Washington and Beijing hold low-key trade negotiations in Paris
Senior officials from the United States and China met in Paris this week for a new round of trade talks, as the world’s two largest economies...
Palestinian resistance factions have rejected a U.S. draft resolution proposing an international stabilisation force in the Gaza Strip, warning it seeks to impose external control over the territory and undermine Palestinian sovereignty.
The joint statement, issued ahead of a scheduled United Nations Security Council vote on the draft, described the plan as paving the way for “foreign guardianship” over Gaza and sidelining Palestinian decision-making.
They insisted that any humanitarian or security effort must operate through Palestinian institutions, under full UN oversight, and without becoming a political instrument or security apparatus.
The factions rejected any clause that would involve disarmament in Gaza or divert from their internationally recognised right to resist occupation.
They also criticised language in the draft resolution that they say would turn aid into leverage, weaken the role of the UN agency UNRWA and effectively reshape Gaza’s internal reality via a foreign-run mechanism.
The statement stressed that any discussion over arms must remain a national matter tied to a political process that ends Israeli occupation and secures a Palestinian state.
The groups labelled the proposed international role as effectively serving the Israeli occupation if it coordinated with Israeli forces, and they called for any future force to fall under direct UN command, liaise only with official Palestinian bodies and restrict its tasks to protecting civilians, ensuring aid delivery and separating forces.
They also rejected any foreign bases, trusteeship or foreign military presence in Gaza, calling those a direct assault on Palestinian sovereignty.
The factions called for an Arab-Islamic framework for Gaza’s administration, advocating for a transitional Palestinian technocrat committee to take over from Hamas, rooted in the “free Palestinian will” and maintaining unity of land, people and institutions.
The draft resolution is tied to the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, which introduced the idea of an international force and outlined a pathway toward statehood.
The ceasefire went into effect on 10 October under Egyptian-Qatari-U.S.-Turkish mediation, but the planned transition into security and administrative arrangements has been delayed amid Israeli objections and continued violence in the Strip.
Iran says it is open to talks with countries seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz - disrupted by recent attacks - as Israel continues to launch wide‑scale strikes on Iranian infrastructure in the west. This live report tracks the latest developments.
President Trump called on countries to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Starmer said the UK is working with allies to restore navigation and stabilise oil markets. It comes as a strike near Iraq’s western border killed several Hashed al-Shaabi fighters, raising regional tensions.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 15 March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials launched a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday (15 March) to resolve issues in their trade truce. The discussions aim to smooth the way for U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.
The process of evacuating foreign diplomats and citizens from Iran to Azerbaijan through the Astara state border crossing continues on Sunday (15 March), ensuring smooth and efficient transit for those arriving.
Governments around the world are responding cautiously to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for countries to send naval ships to the Strait of Hormuz to protect commercial shipping and help restore the flow of global oil supplies.
Kyrgyzstan lawmaker Shairbek Tashiev has resigned from parliament after being questioned by investigators. The Central Election Commission confirmed it has formally terminated his parliamentary mandate.
Kazakhstan’s next presidential election will be held in 2029 in line with the Constitution, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said after voting in a referendum on a draft new Constitution amid debate over whether the reforms could signal a future transfer of power.
China’s special envoy for Afghanistan has begun visits to Kabul and Islamabad to mediate between the two countries, as cross-border clashes continue following Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan in February.
Israel is set to approve the mobilisation of up to 450,000 reserve troops at the request of the military, as Israeli forces begin further ground attacks in southern Lebanon against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.
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