Bullet Train Project: Railways unlikely to seek extra loan from JICA to meet higher cost of Bullet train project

NEW DELHI: The railways is looking at bearing the nearly Rs 90,000 crore additional (83% escalation) cost for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet train project and won’t seek further loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project cost has increased from Rs 1.1 lakh crore to Rs 1.98 lakh crore because of delays and other reasons.The…

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Iran Conflict: Middle East tensions: Global insurers exit Iranian waters as conflict deepens

MUMBAI: India’s trade and energy supplies face fresh risks after reinsurers and Protection & Indemnity (P&I) clubs announced cancellation of war risk insurance for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian waters, following an escalation in the Iran conflict. The cancellations, effective from this week, have left over 150 vessels stranded and disrupted a…

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Government monitors West Asia tensions via ‘inter-ministerial group’ to assess trade impact

Image used for representative purposes NEW DELHI: Amid the escalating tensions in the West Asia region, the Indian govt has set up an inter-ministerial group that’s monitoring the situation particulary to assess any hurdles in India’s trade and shipping.“We have set up an inter-ministerial group that meets on a daily basis and is closely monitoring…

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Japan in talks with India to explore rare earth deposits amid China supply concerns

Japan is in discussions with India to jointly explore rare earth deposits in Rajasthan as Tokyo looks to reduce its dependence on China for critical minerals used in magnet manufacturing, Reuters reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.Last month, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy said three hard rock rare earth deposits containing 1.29 million…

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Qatar state‑run QatarEnergy halts LNG production after Iran drone attacks, sends European gas prices soaring

Qatar’s state-owned energy giant, QatarEnergy, announced on Monday that it had suspended liquefied natural gas (LNG) production following Iranian drone attacks on two of its key processing facilities. The halt affects operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest LNG complex, and Mesaieed Industrial City, both critical hubs for the Gulf state’s gas output.Qatar’s…

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Supreme Court: Homebuyers cannot be forced to accept flats without occupancy certificate; builder clauses can’t override consumer rights

The homebuyers also pointed out that possession in one case was accepted only due to urgent need. (AI image) In a significant judgment reaffirming consumer protection in housing disputes, the Supreme Court has held that homebuyers cannot be compelled to accept possession of flats without an Occupancy Certificate and that contractual clauses limiting compensation cannot…

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