Author: News Desk

Berkshire Hathaway has officially divested from Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD, closing a chapter that began in 2008 and yielded billions in returns for the American investment powerhouse. Filing Confirms Exit Berkshire Hathaway Energy, the unit that held shares in BYD’s Hong Kong and Shenzhen listings, reported the value of its stake as zero as of March 2025. The update was disclosed in a May filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was first reported by CNBC. BYD’s head of public relations, Li Yunfei, publicly expressed gratitude for Berkshire Hathaway’s support over the past 17 years via his…

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who was in Kochi to attend the Business Partnership Summit, took time to explore Lulu Mall in Edappally. Invited by Lulu Group Chairman M. A. Yusuff Ali, the Governor and his wife Tammy Murphy enjoyed Kerala’s rich culinary traditions and cultural variety during their visit. A Warm Welcome The couple was received by Yusuff Ali, Lulu Group India CEO M. A. Nishad, and Lulu Kochi Director Sadiq Kasim. At the atrium, Murphy and his wife were given a buggy ride around the mall, with Yusuff Ali himself in the driver’s seat, an unusual and memorable…

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy are set to test a ship-launched version of the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) later this year. Designed to strike targets up to 1,000 km away, the missile will be fired from a specially developed makeshift vertical launch system (VLS) for warships. This marks a major milestone in India’s development of a versatile, long-range cruise missile system integrated with naval radar and combat systems. Missile Capabilities and VariantsThe ITCM is a subsonic, long-range cruise missile, evolved from the Nirbhay project, capable of precision strikes against both land and sea…

Jet engines are the core of modern combat aircraft, demanding advanced expertise in metallurgy, aerodynamics, thermal management, and digital control systems. Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, India has been striving to develop homegrown jet engines to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. Russia’s Historical RoleRussia has long been India’s defense partner, providing support in some programs such as Kaveri engine testing (via CIAM) and joint fighter projects. However, Russia’s contributions often stopped short of full technology transfer. Programs like the FGFA and transport aircraft projects highlighted recurring issues with engine performance, lifecycle costs, and limited autonomy for India. Reasons India is…

Students from MESCO Grades High School in Malakpet clinched the top spot at the All India Robotics Championship in Hyderabad. Their win has earned them a place at the World Robotics Olympiad (WRO) International Championship in Singapore this November. Felicitation CeremonyThe school held a felicitation ceremony on Friday to honour the winning team, ‘Falcons’. Retired DGP S A Huda, the chief guest, encouraged the students to face challenges with determination, emphasizing that “hard work never goes to waste.” Breaking StereotypesSenior journalist Mir Ayoob Ali Khan praised the students for challenging stereotypes about Hyderabad’s Old City. He highlighted that MESCO outperformed…

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, First Lady Tammy Snyder Murphy, and a high-level delegation from Choose New Jersey visited the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) headquarters in Kochi. The program included interactions with 12 innovative startups and discussions with CUSAT on research and higher education collaborations. Focus on the Innovation Economy Governor Murphy highlighted New Jersey’s strong innovation economy in sectors such as technology, telecom, and digital media. He explained how the state has built 12 strategic innovation centers, aimed at strengthening startup accelerators and emerging tech companies. Interest in Collaboration with Kerala The Governor expressed New Jersey’s keen interest in…

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd announced it has secured a $62.44 million contract with a Hamburg-based company to build four hybrid multi-purpose vessels. The contract also includes an option for two additional hybrid propulsion vessels. Building on Existing ProjectsThe agreement expands on GRSE’s ongoing 7,500 DWT multi-purpose vessel project at its Kolkata yard for German shipping company Carsten Rehder Schiffsmakler und Reederei GmbH & Co. KG. The deal was signed by GRSE Director (Shipbuilding) Cdr Shantanu Bose (Retd) and Thomas Rehder, Managing Director of Carsten Rehder Schiffsmakler und Reederei, in the presence of senior officials from both sides.…

India and Canada have agreed to adopt a cooperative approach to reset and strengthen their bilateral relationship, focusing on areas such as counterterrorism and tackling transnational crimes, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on September 20, 2025. High-Level Discussions in DelhiNational Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Canadian counterpart Nathalie Drouin met in New Delhi on September 18, 2025, for wide-ranging talks. The discussions aimed at repairing ties that were strained following the 2023 diplomatic row over the killing of a Sikh separatist. Following Up on Prime Ministerial TalksThe MEA noted that the meeting built on June discussions…

Kochi’s Water Metro is gaining momentum alongside the city’s metro rail network, recently crossing 50 lakh passengers. The milestone was marked when Australian-Malayali couple Naina and Amal bought tickets from the High Court terminal to travel to Fort Kochi. Naina was presented with a gift by Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) managing director Loknath Behera. Metro Growth Mirrors Water Metro SuccessKochi Metro itself is becoming a preferred mode of transport, recording a monthly ridership of over 34 lakh in August, surpassing its previous record of 32 lakh in December. Behera highlighted that the Water Metro’s ability to carry a large…

Indian Railways (IR) has reduced the price of Rail Neer bottled water in response to the recent cut in GST. This move passes the tax benefit directly to passengers. In a letter dated September 20 to all General Managers and the CMD of IRCTC, the Railway Board noted:”Maximum retail price of packaged drinking water bottle ‘Rail Neer’ shall be revised from Rs 15 to Rs 14 per bottle of one litre and Rs 10 to Rs 9 per bottle of 500 ml capacity.” The revised pricing also applies to other IRCTC- or Railways-approved bottled water brands sold at stations and…