A prototype of a new high-speed train that will run at speeds of up to 400 kilometers per hour -- making it the fastest commercial train service in the world -- was unveiled by China's railway operator in Beijing on Sunday.
The electric multiple unit (EMU) CR450 train will further shorten travel times on the country's extensive railway network and represents a step up from the current CR400 Fuxing high-speed trains, which run at maximum speeds of 350 kilometers per hour.
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China unveils prototype of world's fastest high-speed train
China unveils prototype of world's fastest high-speed train
China unveils prototype of world's fastest high-speed train
China unveils prototype of world's fastest high-speed train
The new train has been clocked at up to 450 kilometers per hour during its testing phase, with key performance indicators, including operational speed, energy consumption, interior noise, and braking distance, all setting a new international benchmark, according to the China Railway group.
The CR450 outperforms the existing EMU trains in multiple areas, with better operation and control, improved safety monitoring, and the ability to conduct intelligent interactions with drivers and provide intelligent services for passengers.
The latest breakthroughs made in the development of the CR450 project will help boost China's railway technological innovation and independence, further strengthening the country's global leadership in high-speed rail technology, according to China Railway.
China has built the world's longest and most advanced high-speed rail network since opening its first high-speed line back in 2008. As of September, the country's high-speed rail network exceeded 46,000 kilometers, accounting for over 70 percent of the global high-speed railway length.
China unveils prototype of world's fastest high-speed train
China unveils prototype of world's fastest high-speed train
China unveils prototype of world's fastest high-speed train
China unveils prototype of world's fastest high-speed train
Demonstrators took to the streets of Germany's capital on Sunday to voice opposition against military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, marking the third such rally in Berlin in recent weeks.
The protest began at Berlin Central Station, with marchers carrying banners and chanting slogans as they made their way through the city's main thoroughfares toward the Brandenburg Gate. The planned route took protesters past key government landmarks, including the Chancellery and the Reichstag building, before concluding at Pariser Platz -- just a few tens of meters away from the U.S. Embassy in Germany.
Organized by several anti-war groups, the demonstration reflected growing public concern in Germany over escalating tensions in the Middle East. Protesters condemned the military action against Iran as both illegal under international law and a serious threat to regional peace and security.
An Iranian protester living in Berlin called the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran "completely illegal," while warning of the wider consequences of the war.
"It's a completely illegal war against Iran from the United States and Israel. And we Iranians hope to defeat them back home, because we are not a nation who can be oppressed (by) some countries who think they are the best, who think they are super power on the Earth. They are destabilizing energy for countries on the Earth. I think that's the consequences of the war against Iranian people," he said.
German citizens at the rally echoed this disdain for the conflict, describing the U.S.-Israeli military action as an illegal war of aggression.
"The U.S. and Israel's attack on Iran is an illegal war of aggression. This violates the United Nations Charter and must be stopped immediately. Otherwise, it will go against the rules-based international order established after the victory in World War II in 1945 and will lead the world back to the law of the jungle," said a German protester.
The ongoing conflict began on Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint military strikes on Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East.
Demonstrators march in Berlin to condemn U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran
