[Welding construction of China-Laos railway seamless track completed]On September 16, 2021, the welding construction of more than 400 kilometers of seamless track of the China-Laos Railway of China Railway Second Bureau was completed. Since the rail welding team of the China-Laos Railway Track Laying Base of China Railway Second Bureau broke ground in May 2020, the cadres and employees of the rail welding base have overcome the difficulties of construction sites and late equipment arrivals in the rainy season. They have passed through 75 tunnels, 165 bridges, 20 stations, which lasted 16 months, successfully completed the welding construction tasks of 500-meter long rails and seamless tracks on the whole line. Editor/Tian Zengpeng
The Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Transport has approved 1.73 million euros for conducting technical research on the Secegsa railway tunnel crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco. Previous research by German company Herrenknecht has confirmed that a 65 kilometer long tunnel is technically feasible, but due to significant geological challenges such as flying sand structures, seabed depth, and instability, the possibility of completion before the 2030 World Cup has been ruled out. The actual construction period is expected to be between 2035 and 2040.Editor/Cheng Liting
On the morning of March 17, 2026, the Fujairah oil industry zone was attacked by drones and caught fire again. The civil defense department is making every effort to control the fire, and there are currently no casualties. This is the fifth attack on the area since early March, driven by Iran's ongoing attacks on energy facilities in the United Arab Emirates. Fujairah holds a strategic position in the Strait of Hormuz, and the conflict has caused about one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supply to be blocked. Brent crude oil broke through $100 on March 9th and remained at $103.87 as of the 17th. As a key global storage and transportation hub, giants such as Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Saudi Aramco, Shell, and Vopak operate terminals and pipelines here, responsible for core businesses such as Murban crude oil. Geopolitical risks are seriously threatening the security of the global energy supply chain.Editor/Cheng Liting