JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
WAR WITH IRAN - DAY 31 - HAIFA OIL REFINERY HIT.
THE NEXT US-ISRAEL HIT ON IRAN SHOULD BE VERSE 37. ALL OFFENSIVE NUKE SITES MISSLES,DRONES,AND OF COURSE KHEMENI AND THE IRGC GUARDS.THEN AFTER IRANS REGIME CHANGE. MUSLIMS COME TO JESUS BY THE MILLIONS.
JEREMEIAH 49:32-39 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITES AND ALL OFENSIVE WEAPONS DESTROYED IN IRAN)
Jeremiah 49:32-39
32 Their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter to all winds those who have the corners [of their hair] cut off; and I will bring their calamity from every side of them, says Yahweh.
33 Hazor shall be a dwelling-place of jackals, a desolation forever: no man shall dwell there, neither shall any son of man sojourn therein.(Location & Size: It was strategically located along the Via Maris (Way of the Sea), a major trade route connecting Egypt with Syria and Mesopotamia.)
34 The word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,(IRAN) in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 Thus says Yahweh of Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRANS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS) the chief of their might.(MISSLES AND NUKE SITES)
36 On Elam (IRAN) will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of the sky, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation where the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(SINCE 1979 IRANIANS HAVE GOTTIN OUT OF IRAN BECAUSE OF KHEMENI AND HIS APOCOPOLIPTIC DEATH CULT BELIEF-BLACK HATER 12ERS)
37 I will cause Elam (IRAN) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before those who seek their life;(ISRAEL THE LITTLE SATAN AND THE U.S THE BIG SATAN) and I will bring evil on them, (MISSLES) even my fierce anger,(FIRE) says Yahweh; and I will send the sword after them,(IRANS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS) until I have consumed them; (DESTROYED THEM ALL NUKE SITES,MISSLES ETC)
38 and I will set my throne in Elam,(IRAN WILL BECOME A CHRISTIAN NATION) and will destroy from there king (KHEMENI, ISLAM) and princes, says Yahweh.(IRANIAN ARMY GUARDS)
39 But it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring back the captivity of Elam,(IRAN) says Yahweh.(WERE IN THE LATTER DAYS NOW)
WHEN ARE THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL IN THE SPRING TIME.(GET READY ISLAM TO BE BIRD SEED FOR THESE BIRDS)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m0bXU5Xqc5M
The 500 million migratory birds in Israel during the spring arrive from Africa and head toward Europe and Asia, with the peak migration occurring in March and April. While migration starts in late February, the most intense movements, particularly of birds of prey, storks, and pelicans, occur during the third week of March and continue into April.
Key Details on the Spring Migration
Peak Period: Mid-March through April.
Main Migration Route: The birds use the Great Rift Valley, which includes the Hula Valley and Eilat, acting as a "bottleneck" where millions of birds fly through the narrow land bridge.
Best Spots: The Hula Lake Park (Northern Israel) and the Eilat Birding Center (Southern Israel) are primary locations for observing the migration.
Key Species: Hundreds of thousands of white storks, along with black kites, raptors, and pelicans, pass through over these months.
uration: The spring migration runs from late February and continues into June, though the heaviest traffic is in March/April.
The 500 million migratory birds fly over Israel in the fall between late August and mid-December. The peak migration period for the autumn, when the highest volume of bird traffic occurs, is typically October and November.
Key Fall Migration Details
Location: The Hula Valley (Agamon Hula Park) in northern Israel is the premier spot to witness this phenomenon.
Timing: Migration starts as early as late June with some waders, but intensifies from mid-August through November.
Peak Festival: The "Annual Hula Valley Bird Festival" is usually held in November to align with the peak migration traffic.
Key Species: Many birds of prey (raptors), including honey buzzards and steppe eagles, cross during this time, along with massive flocks of storks and cranes.
While roughly 500 million birds pass through in the autumn on their way to Africa, the same number crosses again in the spring (mid-February to May) on their way back to Europe and Asia.
JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23 Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27 And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)
Israeli media reports Haifa oil refinery hit after attack.
