Gaza's Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt Reopens After Months of Closure
The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt reopened for the movement of people on Monday, after being largely closed since May 2024 when Israeli forces captured the Palestinian side, according to BBC World. The reopening is a key part of the first stage of US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas, which began in October.
Only a limited number of people, dozens in both directions, will be able to cross each day, BBC World reported. Humanitarian aid and commercial goods will still not be allowed through the Rafah crossing. Around 20,000 sick and wounded Palestinians are reportedly waiting to leave Gaza for treatment.
Other World News in Brief
In other news, twelve miners were killed in eastern Ukraine by a Russian drone strike, according to BBC World. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy firm, stated that the miners were traveling in a bus after their shift in the Dnipropetrovsk region when the attack occurred on Sunday. At least 15 people were injured. Separately, at least two others were killed and nine injured in other Russian attacks overnight and on Sunday, including six people hurt when a drone hit a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia, BBC World reported.
Gold and silver prices experienced a significant plunge following losses on Friday, BBC Business reported. In Asia trade on Monday, spot gold prices fell more than $9 to $4,403 an ounce, while silver slumped by $15 to less than $72 an ounce. Prices had previously hit record highs in January as investors sought "safe haven" assets amid geopolitical uncertainties. The naming of Kevin Warsh, a former central bank governor, as the new chair of the US Federal Reserve by President Donald Trump on Friday was welcomed in general by the financial markets, which contributed to the price drop.
Cuba is facing increasing pressure as the Trump administration tightens restrictions, The Guardian reported. The country is already suffering from an acute fuel shortage, and experts warn that a complete cutoff would be catastrophic to its infrastructure. Javier Peña and Ysil Ribas were waiting outside a petrol station in Havana since 6 a.m., highlighting the severity of the situation.
In Japan, the "living hell" of North Korea's "paradise on Earth" scheme has been brought back into the spotlight, according to The Guardian. Eiko Kawasaki, who was among tens of thousands of people with Korean heritage lured to North Korea with promises of a better life, is one of the plaintiffs in a case against North Korea. The court has ordered North Korea to pay each plaintiff 20 million yen in compensation. Kawasaki, who was 17 when she left Japan, and others claim they were exploited for labor and cut off from their families for generations.
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