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Global stocks were mixed Tuesday as investors digested strong bank earnings and monitored ongoing developments in the US-China trade war amid lingering unease over last week’s market gyrations.Some stability has returned to markets after last week’s roller-coaster ride over Trump’s stop-start tariff announcements, but uncertainty remains over speculation of new levies on high-end technology and …

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Sudan’s paramilitary declared on Tuesday the establishment of government rivalling the army-backed administration, two years into a war that has triggered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.The war that erupted on April 15, 2023 has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 13 million, with no sign of peace on the horizon.The fighting has pitted the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.”On this anniversary, we proudly declare the establishment of the Government of Peace and Unity, a broad coalition that reflects the true face of Sudan,” Mohamed Hamdan Daglo said in a statement on Telegram.In late February, the RSF and its allies signed a charter in Kenya declaring the formation of a “government of peace and unity” in areas under their control.Daglo added on Tuesday that the paramilitaries, along with “civil and political forces”, had signed a transitional constitution, describing it as a “roadmap for a new Sudan”.That constitution provides for a 15-member presidential council “representing all regions, symbolising our voluntary unity”.Analysts have previously warned that the conflict could leave Sudan permanently divided between the warring sides, both of which face accusations of abuses.With the RSF emboldened in Darfur, “the territorial division that’s occurring could mean a de facto separation,” said Sharath Srinivasan, a professor at Cambridge University who studies Sudan.- Mass displacement -At the start of the war, the capital Khartoum became a battleground, with bodies lining the streets, sending hundreds of thousands fleeing.Those left behind struggled to survive.”I’ve lost half my bodyweight,” said 52-year-old Abdel Rafi Hussein, who stayed in the capital under RSF control until the army retook it last month.”We’re safe (now), but still, we suffer from a lack of water and electricity and most hospitals aren’t working.”The army’s recapture of Khartoum marked a turnaround after more than a year of setbacks.Many civilians celebrated what they called the “liberation” of the capital from the RSF, whose fighters were accused of widespread looting and sexual violence.But now the RSF is seeking to cement its grip on the vast western region of Darfur, where it has launched a deadly assault on El-Fasher — the last major city in the region outside its control.More than 400 people have been killed in the offensive, the United Nations said, with the paramilitaries having claimed control of the nearby Zamzam displacement camp on Sunday.An estimated 400,000 civilians fled the famine-hit camp as the RSF advanced, according to the International Organization for Migration.The army said on Tuesday that it had carried out “successful air strikes” against RSF positions northeast of the city.In total, the conflict has displaced some 13 million people, 3.8 million of them abroad, according to UN figures.- ‘End the suffering’ -In London on Tuesday, officials from around the world were meeting to “agree a pathway to end the suffering” in Sudan, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.But neither of the warring parties attended the meeting, where the African Union and European countries called for an end to the war.Precise death tolls are not available because of the collapse of the healthcare system, but former US envoy Tom Perriello cited estimates last year of up to 150,000 dead.On Tuesday, the UN said 2.1 million people are expected to return to Khartoum over the next six months following the army’s recapture.In central Sudan — where the UN said nearly 400,000 people had returned to areas retaken by the army by March — many have come back to ruins, preferring destitution at home to displacement.Zainab Abdel Rahim, 38, returned to Khartoum North this month with her six children, to find their home looted beyond recognition.”We’re trying to pull together the essentials, but there’s no water, no electricity, no medicine,” she said.According to Catherine Russell, executive director of the UN’s children’s agency, the war has “shattered the lives of millions of children across Sudan”.The Zamzam camp, which had been sheltering up to a million people, was the first place in Sudan where famine was declared. Other nearby camps have followed and famine is expected to take hold in El-Fasher itself by next month.On Monday, Guterres called for an end to “the external support and flow of weapons” fuelling the war.”Those with greatest influence on the parties must use it to better the lives of people in Sudan — not to perpetuate this disaster,” he said, without naming any countries.The army-backed government has accused the United Arab Emirates of arming the paramilitaries via neighbouring Chad, an accusation both Abu Dhabi and the RSF deny.burs-bha/jsa/ser

