Israeli army recovers bodies of 6 more captives held in Gaza after killing them by airstrikes

Bengaluru, June 9: A 33-year-old woman was brutally murdered in a hotel room in South Bengaluru, allegedly by a man with whom she had been in a relationship. The accused, 25-year-old Yashas, has been arrested by Subramanyapura police after reportedly confessing to the crime.

The victim, Harini R, a resident of Hemmigepura in Banashankari 6th Stage, was found with 13 stab wounds in a hotel room in the Poornapragna Housing Society Layout during the early hours of Saturday. Police say the murder took place on the night of June 7.

Yashas, a BCA graduate and employee of a private firm, is said to have surrendered voluntarily. After the murder, he returned to his residence in Kengeri, inflicted a self-stab wound, and contacted a police constable from the Kengeri police station. Based on the information, officers reached the hotel around 3:30 am. He was initially treated at a nearby facility before being shifted to KIMS Hospital. Following his recovery, he was discharged and taken into custody.

Initial investigations reveal that Harini was married to Dasegowda H.P., a 41-year-old farmer, since 2012. The couple has two daughters, aged 13 and 10. Three years ago, Harini reportedly met Yashas at a village fair, and a romantic relationship developed between the two, eventually leading to an extramarital affair.

The affair had come to the attention of both families a few months ago, and Harini had reportedly cut ties with Yashas after being counselled by her family. However, police believe the two recently reconnected and decided to meet "one last time."

According to police, Yashas picked Harini up around 5 pm on June 6 and took her to a hotel he had booked in advance. After spending time together, Harini reportedly told him she could no longer continue the relationship due to family pressure. Investigators allege that Yashas had pre-planned the murder, carrying a knife with him to the hotel.

Following the altercation, he is believed to have fatally stabbed her multiple times before fleeing the scene. During interrogation, he allegedly told police that he could not cope with her decision to end the relationship.

A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.

Tehran, June 17: Sahar Imani, one of the most prominent anchors with the Iranian state television, is being praised widely on social media for returning to broadcast immediately after an Israeli strike on the studio last evening. Dramatic footage showed the organisation's building on fire in Tehran as Israeli attacks grew amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

The Israeli regime targeted one of the buildings of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Tehran on Monday, June 16.  The attack, involving at least four bombs, struck the central building housing IRIB’s news department, while a live news broadcast was underway.

The transmission was briefly interrupted before Hassan Abedini, IRIB’s news director and deputy for political affairs, appeared on air to condemn the terrorist crime.

At the time of the attack, news anchor Sahar Emami was presenting the news. Despite the building trembling under the first strike, she stood her ground and continued the broadcast.

“Allahu Akbar” (God is Great), she proclaimed, drawing global attention to the heinous war crime committed by the Zionist regime against Iran’s national broadcaster.

Moments later, another blast filled the studio with smoke and dust, forcing her to evacuate. She returned shortly after to join Abedini and share her harrowing experience.

“If I die, others will take my place and expose your crimes to the world,” she declared, looking straight into the camera with resolute courage and composure.

Social media posts from regime supporters lauded Imani's strength and courage, and her image was shared alongside senior leaders of the Shia-Iranian axis.

"She is the face of Iranian women's courage," read one of the posts. With her image alongside Nasrallah, another was captioned: "You cannot destroy an idea by killing."

Going viral is her gesture of pointing her finger while targeting Israel on television, just before the strike filled the studio with smoke. Her gesture has found her place in online posters alongside Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, making similar gestures.

Iran's Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, Zahra Behramzadeh Azar, also praised Imani in a post, calling her a symbol of Iranian women's courage and stating that she has become "the voice of all Iranian citizens in the face of aggression."

Who is Sahar Imani?

Sahar Imani is one of Iran's most famous news anchors. Trained in food engineering, she entered the media field with an anchoring role in 2010. Soon, she gained national prominence by presenting on Iran's official news channel.

She is married and has a child.

Following Monday's events, Arabic-language media praised her "calm demeanor and confident presence". Their coverage also noted her "simplicity and avoidance of heavy makeup."

Israeli war crime

While the number of casualties remains unconfirmed, insiders report that several journalists inside the building were injured in the bombing.

Israel’s war ministry promptly claimed responsibility for the attack.

Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the aggression on the state broadcaster as a “war crime” and called on the United Nations to take immediate action against the Zionist regime.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denounced the attack and urged the international community to hold the regime accountable for its assault on the media.

“The world is watching: targeting Iran’s news agency #IRIB’s office during a live broadcast is a wicked act of war crime,” Baghaei wrote on X.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) also condemned the bombing of the IRIB news building, labeling it “inhuman, criminal, and a terrorist act.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “appalled by Israel’s bombing of Iran’s state TV channel while live on air.”

“Israel’s killing, with impunity, of almost 200 journalists in Gaza has emboldened it to target media elsewhere in the region,” Sara Qudah, the West Asia representative for CPJ, said in a statement after the attack on an IRIB building. 

The Israeli regime has a documented history of targeting journalists globally. Since October 2023, it has killed over 250 Palestinian journalists in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The regime launched its aggression against the Islamic Republic, including Tehran, early on Friday, leading to the assassination of several high-ranking military officials, nuclear scientists, and civilians, including women and children.

In response, Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones late Friday night, followed by more retaliatory operations on Saturday and Sunday as part of True Promise III.

Vienna, June 14: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed internal radiological and chemical contamination at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility following Israeli airstrikes. However, radiation levels outside the site remain within safe limits, posing no immediate threat to the public or environment.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi briefed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, stating that the Israeli strikes had significantly damaged the above-ground sections of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz, where uranium was being enriched to 60% U-235.

“Due to the impacts, there is radiological and chemical contamination inside the facilities. The primary radiation type detected is alpha particles, which are manageable with proper protection,” Grossi said.

Grossi noted that the electrical infrastructure, including both main and emergency power systems, had been destroyed. While no visible damage was observed in the underground cascade hall, the loss of power could have compromised the centrifuges stored there.

“There is no indication of a direct physical strike on the underground hall, but the power outage may have affected the centrifuges' operation,” he added.

According to the IAEA, Iran has confirmed that only the Natanz site was hit in the strikes. However, Iranian authorities also reported attacks near other nuclear facilities, including the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and the Esfahan complex — which houses a uranium conversion facility, fuel plate and manufacturing plants, and a uranium dioxide (UO₂) powder facility. The agency has yet to assess the full extent of damage at those sites.

“These developments are deeply concerning,” Grossi told the UNSC. “Nuclear facilities must never be targeted — regardless of context — due to the grave risks to people, the environment, and international security. Such attacks undermine nuclear safety, security, and non-proliferation efforts.”

The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre has been in constant contact with Iranian officials since the attacks. A special task force has also been established to monitor the situation and report to the UNSC as needed.

Grossi emphasized the need for de-escalation and said the IAEA is prepared to send nuclear safety and security experts to Iran, in addition to its current inspectors on the ground. He also informed the IAEA Board of Governors of his readiness to travel to the region to personally assess the situation and ensure the safety of agency personnel.