The enclave, which was almost completely closed during Israel’s genocidal war, will reopen next week, according to the Palestinian technocrat leader supported by Washington.
During a meeting held by US President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ali Shaath made the announcement via videolink on Thursday.
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The Rafah crossing will open in both directions the following week, “I’m pleased to announce.” Rafah is more than a gate for Palestinians in Gaza. It serves as a source of hope and a lifeline, Shaath said.
He continued, “The opening of Rafah indicates that Gaza is no longer confined to the war and the future.”
Israel, which has ruled the Rafah crossing since 2024, did not respond right away. Israeli authorities have stalled reopening the ceasefire since it became effective under Trump’s plan, which would have allowed desperately needed medical personnel to enter and leave.
Beyond the yellow line, which includes the region that abuts the border crossing, is now in the hands of Israel thanks to the ceasefire agreement.
The Rafah crossing’s reopening, if implemented, would change Israeli policy that stated it would only be accessible to people leaving the Gaza Strip to Egypt.
“Path to true Palestinian self-determination”
The all-Palestinian technocratic committee that will oversee the power transition in Gaza was announced by the White House on Friday. The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which was established in the name of Shaath, a former deputy minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA), was appointed as the organization’s general commissioner.
In a statement following his appointment, Shaath stated that the committee would “embrace peace, which we strive to secure the path to true Palestinian rights and self-determination.”
Senior Hamas leaders have praised the committee’s formation as a “step in the right direction” that is “crucial for consolidating the ceasefire.”
Some Palestinians, however, worry that the NCAG’s technocratic approach will put a stop to Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory and favor a focus on economic growth and potential for foreign investment.
The technocratic committee would be run by a so-called “Board of Peace,” who would be Trump’s presider, as part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
The US leader on Thursday formally inaugurated the organization for resolving international disputes in Davos, which has a $1 billion membership fee.
Although the original intention of the board was to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, a draft charter does not appear to limit its authority to the Palestinian-occupied territory.
The restart of a reactor at the world’s largest nuclear power plant has been suspended in Japan, a day after the process began, its operator, which also manages the wrecked Fukushima plant, said. But the reactor remains “stable”.
The No 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in north-central Japan – closed since the 2011 Fukushima disaster – reactivated on Wednesday as plant workers started removing neutron-absorbing control rods from the core to start stable nuclear fission.
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But the process had to be suspended hours later due to a malfunction related to control rods, which are essential to safely starting up and shutting down reactors, the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) said. The duration of the shutdown was still unknown.
TEPCO said there was no safety issue from the glitch and it was checking the situation while suspending the restart operation. The utility later said it was putting the reactor back into shutdown for a fuller examination.
“We were investigating the malfunctioning electrical equipment”, spokesperson Takashi Kobayashi told the AFP news agency.
The reactor “is stable and there is no radioactive impact outside”, he said.
Control rods are a device used to control the nuclear chain reaction in the reactor core, which can be accelerated by slightly withdrawing them, or slowed down or stopped completely by inserting them deeper.
The restart, initially scheduled for Tuesday, had been pushed back after another technical issue related to the rods ‘ removal was detected last weekend – a problem that was resolved on Sunday, according to TEPCO.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is the world’s biggest nuclear power plant by potential capacity, although just one reactor of seven was restarted.
The facility was taken offline when Japan pulled the plug on nuclear power after a colossal earthquake and tsunami sent three reactors at the Fukushima atomic plant into meltdown in 2011.
However, resource-poor Japan now wants to revive atomic energy to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and meet growing energy needs from artificial intelligence.
Fourteen other nuclear reactors have restarted across Japan since 2011, but the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, about 220 kilometres (135 miles) northwest of Tokyo, is the first TEPCO-run unit to resume production.
The company also runs the decommissioned Fukushima Daiichi plant, which has been severely damaged.
More than 1 million households in the capital region could be fueled by a restart of the No 6 reactor, which would generate an additional 1.35 million kilowatts of electricity.