Haifa, Israel, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2026-Israeli media reported that an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa had been hit on Monday, shortly after the military said it had detected new incoming missiles from Iran.Television network Channel 12 showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky from the site, while Israel's Fire and Rescue Services shared photos of a cylinder-shaped tank on fire.It was not immediately clear whether the refinery had been directly hit by a missile from Iran or Lebanon, or by debris from an interception.Footage acquired by AFP, filmed shortly after media reported the impact, showed a plume of dark smoke rising above cylindrical tanks.AFP journalists who arrived at the scene around an hour later said the smoke had dissipated and firefighters were working to manage the fire.The refinery in Haifa, Israel's third-largest city, is located in a large industrial zone."Search and rescue forces, both reserve and regular forces, are on their way to a site in northern Israel where reports of impact have been received," Israel's military said in a statement, without specifying the precise location.Israeli media said the site was also hit on March 19 when Iran fired missiles towards Israel.
Iran confirms killing by Israel of Guards navy commander.
Tehran, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2026-Iran confirmed on Monday that an Israeli strike had killed the commander of the naval force of the Revolutionary Guards, who Israel had said was responsible for the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz.A statement carried by the Guards' Sepah News website said Alireza Tangsiri "succumbed to severe injuries" from the attack last week.Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been absent from public view since taking the role after the killing of his father and predecessor in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, extended his condolences in a message on Telegram.In his message, he hailed Tangsiri as "a soldier of Iran and guardian of Islam" during the war.His funeral will be held on Tuesday in the port city of Bandar Abbas, according to Sepah News.Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Thursday that an Israeli airstrike had killed Tangsiri, describing him as the "man who was directly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz".Since the start of the war now in its second month, Iran has only allowed a trickle of ships to pass through the key waterway, sending global energy prices spiralling.The Guards statement said he had been organising coastal defences when he was killed and vowed "that we will not rest until the enemy is completely destroyed".He is the latest top Iranian official to have been confirmed by Tehran to have been killed in the war.Supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the war on February 28 and the Islamic republic's powerful security chief, Ali Larijani, was killed earlier this month, along with over a dozen other prominent figures.Katz had said senior officers of the naval command were killed in the strike that killed Tangsiri, without giving further details.Tangsiri had vowed earlier in March to "deliver the harshest blows to the aggressor enemy while maintaining the strategy of closing the Strait of Hormuz".A veteran of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, Tangsiri was one of the longest-serving senior figures in the force and one of its highest-profile faces within the Islamic republic.He had been appointed by Khamenei in 2018 to head the naval branch of the Revolutionary Guards, whose task is to protect the Islamic republic from internal and external threats.Under his leadership, the Guards' navy had been significantly strengthened. In recent years, it has claimed responsibility for seizing numerous foreign vessels.He was sanctioned by the United States in 2019 in a counter-terrorism related designation.Israel and the United States have said they have dealt a major blow to Iran by killing top officials, but some analysts say the Islamic republic is still showing resilience and capacity to recover from setbacks.
Spain shuts airspace for US planes involved in Iran war.
Madrid, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2026-Spain's leftist government has closed Spanish airspace to US planes carrying out missions against Iran, in addition to denying Washington use of its bases, the defence minister said on Monday."The bases are not authorised, and of course neither is the use of Spanish airspace for actions related to the war in Iran," Margarita Robles told journalists, confirming a report by El Pais daily.Spain's refusal to cooperate has "complicated" US military operations by forcing bombers to change their routes and logistics on their way to the Middle East, El Pais reported.The transit or landing of planes is allowed only in case of an emergency, the newspaper said.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has emerged as the highest-profile Western leader to consistently oppose the war, launched by US-Israeli strikes on February 28 and which has since engulfed the entire Middle East.His stance has infuriated Spain's traditional NATO ally, with US President Donald Trump threatening to cut trade ties in their latest policy clash.Spain had already sparked Trump's anger by refusing to agree to raise NATO defence spending to five percent of member states' GDP as demanded by the US president.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.(CAN YOU SAY TORNADOES,HURRICANES,VOLCANOES,EARTH QUAKES,LANDSLIDES,FLASH FLOODING,EXPLOSIONS,SNOW STORMS,THEN FINALLY NUKESAND ANY OTHER JUDGEMENTS THE EARTH CAN VOMIT THE SINNERS OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH WITH.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON THE MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS-PROPHECY SIGNS) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE.