US aviation giant Boeing, fresh off a crippling labor dispute and quality control crisis, has now found itself drawn into the escalating trade conflict between Washington and Beijing.The largest US exporter, Boeing has been caught in the crossfire after President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs of up to 145 percent on many Chinese products, sparking …

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France on Tuesday ordered the expulsion of 12 Algerian diplomats and consular officials and recalled its ambassador in the latest escalation between the two countries.The measure, announced by President Emmanuel Macron’s office, came after Algeria on Sunday ordered 12 French officials to leave within 48 hours in response to the arrest of an Algerian official in France.The Algerian officials in France have also been given 48 hours to leave.Macron’s office called Algeria’s actions “incomprehensible and unjustified” and said Algiers should “resume dialogue” and “take responsibility for the degradation in bilateral relations”.France was “stunned” that relations had taken such a turn just two weeks after a phone call between Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Macron in a bid to repair ties, Macron’s office added.Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who went to Algiers at the start of the month as part of efforts to ease strains, said that Algeria had “chosen escalation”.Relations became strained last year when France recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara, where Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front.Ties soured further when Algeria arrested and jailed French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in November on national security charges.Sansal 80, is in poor health and his daughters on Tuesday appealed for Macron to secure his release in a commentary for Le Figaro newspaper that said Sansal was “a hostage” of the diplomatic battle. Algeria’s foreign ministry said it had declared the 12 persona non grata after the arrest in France of an Algerian consular official last week which it called a “vile act”.It has accused France’s hardline Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau of wrecking the efforts to repair ties.Algeria has refused to take back nationals France has ordered to leave in recent months, including a 37-year-old who went on a stabbing rampage in the eastern city of Mulhouse in February, killing one person.Barrot said earlier that Algeria’s latest expulsion orders were linked to the arrest of three Algerians, including an employee in an Algerian consulate, in France.The three were charged on Friday with kidnapping and terrorist conspiracy linked to the abduction of Amir Boukhors, an influencer and exiled opponent of the Algerian government.Retailleau backed Tuesday’s expulsion of the Algerians and said it was “inadmissible that France becomes a playground for the Algerian (security) services.””In this difficult context, France will defend its interests and continue to demand that Algeria fully fulfil its obligations, in particular with regards to our national security and cooperation on migration,” Macron’s office commented.

Hamas said Tuesday that after an Israeli strike it had “lost contact” with the captors of an Israeli-American hostage in Gaza, whose release reportedly takes centre stage in Israel’s latest proposal for a renewed ceasefire.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited northern Gaza Tuesday, his office announced, as the military kept up the offensive it resumed on March 18, effectively ending a two-month ceasefire.Speaking to troops, he said Hamas would continue to “suffer blow after blow”.In a statement on Telegram, Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s military wing the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said: “We announce that we have lost contact with the group holding soldier Edan Alexander following a direct strike on their location.””We are still trying to reach them at this moment,” he added.The military wing later released a video addressed to the families of the remaining hostages, warning them that their loved ones were likely to return in coffins if Israel kept up its bombardment of the territory.Over video images of masked militants carrying black coffins out of white vans in the darkness, the video carried a subtitled message in English, Arabic and Hebrew.”Be prepared. Soon, your children will return in black coffins with their bodies torn apart by shrapnel from your army’s missiles,” the message warns.Hamas’s armed wing released a video on Saturday showing Alexander alive, in which he criticised the Israeli government for failing to secure his release.Alexander appeared to be speaking under duress in the footage, making frequent hand gestures as he criticised Netanyahu’s government.AFP was unable to determine when the video was filmed.Alexander was serving in an elite infantry unit on the Gaza border when he was abducted by Palestinian militants during their October 2023 attack.The soldier, who turned 21 in captivity, was born in Tel Aviv and grew up in the US state of New Jersey, returning to Israel after high school to join the army.