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Indian techie kills wife, son, then shoots himself in US home – The Times of India

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Indian techie kills wife, son, then shoots himself in US home – The Times of India


An Indian-origin tech entrepreneur from Mysuru allegedly shot and killed his wife and one of his sons before taking his own life at their home in Newcastle, Washington, on April 24.
The victims have been identified as Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, 57, his wife Shwetha Panyam, 44, and their 14-year-old son. The family had been living in the US for several years, The Renton Reporter noted.
According to the King County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a 911 call on the evening of April 24 and discovered three bodies inside the family’s townhouse in the 7000 block of 129th Street SE.
Harshavardhana’s wife Shwetha and their son died from gunshot wounds and their deaths were ruled as homicides, while he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, which was classified as a suicide, the King County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The motive behind the crime is yet to be revealed. The couple’s younger son survived the incident.
Harshavardhana, originally from Kikkeri village in Karnataka’s Mandya district, was CEO of HoloWorld, a now-closed robotics company based in Mysuru.
He co-founded HoloWorld with his wife in 2017 after moving back to India. The company, which focused on AI and robotics and was shut down in 2022.
Local neighbors were stunned. “A young family lived in the home,” said Cathy Dunbar in an interview with KOMO News. Deputies remained at the scene until early morning hours following the discovery.
Harshavardhana, a graduate of Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering in Mysuru had earlier worked with Microsoft in US, focusing on robotics.





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Indian-origin family of three found dead after shooting at Washington home

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2 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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Indian-origin family of three found dead after shooting at Washington home


Image for representation only
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Three Indian-origin people were found dead after a shooting at a home in the U.S. State of Washington, according to local media reports. The incident took place on April 24 in Newcastle city.

The dead were identified as Harshavardhana Kikkeri, 44, Shwetha Panyam, 41, and Dhruva Kikkeri, 14, The Seattle Times newspaper reported on Tuesday (April 29, 2025).

While the deaths of Shwetha and Dhruva were ruled as homicide by the police, Harshavardhana died by suicide, the report quoted the King County medical examiner’s office as saying.

Neighbours told the KOMO News that a young family lived in the home where the shooting took place.

On the night of the shooting, authorities were called to the townhouse on 129th Street after receiving a 911 call. The KING 5 television station said its crew saw a child being escorted from the home and comforted by investigators.

Owners of Holoworld

Reports said Harshavardhana, alongside Shwetha, was the owner of an India-based AI tech company Holoworld. 

According to the company’s website, it was founded in 2018 by the two, with Harshavardhana serving as the CEO and CTO, and Shwetha as president.

King County sheriff’s spokesperson Brandyn Hull said she could not comment on whether the case was believed to be a murder-suicide.

“We understand many questions remain about the events that took place in Newcastle on April 24,” Hull was quoted as saying by Renton Reporter newspaper. “An investigation such as this takes time, and our detectives are working diligently to try and piece together what led to this incident. Until this work concludes, the Sheriff’s Office won’t have any further updates.”

No sign of the deaths’ motive or relationships among the deceased was released by the sheriff’s office, according to the report.

Published – April 30, 2025 02:39 pm IST



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A tariff-ic century? 100 key decisions Trump took since coming back to the White House – The Times of India

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April 30, 2025

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A tariff-ic century? 100 key decisions Trump took since coming back to the White House – The Times of India


File photo of US President Donald Trump (Pic credit: AP)

President Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office this January has felt more like a seismic event than a simple transition of power. In just 100 days, he has dismantled core pillars of the New Deal and Great Society, upended decades of free-trade commitments, and sent shockwaves through alliances once deemed unbreakable. From emergency proclamations that rewrote the rules of global commerce to calling on Elon Musk himself to overhaul the federal workforce, this administration has moved with a speed and boldness rarely seen in modern Washington.
Rather than seeking gradual change, Trump has employed executive orders as his primary instrument, tearing down environmental safeguards, restoring the federal death penalty, and challenging the very definition of citizenship in bold, far-reaching strokes. His border strategy has shifted from political promise to military posture: troops now patrol newly fortified fences, migrants face expedited expulsions without court hearings, and centuries-old statutes have been revived to justify sweeping detentions.
On April 2, the US imposed a 145% tariff on most Chinese imports, calling it a “Liberation Day” action. This move eliminated the de minimis exemption for shipments from China and Hong Kong, raising standard duties to at least 145% for goods sent through private carriers. In response, China increased tariffs on US goods to 125% two weeks later, calling the US hikes a “joke” even as negotiations continued. Since then, tensions between the US and China have led importers to stockpile goods, caused a decline in factory activity in Asia, and pushed US tariffs to their highest levels in over a century.
Beyond policy, Trump has targeted the cultural institutions he deems out of step with his vision. Universities, museums, and media outlets carrying the “woke” label have been singled out for defunding or restructuring. In less than half a year, this presidency has challenged norms, tested legal limits, and redefined the scope of executive power in America. Here are 100 numbers that capture every facet of this whirlwind first stretch back in the White House.
Here are the 100 big decisions Trump took since he came back in power:

  1. 26 executive orders on Day 1
  2. 142 total executive orders by Day 100
  3. 39 presidential proclamations
  4. 42 presidential memoranda
  5. 5 bills signed into law
  6. 3 Congressional Review Act rollbacks
  7. 200+ lawsuits filed against administration policies
  8. 70+ court rulings blocking or delaying initiatives
  9. 19 rulings curtailing deportations or birthright-citizenship efforts
  10. 130,000 total deportations in first three months
  11. 39,000 deportations to Mexico
  12. 48,000 detainees in ICE custody (capacity 41,500)
  13. 1,500 to 7,000 US troops deployed to the southern border
  14. 1 new “National Defense Area” along the border
  15. 28 criminal charges filed against migrants in defense zone
  16. 3 executive orders targeting sanctuary jurisdictions
  17. 280,000 federal-workforce positions slated for cuts
  18. 345,000 net jobs created since inauguration
  19. 188,000 private-sector and adjacent jobs created
  20. 2,000 mining and logging jobs created
  21. 27,000 construction jobs created
  22. 9,000 manufacturing jobs created
  23. 15,000 federal jobs eliminated
  24. 0.7 % rise in labor-force participation for those without a high-school diploma
  25. Veteran unemployment down from 4.2 % in January to 3.8 % in March
  26. 228,000 jobs created in March alone
  27. 145 % tariff on Chinese imports
  28. 125 % retaliatory tariff by China on US goods
  29. 10 % broad tariff on all imports
  30. 25 % tariff on autos and auto parts
  31. Up to 245 % effective tariffs when stacked
  32. Consumer confidence down 12 points
  33. Small-business optimism down 8 points
  34. S&P 500 down 8 % in first 100 days
  35. Economic Policy Uncertainty Index doubled since January
  36. Prescription-drug prices down over 2 %
  37. Largest single-month drop in drug prices ever recorded
  38. Gasoline prices (CPI) down 7 %
  39. Energy prices down 2 %
  40. Wholesale egg prices down ~50 %
  41. Two consecutive CPI inflation prints below expectations
  42. Second monthly CPI decline in 2½ years
  43. Smallest annual core‐inflation increase since March 2021
  44. Airfare, used-vehicle, motor-insurance prices all fell in latest CPI
  45. Real average hourly earnings up 0.4 % for low- and middle-income workers
  46. Real average hourly earnings up 1 % in manufacturing sector
  47. Biggest month-over-year increase in auto sales in over a year (March)
  48. Mortgage rates down ~0.4 percentage points since inauguration
  49. Estimated $32,400 saved over 30-year mortgage by median homebuyer
  50. Industrial production at seventh-highest monthly level in March
  51. $5 trillion in new investment pledged in US
  52. 451,000 new jobs expected from investment pledges
  53. 20+ significant deregulatory presidential actions
  54. $180 billion in savings from blocking unfinalized Biden-era rules
  55. $667 billion savings from EPA tailpipe emission rollback
  56. $88 billion savings from DOT CAFE standards rollback
  57. $755 billion savings from these two rollbacks alone
  58. $935 billion total projected cost savings from regulatory rollbacks
  59. 10-to-1 deregulatory initiative across federal agencies
  60. Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) created
  61. 10 inspectors general purged
  62. ~14 DOJ/FBI officials fired
  63. 90-day pause on most foreign-aid disbursements
  64. Cuba reinstated as state sponsor of terror
  65. Mexico City policy reinstated on foreign aid
  66. Federal death penalty restored
  67. DEI programs eliminated across federal agencies
  68. Schedule F revived to reclassify civil-service roles
  69. 31 universities’ funding cut over alleged anti-Semitism
  70. Proposal to annex Greenland
  71. Proposal to retake the Panama Canal
  72. Proposal to make Canada the 51st state
  73. Dozens of public criticisms of NATO allies
  74. Alignment with Russia’s narrative on Ukraine
  75. Public attack on President Zelenskiy at summit
  76. Public challenge to Federal Reserve chair
  77. “Hostile” critique of Amazon tariff report
  78. Two phone calls to Jeff Bezos over tariff reporting
  79. Peace-talks focus announced on Middle East trips
  80. 28 golf outings in 100 days
  81. 12 of first 14 weekends at personal properties
  82. 18 rounds at West Palm Beach course
  83. Rally in Michigan marking 100 days
  84. Rapid-response social media feeds launched
  85. Lawsuit filed by AP over event access restrictions
  86. $430 billion in federal funds disrupted or frozen
  87. $9 billion rescissions package sent to Congress
  88. 500 Marines sent to Guantánamo for migrant housing
  89. $376 million spent on border militarization through April
  90. 210 lawsuits tracked by Just Security
  91. 258 litigation challenges tracked by Lawfare
  92. 39 % approval rating at Day 100
  93. –9.1 % net approval rating (Silver Bulletin)
  94. 37 % rating first 100 days “excellent” or “good”
  95. 1 million undocumented immigrants pledged for full-term deportation
  96. Measles outbreak worsened; two child deaths under new health policy
  97. 10,000 jobs cut at HHS; billions in research funding halted
  98. National Energy Dominance Council established
  99. Major rollbacks of coal-plant, auto- and manufacturing pollution rules
  100. Arts and cultural funding slashed by hundreds of millions





