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in a report on Sunday said that the eye care services in Gaza have been facing a catastrophic collapse because of the genocidal war.

“The health sector is witnessing a critical shortage of consumables and medical equipment for eye surgeries, which is leading to an almost total collapse of surgical services, particularly for retinal diseases and diabetic retinopathy with internal bleeding,” said Dr. Abdelsalam Sabah, director of Gaza’s Eye Hospital.

“The Eye Hospital currently has only 3 worn-out surgical scissors in use, which greatly increases risks to patients’ lives and prevents effective treatment,” he added.

The majority of eye injuries are caused by shrapnel from ordnance explosions and need medical materials such as Healon and fine sutures, which are almost impossible to find in the Strip due to the blockade.

Unless immediate and urgent intervention is made by relevant bodies and international organizations, the Eye Hospital will be unable to provide any surgical services in the near future.

The siege has forced hospitals and medical centers in Gaza to ration medications such as painkillers, provide less effective treatment, or turn patients away.

Hospitals and medical centers have run out of surgical supplies such as anesthetics, pediatric antibiotics, and medicines for chronic conditions.

Since March 18, when the Israeli regime broke its ceasefire agreement with Hamas, it has killed around 1,900 Palestinians and wounded several thousand more, most of whom are children and women.