Joel 3:2-King James Version (YOU DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN HALF - YOUR POKING GOD IN THE EYE - GOD SAYS AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH- YOU WANNA DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN HALF - HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION 4 BILLION DIE ON EARTH.
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE.
Rocket attack targets Baghdad army base.
Baghdad, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2026-Rockets fired overnight targeted an Iraqi military base inside the Baghdad airport complex, which also houses a support centre for the US embassy, Iraq's defence ministry said Monday.The base is near a US diplomatic and logistics hub in the airport complex, which has been repeatedly targeted since the start of the war in the Middle East on February 28.Iraq has been drawn into the conflict despite seeking to avoid it at all costs. Pro-Iran armed groups have claimed responsibility for attacks on US interests in Iraq and across the region, while strikes have also targeted these groups.Early on Monday morning "an air base was targeted by 122mm Grad rockets launched from the outskirts of Baghdad", a statement from the ministry said."This attack resulted in the destruction of an Antonov-132 aircraft belonging to the Iraqi Air Force. No casualties were reported," it added.A military official told AFP that "rockets fell inside the diplomatic support centre early Monday morning, causing a fire".Earlier this month a security official told AFP that the US diplomatic hub had evacuated much of its personnel.Since the outbreak of war, pro-Iran factions -- which have repeatedly claimed attacks against US interests -- have also been targeted by strikes they blame on the US or Israel.Monday's incident comes after Washington and Baghdad said last week they would "intensify cooperation" to prevent attacks and ensure Iraqi territory is not used to launch assaults against US facilities.For the first time in 10 days, two drones targeted the US embassy over the weekend but did not hit their targets.The influential pro-Iran armed group Kataeb Hezbollah said on March 19 it would pause such attacks for five days, twice extending.
Renault says developing ground-based military drone.
Paris, France, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2026-French carmaker Renault said on Monday it was developing a ground-based drone for military and civilian use as Europe scrambles to boost weapons production in the face of Russian aggression.French industry magazine L'Usine Nouvelle said that the carmaker is working in partnership with the Belgian group John Cockerill, which owns the main French supplier of military vehicles Arquus."Our R&D teams are testing and exploring various options, such as ground robots, which also have potential for civilian applications," Renault said in a statement to AFP."This is an exploratory study project," the company said without confirming the name of the partner company.The car manufacturer said that it had been contacted by the defence ministry earlier this year."Our R&D teams are working on various projects in the defence sector, while also seeking civilian applications in each case," added Renault.According to L'Usine Nouvelle, the land drone prototype that Renault is developing is said to be the size of a small car and is expected to be unveiled at the Eurosatory international defence and security exhibition in June.Designed for battlefield reconnaissance, it resembles a lunar rover equipped with several suspended cameras, according to the specialist publication.In January, Renault said it was teaming up with Turgis Gaillard, a French defence group, to produce aerial drones in France.Aerial and terrestrial drones have redefined the nature of war in recent years.Last week a top NATO commander, Pierre Vandier, said NATO countries must respond to challenges such as Russia and Iran mass-producing drones, whose capacities are rapidly evolving.
Thai undertaker reveals corpse to justify fuel buy.
Bangkok, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2026-When a Thai garage attendant refused to fill Preecha Ngernkasem's jerrycans with the diesel he wanted, the temple attendant opened up his vehicle to show him why he needed the fuel: a corpse awaiting cremation.Many petrol stations in Thailand have imposed restrictions like purchase limits or container bans as supplies run short and prices soar on the back of disruptions from the Middle East war.Preecha had been assigned to collect the body of a unidentified homeless man who had died of unknown causes from a hospital in Chonburi province and give it a Buddhist cremation.He stopped en route to fill the three 18-litre jerrycans he needs for each body he burns, but the attendant at first refused the sale.Emerging from his cab, Preecha -- livestreaming the exchange on Facebook -- opened the back of his pick-up truck and lifted the coffin lid so the stunned staffer could see the corpse inside."You are refusing to sell me fuel, so I have to show you the reason why I need it," he said in the video.The attendant laughed uncomfortably before a colleague intervened and a manager approved the transaction.The dead man was given an appropriate cremation later on Saturday afternoon, Preecha told AFP on Monday."I have never had to do anything like this before, and I never expected to," he said.Garages should be willing to sell fuel on production of a hospital death certificate, he added.Iranian forces have effectively slowed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to a trickle during the Middle East war, which began on February 28.More than 80 percent of the crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) that passes through the narrow waterway heads to Asia, according to the US Energy Information Administration, and many parts of Southeast Asia have suffered fuel supply difficulties.Thailand initially capped diesel prices before raising the limit six baht ($0.18) per litre last week.Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul apologised at the weekend for the public disruption, adding that he hoped "the conflict might be short-lived".An agreement had been reached with Iran to allow Thai oil vessels safe passage through the Strait, he said.Reaction to Preecha's video on social media was swift."How have we come to this situation?" asked one poster.Another added: "Bring the coffin to Government House."
Crude rises, stocks drop as Houthi attacks escalate Iran war.
Hong Kong, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2026-Oil prices rose and most stocks fell Monday as the Middle East crisis escalated with the entry of Houthi rebels into the Iran war and investors grew increasingly concerned the United States would send in ground troops.As the conflict moved into its fifth week, the spectre of a widening conflict grew as Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday said they had fired "a barrage of cruise missiles and drones" at strategic sites in Israel.The strikes raised concern about the war spreading to the Red Sea, with Saudi Arabia rerouting much of its oil exports there to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of crude and gas passes and has been effectively closed by Tehran.The news sent the price of oil Monday to its highest level since earlier in the month after the United States and Israel began their campaign against Iran. Both main contracts jumped more than three percent at one point, with Brent hitting close to $117 a barrel, before easing back.Adding to the dour mood were US President Donald Trump's remarks to the Financial Times (FT) that he wanted to "take the oil in Iran" and could take the country's Kharg Island "very easily".Kharg Island, located off the west coast of Iran, is a vital oil terminal for the country and is being eyed by the Pentagon for ground operations, though the United States insisted it would stop short of a full-scale invasion."Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options," he told the FT. "It would also mean we had to be there for a while."While Pakistan said Sunday it was ready to broker and host "meaningful talks" between Washington and Tehran to end the war, Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the United States was "secretly planning a ground attack".The surge in oil prices and the prospect of an extended conflict put more pressure on equities amid fears about a surge in inflation that could hit the world economy.Tokyo sank more than four percent and Seoul more than three percent before paring the losses while Hong Kong, Sydney, Mumbai, Bangkok, Wellington, Taipei, Jakarta and Manila were also down.London edged up but, Paris and Frankfurt were slightly lower.The losses followed a bad day on Wall Street, where all three main indexes tumbled after the United States and Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites."The market is now reacting to higher crude pricing and towards the fallout in the economic consequences," wrote Pepperstone's Chris Weston."Higher short-term inflation expectations, volatility in the interest rate markets, and growing concerns around supply shortages/inventory and the subsequent impact on the March/April economic data series and corporate earnings is now front and centre," he added."The Houthi's ability to disrupt shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, which accounts for roughly 12 percent of global trade, is the new key risk" he said, referring to the waterway between Yemen and the Horn of Africa."Any meaningful disruption, married with a sharp rise in insurance costs, could drive another leg higher in crude and further pressure risk assets."The selling came after a relatively calm period last week after Trump delayed until next month a threatened attack on Iran's energy infrastructure citing progress in talks with Tehran.Skye Masters at National Australia Bank said: "Trump's decision to extend the pause in Iran's energy sector... has clearly not been enough to support investor sentiment where the focus is turning to the global economic impact of such a shock -- this is now not just about the price of oil it includes fertilizer, petrochemicals, metals."And Benjamin Jones, global head of research at Invesco, warned: "Without a material shift in tone from the US or Iran, we expect oil to move higher, equities to weaken further, and the dollar to remain firm."- Key figures at around 0815 GMT -West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.3 percent at $101.95 a barrel-Brent North Sea Crude: UP 3.3 percent at $116.32 a barrel-Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 2.8 percent at 51,885.85 (close)-Hong Kong - Hang SengIndex: DOWN 0.8 percent at 24,750.79 (close)-Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,923.29 (close)-London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 9,989.40-Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1500 from $1.1517 on FridayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3269 from $1.3272-Dollar/yen: DOWN at 159.69 yen from 160.20 yen-Euro/pound: UP at 86.79 pence from 86.78 pence-New York - Dow: DOWN 1.7 percent at 45,166.64 (close)dan/ane
Air China resumes flights to North Korea after 6-year pause.
