Today's headlines: Pyongyang pays tribute to Kim Yong Nam, former “head of state” who died yesterday at the age of 97; Beijing leads campaign of harassment and intimidation against Sheffield Hallam University for “sensitive” research on the Uyghurs; Bangkok and Phnom Penh begin “demilitarising”disputed border;Thirty per cent of Iran's population lives in “absolute poverty”.

ISRAEL - USA - GAZA

In the US draft to the UN Security Council on the international stabilisation force in Gaza, part of the second phase of Donald Trump's peace plan, the United States and other participating countries are given a broad two-year mandate to govern the Strip. This was revealed by Axios, according to which the International Stabilisation Force will have to protect “the borders with Israel and Egypt”, ensuring “the safety of civilians and humanitarian areas” and training “new Palestinian police officers” with whom it will collaborate. It includes the disarmament of Hamas and calls for the Peace Council to be given “governance” powers with “international legal personality”. A different proposal emerged yesterday in Istanbul at a meeting of six Muslim countries promoted by Turkey: representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia warned that the future must be led by the Palestinians and avoid any new system of foreign hegemony.

NORTH KOREA

Kim Yong Nam, the only person outside the ruling Kim family dynasty to serve as North Korea's nominal head of state, died yesterday at the age of 97. This was reported by the official media outlet KCNA, which paid tribute to the former president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and long-time diplomat, who served all three of the country's leaders over the years. Following the news, China offered its “heartfelt condolences” to Pyongyang.

CHINA - UNITED KINGDOM

China has conducted a campaign of harassment and intimidation against a UK university to block “sensitive” research into alleged human rights violations. This was revealed in a BBC investigation, according to which Beijing targeted staff at Sheffield Hallam University in the country with threats from individuals belonging to the Chinese National Security Service. Among the research projects was that of Laura Murphy, professor of human rights and contemporary slavery, on allegations of forced labour against Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

THAILAND - CAMBODIA

Bangkok and Phnom Penh have begun to withdraw heavy weapons and conduct mine clearance operations along the disputed border, part of steps to reduce tension after the signing of a truce officiated by US President Donald Trump last week on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit. Thailand and Cambodia have also stepped up joint efforts to combat transnational cybercrime and are working on joint demarcation in border areas. The five-day war in July killed at least 48 people and displaced hundreds of thousands on both sides of the border.

NEPAL

Nine people were killed, four injured and four others are missing in two separate incidents in the Nepalese Himalayas. An avalanche struck a climbing expedition on a peak in the Himalayas yesterday morning in Nepalese territory. The base camp at Yalung Ri, at 5,630 m, in the Rolwaling Valley, Dolakha district, was hit. The victims are three US citizens, one Canadian, one Italian and two Nepalese. Also yesterday, the bodies of two other Italian mountaineers who had been missing since 28 October while climbing Panbari Himal were found.

IRAN

Around 26 million Iranians, or 30% of the population, live in absolute poverty. This was revealed by Hadi Mousavi-Nik, a member of the Iranian Parliamentary Research Centre, who said that the figure exceeds the global average and reflects the failure of the country's economic policies, with another four million in extreme poverty, a condition in which “people's income does not even cover their daily food needs”. Absolute poverty refers to a state in which individuals do not meet their basic survival needs, including food, clean water, shelter and clothing.

RUSSIA - TURKEY

Turkish oil companies are seeking alternative markets to Russia following the introduction of new sanctions on Moscow's oil. These include Sokar Turkey Aegean Refinery, which has purchased four large consignments of oil from Iraq, Kazakhstan and other countries, with deliveries in December ranging from 77 to 130 barrels per day. In particular, the Kazakhs offer a quality similar to Russian Urals oil.

KYRGYZSTAN - EGYPT

President Sadyr Žaparov made an official visit to Egypt, for the first time in Kyrgyzstan's history, at the invitation of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. The talks focused on current issues of bilateral cooperation and international and regional issues. Agreements were also signed in the fields of economics, agriculture, investment, energy, health and other partnerships.