News

India And Japan To Launch Latest Shinkansen E10 Bullet Train Simultaneously By 2029-30

India and Japan are set to introduce the latest iteration of the Shinkansen, the Alfa-X, also known as the E10, simultaneously in 2029-30.Initially, indigenously developed high-speed trains will operated on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai corridor after the project's completion next year. According to recent reports, Tokyo has agreed to India running its own high-speed prototypes on the same infrastructure, set to be ready by 2026-27. Previously slated to receive the Shinkansen E5, India now looks forward to the E10, capable of reaching speeds up to 400 kmph—an upgrade from the E5’s 320 kmph limit.

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Vande Bharat Express completes trial run over Chenab bridge and Anji Khad bridge

In another engineering marvel, Indian Railways on Saturday conducted the first trial run of Vande Bharat Express on the Chenab bridge and the Anji khad bridge. The train, on its maiden trial run, arrived at Srinagar station in the Nowgam area on the city's outskirts from Katra in Jammu. Over the past month, the Indian Railways conducted six trial runs on various sections of the track, including crucial milestones such as the country's first cable-stayed rail bridge -- the Anji Khad bridge -- and the arch bridge over the Chenab river in Kauri. The Anji Khad bridge -- a critical part of the USBRL project -- is an engineering marvel, featuring a single pylon rising 331 metres above the river bed. The pylon, which took several years to complete, now rises 191 metres above its foundation level.

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Airline amenities grow ever more luxurious for those who can pay

Privacy suites, double-wide beds, Christofle cutlery: Business-class cabins have been on a dizzying luxury ascent for years.But the game is changing. With so many carriers having overhauled their aircraft interiors and premium seats, airlines are now upgrading some of the finer points of their front-cabin services, such as amenity kits and meals. (If you’re in the back of the plane, that’s still business as usual.) “Generally speaking, leisure travelers want an experience,” says Brian Sumers, aviation expert and founder of the Airline Observer newsletter. “Airlines have realized that if they want to compete for premium travelers, they need to wow them.”

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Tourists are flocking to Hong Kong’s 300-year-old Kuk Po village for sustainable tourism

Hong Kong's Kuk Po village is seeing a rise in tourists drawn to its serene environment and historical significance.Tourists in Hong Kong are flocking to the 300-year-old village of Kuk Po, whose decaying mansions and reed fields offer a respite from the city's famously frenetic pace. The seaside village was once home to Hakka people from southern China but was mostly abandoned in recent decades, even as gleaming high-rises sprang up in nearby Shenzhen across the Chinese border. But Hong Kong's government is encouraging visitors to go off the beaten path and has loosened entry restrictions to the city's northernmost neighbourhood of Sha Tau Kok -- making it easier to visit Kuk Po via speedboat. On a recent January weekend, tourists thronged to the village's picturesque sights, surrounded on three sides by gentle valleys.

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Singapore celebrates 60 years with India, unveils new experiences

Unveils FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE – a platform launched to offer Indian content creators with Singapore’s unique perspective through the destination’s hidden gem experiences. With 2025 marking 60 years of bilateral relations between India and Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announces a calendar of experiences, entertainment, and offers for Indian consumers, celebrating this enduring friendship. Travel enthusiasts can expect a year-long surge of wanderlust with FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE, a platform launched to offer Indian content creators with Singapore’s unique perspective through the destination’s hidden gem experiences. Later in the year, one can indulge in Singapore programming at Subko – Specialty Coffee Roasters, Bakehouse and Fine Cacao, celebrating the rich resonances between India and Singapore through the medium of food and design.

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Goa partners with OYO to add 500+ hotels in a year

Rohan A. Khaunte launches OYO’s Accelerator Program to help small and first-generation hoteliers expand their business. More than 300 properties are expected to be onboarded under this program in north, central and south Goa. Tourism Minister of Goa, Rohan A. Khaunte launched OYO’s Accelerator Program in the state to help small first-generation hoteliers expand their operations across Goa and achieve long-term profitability. He presented cheques amounting to INR 25 lakhs to the five beneficiaries of OYO’s Accelerator Program that include Roshan Oscar Abraam Lorena of Panjim, Ajay Singhal and Akhil Gupta of Calangute, and Mohammad Bakir Ali of Madgoan at a special ceremony held in Panaji. OYO is planning to add over 500 hotels and generate more than 5000 new jobs in the state over the next one year through this joint initiative with the department. These properties will be located across all key regions – north, central and south Goa.

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