Beijing-Pyongyang railway line, closed due to Covid, reopens

Today's headlines: twelfth day of the Israeli-US war on Iran, attacks in various areas of the Gulf; Tehran threatens to crack down on all forms of protest. First declines in Thai tourism due to the conflict in the Middle East. By the end of March, Japan will be ready to deploy a battery of missiles towards China. Austerity measures also in Pakistan due to the fuel crisis.

NORTH KOREA - CHINA

Tomorrow will see the first journey in six years of a passenger train from Beijing to Pyongyang, with tickets - purchased by businesspeople, government officials and journalists - already sold out before departure. The resumption of rail service, suspended in 2020 due to Covid, revives a critical transport link between isolated North Korea and its main economic ally, China. Four round trips per week are planned.

IRAN - ISRAEL - GULF

The war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran, which has spread to the Gulf countries and Lebanon, reaching the borders of Europe, entered its 12th day with heavy attacks already in the early hours of the morning. Intense bombing has been reported in various areas of the Islamic Republic, which has responded by launching missiles and drones at US targets in Kuwait, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, among others. Tehran is also looking to the domestic front, threatening to crack down with force, already having “its finger on the trigger”, on any form of anti-government protest, while also denying rumours of the death of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has never appeared in public. A speech announced several times has never been broadcast. He was reportedly injured in the attack on the first day of the war but is “safe and sound”. According to some sources, meanwhile, the Iranian regime is filling the Strait of Hormuz with mines to prevent navigation and block trade.

THAILAND - GULF

The war in the Gulf is worrying the Thai Association of Travel Agents (ATTA), which is already complaining about the impact on long-haul routes and a 13% drop in weekly arrivals due to flight cancellations, with forecasts for 2026 predicting a collapse of up to 50%. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, weekly arrivals between 1 and 8 March fell by 9% compared to the previous week. Long-haul markets saw the steepest decline at 13%, with arrivals from Europe and the Middle East down 18%. From 1 January to 8 March, foreign arrivals totalled 7.24 million, down 4.35% compared to the same period in 2025.

JAPAN - CHINA

By the end of March, Japan intends to deploy a battery of long-range missiles in the south-western part of the archipelago, pointing towards China. The Ground Self-Defence Force plans to position the carriers with a range of about 1,000 km in Kumamoto, in the Kyushu region, to strengthen deterrence capabilities against Beijing, which is increasingly active in the East China Sea.

PAKISTAN

Like other countries in the region, Pakistan is also introducing austerity measures due to the war in the Gulf. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced emergency and fuel conservation rules following a disruption in oil and gas supplies, with blockades in the Strait of Hormuz posing a “direct threat” to the economy. Measures include a four-day working week for government employees and the closure of schools for two weeks.

INDONESIA

A new lawsuit has been filed by civil society against the free meals programme launched by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, one of the cornerstones of his programme, already at the centre of controversy over cases of food poisoning and poor quality. The MBG Watch movement has filed a petition with the Constitutional Court for a review of the 2026 state budget law, which supports funding for the programme. The law, in fact, would allow excessive discretion in the management of funds to support the programme. In January, a first instance court ruled that the funding of free meals reduces the education budget to less than 20% (the legal limit).

RUSSIA

In many regions of Russia, alcohol detoxification centres are reopening, as in Soviet times, after being permanently closed in 2011. Clinics and hospitals are no longer able to cope with the problems of patients suffering from violent alcohol crises, whose numbers have been growing steadily since the start of the war in 2022. Many of these cases involve “Svo veterans”, with a steady increase in drunkenness-related crimes.

GEORGIA

The Georgian Dream party has put forward a plan to reform the entire secondary and higher education system, eliminating the 12th and final year of school and dividing state higher education institutions according to different profiles. According to the opposition, this initiative aims to place all education under the direct control of the regime, leaving little choice in enrolment and dismissing a large number of teachers, which has sparked many protests.