China's tunnel-boring machine delivers breakthrough on Türkiye highway project

China's giant tunnel-boring machine "CREC No. 1294" drilled through the final wall of Istanbul's Sarıyer-Kilyos highway tunnel on Saturday, marking a breakthrough in one of Türkiye's most critical infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Built by China Railway Group Limited, the machine features a 13.65-meter cutterhead weighing 2,850 tons and advanced continuous excavation technology, designed to overcome the city's deep, high-pressure geological challenges.

The breakthrough was attended by Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, officially completing the shield section of the tunnel and laying the foundation for the highway's opening to traffic.

"This tunnel-boring machine specifically addresses construction challenges facing the project, as it is located at a very deep level and has high water pressure. The advanced Chinese technology and equipment provide a solid foundation for the smooth progress of the project," said Wang Jianwei, project manager of the China Railway Engineering Equipment Group (CREG).

Upon completion, the Sarıyer-Kilyos highway project will significantly shorten travel time across Istanbul and ease chronic congestion. The CREC No. 1294 arrived in Türkiye in early 2024 and was assembled over 75 days before excavation began in mid-September.

With tunneling tasks scheduled to finish within a year, the breakthrough marks a decisive step toward opening one of the city's most important highway links.

China's tunnel-boring machine delivers breakthrough on Türkiye highway project

Global food commodity prices climbed for a second consecutive month in March, driven mainly by higher energy costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in report released on Friday.

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.

According to the report, the FAO Vegetable Oil Index and Sugar Price Index showed the largest increases, up 5.1 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.

The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent.

The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.0 percent from the previous month, and the FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, according to the report.

FAO stated that rising energy and fertilizer prices have been driving up agricultural input costs.

If the conflict stretches beyond 40 days, farmers will have to choose to farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.

These choices will hit future yields and shape food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and beyond, Torero said.

Global food prices rise for 2nd consecutive month in March amid Middle East conflict: FAO