- ‘Gesture of goodwill’ -Hamas said on  Monday it had received a new truce offer from Israel that foresees the release of 10 living hostages, starting with Alexander, in exchange for a 45-day ceasefire.A Hamas official said the Israeli proposal called for Alexander’s release on the first day of the ceasefire as a “gesture of goodwill”.It was delivered to the group’s delegation in Cairo by Egyptian officials over the weekend, and a senior Hamas official told AFP the group would “most likely” respond within 48 hours.Another Hamas official said Israel had also demanded that the Palestinian militants disarm to secure an end to the Gaza war, but said this crossed a “red line”.Out of 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 2023 attack, a total of 58 remain in captivity, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.In northern Gaza, Netanyahu told troops, “They are striking the enemy and Hamas will continue to suffer blow after blow. We insist that they release our hostages, and we insist on achieving all of our war objectives.”French President Emmanuel Macron told Netanyahu in a telephone call Tuesday that only a ceasefire in Gaza could free the remaining hostages. Saying the suffering of Gazan civilians “must end”, he called for “opening all humanitarian aid crossings” into the Palestinian territory.Israel has cut off all aid to the Gaza Strip since March 2 to pressure Hamas.The United Nations has warned that Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is spiralling out of control, with no aid having entered the territory for a month and a half.”The humanitarian situation is now likely the worst it has been in the 18 months since the outbreak of hostilities,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.Macron angered Israel last week when he suggested Paris could recognise a Palestinian state during a United Nations conference in New York in June.Netanyahu’s office said he told Macron on Tuesday that the establishment of a Palestinian state would be a “huge reward for terrorism”.

The presidents of Syria and Lebanon arrived in Qatar on separate visits Tuesday, the first official trips by both leaders to the wealthy Gulf state since taking office.Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Doha, the Qatari leader’s office said in a statement.Qatar has been a key backer of the new administration in Damascus after longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in December.The talks between the Qatari and Syrian leaders “covered the most prominent regional and international developments, and an exchange of views on ways to enhance security and stability”, Shiekh Tamim’s office said. Earlier, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani posted on X that he was accompanying Sharaa on his “first presidential visit to the country that has stood by Syrians from day one and has never abandoned them”.Sharaa and Shaibani’s Qatar trip comes on the heels of a Sunday visit to the United Arab Emirates, where they met Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.Sharaa led the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that spearheaded the offensive that ousted Assad from power on December 8.His new administration has received support from several countries, including key backers Turkey and Qatar, as well as multiple Arab states.Qatar was one of the first Arab countries to back the armed rebellion that erupted after Assad’s government crushed a peaceful uprising in 2011.Unlike other Arab nations, Doha did not restore diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad.The new authorities have engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity since taking power, and Sharaa has visited several Arab countries as well as Turkey.- ‘Important interlocutor’ -Later on Tuesday Lebanese President Joseph Aoun touched down in Doha, accompanied by foreign minister Youssef Raggi, the Lebanese presidency said in a statement.Earlier, Aoun’s office had said talks between the Qatari and Lebanese delegations would continue into Wednesday afternoon and include a meeting with the Qatari emir. A day earlier, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with Sharaa in Damascus in an effort to reboot ties between the two neighbours.Beirut and Damascus have been seeking to improve relations since the overthrow of Assad, whose family dynasty exercised control over Lebanese affairs for decades and has been accused of assassinating numerous officials in Lebanon who expressed opposition to its rule.Middle East analyst Andreas Krieg said since the fall of the Assad government, Qatar had emerged as “the most important interlocutor with the Sharaa government in the Arab world, at least after Turkey”. He said the gas-rich Gulf emirate was a “diplomatic force multiplier to the Sharaa government in Syria” and would be able to connect the new Syrian authorities with Lebanon, “which is, for both countries, extremely important”. Sheikh Tamim visited Damascus in January, becoming the first head of state to visit since Assad’s ouster.Doha has pledged to support the rehabilitation of Syria’s infrastructure, and has signed multiple deals to provide the war-ravaged country with much-needed power.Syrian authorities are seeking assistance including from wealthy Gulf states for reconstruction after nearly 14 years of war.Qatar is also one of the providers of financial and in-kind support to the Lebanese army and pledged support for reconstruction in February after the recent conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