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‘Meet in future’: Donald Trump congratulates Mark Carney on Canada election win amid tariff tussle – The Times of India

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5 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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‘Meet in future’: Donald Trump congratulates Mark Carney on Canada election win amid tariff tussle – The Times of India


Amid tussle between the two countries, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday congratulated Mark Carney on victory in the Canadian national elections.
The Canadian Prime Minister’s Office in a statement said that the two leaders also “agreed to meet in person in the near future.”
“Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. President Trump congratulated Prime Minister Carney on his recent election,” the statement read.
“The leaders agreed on the importance of Canada and the United States working together – as independent, sovereign nations – for their mutual betterment. To that end, the leaders agreed to meet in person in the near future,” it added.
This comes amid sour relations between US and Canada after Trump targeted its neighbour with tariff and sovereignty threats
The threats, subsequently, galvanised Canadian opposition. His social media post about making Canada the 51st state on election day proved particularly controversial.
Soon after the results, Carney claimed that Trump is trying to break the country so that America can own them.
“As I’ve been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. Never. But these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, ever happen,” Carney had said.
The Liberal Party, led by Mark Carney, secured an improbable fourth consecutive term. While they fell short of a majority, winning approximately 168 seats in the expanded 343-seat House of Commons, it was a clear mandate against populism, external interference, and political instability.
The Conservatives finished second with around 143 seats, while the Bloc Québécois fell to about 23, and the New Democratic Party (NDP) was reduced to just 7 seats. Voter turnout surged, fuelled largely by concerns over Canadian sovereignty and an unusually intense focus on domestic unity in the face of global uncertainties.





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