According to a survey conducted in September, Niigata’s public opinion is polarized: about 60% of residents oppose the restart, while 37% support it.
Why should the people of Kashiwazaki be in danger if Tokyo produces electricity there? This makes no sense, Yumiko Abe, a 73-year-old resident, claimed this week during a protest in front of the plant.
Josh Paul, former US Bureau of Political-Military Affairs director of congressional affairs, is in the spotlight. Paul resigned in 2023 to protest US involvement in Israel’s occupation of Gaza. Since then, he has co-founded A New Policy, a political movement that advocates for changes in US policy toward Israel and Palestine. Paul discusses his resignation, whether Washington has learned anything, and whether the United States is unprepared to repeat its mistakes.
Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner has outclassed home wildcard James Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to stroll into the third round of the Australian Open.
The Italian world number two was in no mood on Thursday for an extended shift on a cool Rod Laver Arena as he set up a last-32 clash with American Eliot Spizzirri.
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It was Sinner’s 27th successive tour-level victory against Australian players, his last defeat against one coming against Duckworth in Toronto in 2021.
But a repeat of that outcome never looked likely as Sinner produced an immaculate display from the back of the court.
“Every match is difficult. So happy to be in the next round,” Sinner, who has won his last 12 matches without dropping a set, said on court. “Very happy with my performance.
“I know how much work I’ve put in, so the body feels good and the mind is in a good moment.”
From the moment he drilled a backhand winner into the corner to break Duckworth’s serve in the fourth game, he was in control and was gifted a second service break with a double fault.
Sinner claimed the first set in 26 minutes, and although Duckworth offered more resistance in the second with some aggressive play, the Italian’s controlled power and placement was too much for his 34-year-old opponent.
A forehand winner earned him a break point at 3-3, and Duckworth blazed wildly long as the pressure told.
Duckworth’s winners were loudly applauded by the evening crowd, but the end came quickly, and Sinner finished it off with an ace – his 18th of the match.
Sinner has spent less than three hours on court to reach the third round, and he will be the heavy favourite against 85th-ranked Spizzirri, who survived a five-setter against China’s Wu Yibing.
“I’ve been watching him also last year a little bit – very aggressive on the court and a big server also,” Sinner said.
“I don’t know him as well because we haven’t played yet, but I’m hoping for a great match.”
Sinner lost only seven games against Duckworth in their second-round match at Melbourne Park [David Gray/AFP]
Osaka beats Cirstea in three sets
Naomi Osaka overcame a second-set wobble to beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the second round.
Osaka, who won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, made a shaky start against Cirstea, dropping the opening game on her serve and committing early errors.
She soon shook off the cobwebs and broke to level at 2-2 before breaking again for a 5-3 lead and then defending a break point to hold serve and take the opening set.
The 35-year-old Cirstea, who will retire at the end of the year, again took an early lead in the second set, and although Osaka levelled at 2-2, the Romanian broke in a decisive moment to force a final set.
Osaka, the 16th seed, took a break between sets and then another medical timeout while leading 3-1 in the decider, but any concern was short-lived.
With her movement seemingly hampered, the Japanese former world number one responded by dialling up the intensity of her ground strokes and overwhelming Cirstea to seal the win.
The final set was also tinged with some drama as Cirstea took issue with Osaka pumping herself up by shouting, “Come on,” between the Romanian’s first and second serves.
“[There were] apparently a lot of ‘come ons’ that she was angry about. I mean I tried to play well. I think I hit a lot of unforced errors, but I tried my best,” Osaka said.
“She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open, so sorry she was mad about it.”
Osaka faces Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis in the third round.