Amna Hussein didn’t stop when the bullet hit her hand. She kept on running as paramilitaries attacked Zamzam displacement camp in Sudan’s western Darfur region in the dead of night.”They entered Zamzam and started shooting at us,” she told AFP in the small town of Tawila, 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of the huge famine-stricken camp, which by Sunday had fallen to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).”I tied my hand with a cloth to stop the blood and we kept running,” the 36-year-old said, her hand swollen and body weak after a three-day trek on foot.The United Nations says more than 400 people have been killed and around 400,000 people displaced since the RSF on Friday began attacking Zamzam, where aid sources estimate up to a million people were sheltering.The lucky ones like Hussein made it to Tawila, despite barely any aid available there. The fighters did not pursue them.Ibrahim Essa, a 43-year-old father of six, didn’t think he would make it out.”We tried to leave on the first day, but RSF fighters blocked the roads and fired artillery at us,” he told AFP from underneath the dead tree his family now uses for shelter.Since war erupted between the regular Sudanese army and the RSF two years ago, Darfur has seen some of the worst violence, with entire villages and camps torched.- Systematic destruction -Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (Yale HRL), which uses remote sensing data to track the conflict, confirms that the RSF now controls the sprawling camp.”Zamzam camp is now being systematically destroyed by fire from intentional arson by RSF forces,” it reported Monday, a day after the RSF claimed it had “liberated” the area.The camp lies just south of North Darfur state capital El-Fasher, the only major city in the vast western region not conquered by the RSF.The UN and international leaders have for nearly a year warned against a full-scale attack on Zamzam and El-Fasher, with fears of ethnically motivated massacres such as those the RSF committed elsewhere in Darfur.According to the Yale HRL, the RSF has positioned a 200 vehicle-strong force inside Zamzam, indicating “an imminent large-scale assault on El-Fasher city itself”.The RSF has besieged El-Fasher since last May, but has been unable to defeat the army and its allied militias known as the Joint Forces.After the army retook the capital Khartoum 1,000 kilometres to the east last month, the RSF intensified its attacks in a final push to claim all of Darfur.- ‘Die together in Zamzam’ -Although the Joint Forces have for months intercepted RSF supply lines, experts warn a full-scale attack could overcome their defences.Several survivors from Zamzam told AFP they were stopped by Joint Forces fighters who urged them not to flee.”They told us: ‘Don’t leave. We will all die together in Zamzam,” said one survivor who gave her name as Nasha.When the fighting intensified, she took her children and ran for Tawila, arriving three days later.”Now we’re sitting in the dirt with no blankets, no mattresses, not even proper clothes,” she told AFP.Behind her, hundreds of families huddled under scattered trees, nothing to their name but the clothes they fled in.On Monday, medical charity Doctors Without Borders said its small team in Tawila reported 10,000 displaced people arriving in under two days.Little aid is available in Tawila, where people displaced from other parts of North Darfur have slept on the ground for months.An AFP journalist saw a steady stream of exhausted families pour in, some clinging to overcrowded trucks or jolting slowly along in wooden donkey carts piled high with children.”After we arrived in Tawila, aid workers gave us water and dates. But I was already very sick,” Nasha said.”I collapsed and fainted from thirst and the heat.”On Tuesday, Sudan’s war entered its third year with no hope of respite.Tens of thousands have been killed, including up to 15,000 in ethnically motivated massacres by the RSF and allied militias in the West Darfur town of El-Geneina alone, a UN panel said.Thirteen million more have been uprooted and eight million are on the brink of famine, in what the UN calls the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.An independent UN fact-finding mission warned Monday that “the darkest chapters of this conflict have yet to unfold”, citing rising ethnic violence and retaliation nationwide.