Beijing, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2026-Air China restarted direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang on Monday after a six-year hiatus, another sign isolated North Korea is gradually opening up following the resumption of train services between the capitals.China has acted as a lifeline for North Korea's moribund economy as its largest trading partner as well as an important source of diplomatic and political support.Access to North Korea has always been heavily restricted, but the country became almost entirely cut off when it sealed its borders in 2020 during the pandemic.Flight CA121 departed Beijing Capital Airport at 7:58 am (2358 GMT on Sunday), according to FlightStats data, and arrived at Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport at 10:37 am (0137 GMT).The plane was a Boeing 737-700 with capacity for up to 128 passengers, according to travel website Trip.com, though only travellers with business, study or other special purposes can make the cross-border journey.China's ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun and other Chinese diplomats greeted the passengers at the airport, Xinhua news agency said.Earlier, AFP journalists saw travellers at Beijing's bustling airport forming a snaking queue to check in their luggage with the airline.Pyongyang-bound business traveller Zhao Bin showed reporters his air ticket, and expressed optimism that tourism would resume for Chinese visitors."I expect both railway routes and Air China flights will increase, and there will be more exchanges and travel between people," said Zhao, who will be spending around a week in North Korea.He has visited North Korea multiple times, most recently in 2024, and said that the resumption of the flight route will offer "greater convenience to those of us who frequently travel between Beijing and Pyongyang".- Tourists -Zhao told AFP he was looking forward to eating North Korea's "incredibly rich and diverse" cuisine and hoped increased exchanges between both countries could deepen ties "to a new level"."The relationship between the two countries is now as close as brothers," he said.Air China did not immediately reply to AFP when asked for details on the flight, including the number of passengers travelling from Beijing to Pyongyang.Economy class tickets had been available for around $200 and a return flight from Pyongyang is scheduled for midday.Daily passenger train services resumed this month with China, and AFP journalists in China's northeastern town of Dandong -- long a key gateway for exchanges with North Korea -- saw a mostly empty passenger train travelling into the isolated nation last week.While China has fully reopened its borders since the pandemic, North Korea has proceeded at a much slower pace.North Korea resumed direct flights and train services with Russia last year and state carrier Air Koryo restarted flights between Beijing and Pyongyang in 2023.Young Pioneer Tours, which specialises in travel to North Korea, told AFP in March that Air China resuming its route to Beijing opens Pyongyang up to more accessible connections.While the announcement of flights was "promising" for tourism, "there is still no further confirmation regarding Western tourists", Young Pioneer tour manager Rowan Beard said.Prior to the pandemic, Chinese tourists made up the bulk of foreign visitors to North Korea, numbering roughly 350,000 in 2019 and providing a huge revenue stream for Pyongyang, according to NK News, a specialist website that provides analyses of the country.By comparison, around 5,000 Western tourists visited North Korea each year from 2009, with US citizens accounting for 20 percent of those, according to the 38 North programme at the Washington-based Stimson Center.