Japan’s Naomi Osaka hits a return to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea during their singles match on day five [Martin Keep/AFP]
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, United States President Donald Trump said the US needs “ownership” of Greenland to defend itself from adversaries like China and Russia, but said he “won’t use force” to acquire the self-ruling island, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Across the world, various nations maintain overseas territories that house strategic and military installations, but also for historical, economic and environmental reasons. Many of them are remnants of colonial empires. While many former colonies around the world gained independence in the 20th century, they often chose to maintain their links for economic stability, security or because they were too small to be viable as fully independent nations.
From the British and French overseas territories to the US-owned regions in the Caribbean and the Pacific, these territories exercise varying degrees of self-government and autonomy.
Al Jazeera maps the 10 countries with the most overseas territories.
United Kingdom – 14 territories
The UK has 14 overseas territories across the Atlantic, Caribbean, Pacific and polar regions.
The inhabited territories include Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and Montserrat. These are self-governing, with the UK responsible for defence and foreign affairs.
The UK also administers regions which are sparsely populated – the British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia Island and the South Sandwich Islands, as well as Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases in Cyprus. These are mainly used for military, scientific and environmental purposes.
The UK recently handed sovereignty of the Chagos Islands in the British Indian Ocean Territory back to Mauritius after a decades-long dispute. This week, Trump strongly criticised this move as “an act of great stupidity”.
In a statement on Monday, an official UK government spokesperson said the decision had been made because the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia was “under threat after court decisions undermined our position and would have prevented it operating as intended in future”. The base is leased to the US but operates as a joint UK-US base.
The UK also has three Crown Dependencies, which, unlike the British Overseas Territories, have never been colonies and are not part of the United Kingdom. They have their own tax systems and courts. The UK is only responsible for their defence and foreign affairs. Crown Dependencies are possessions of the British Crown, owing allegiance to the monarch rather than the UK government.
They include the self-governing Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey near the French Normandy coast. The Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea between the UK and Ireland, is also a Crown Dependency.
United States – 14 territories
The US has five permanently inhabited territories and nine which are uninhabited, mainly in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
The inhabited territories are: Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. Puerto Rico is the most populous and is a self-governing commonwealth. These territories have local governments but limited representation at the federal level.
The US also controls a group of mostly uninhabited islands commonly referred to as the US Minor Outlying Islands, which are primarily used for military or strategic purposes. These are: Baker Island, Howard Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island.
France – 13 territories
France has 13 overseas territories spread across the Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Pacific and South America. Unlike the UK and US territories, some of these are fully integrated into France as administrative regions, while others are overseas “collectives”.
Five territories – French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte and Reunion – are fully integrated parts of France. They have representatives in the French parliament and use the euro as their currency. French Guiana is home to the Guiana Space Centre, where space launches are conducted by several European private companies and government agencies.
France administers French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, and Clipperton Island, all of which have varying degrees of autonomy.
France also claims the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, which are uninhabited and used mainly for scientific research and environmental protection. However, some countries such as Mauritius, Madagascar and the Comoros dispute France’s sovereignty over these islands.
Australia – 7 territories
Australia has seven overseas territories, three of which are inhabited – Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Residents of these islands are Australian citizens, and the territories have various levels of governance.
The four mostly uninhabited territories that Australia controls are Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Coral Sea Islands Territory and the Australian Antarctic Territory. These are primarily used for scientific research, meteorological monitoring and the administration of Australia’s maritime jurisdiction.
The Netherlands – 6 territories
The Netherlands has six territories in the Caribbean.
Three – Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten – have their own governments, parliaments and prime ministers and are known as “constituent” countries. Aruba gained this status in 1986, with Curacao and Sint Maarten becoming constituent countries in 2010.
The other three territories are Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. These are directly administered by The Hague, but have local governments and use the US dollar.
Norway – 5 territories
Norway has five territories in the Arctic and Antarctic.
Its first Arctic territory is Svalbard, which has a special legal status under the 1920 Svalbard Treaty, allowing international settlement and restricting military activity. The second territory is Jan Mayen, an uninhabited volcanic island used for meteorological research, monitoring and defence.
Norway also claims three uninhabited territories in Antarctica: Bouvet Island, Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land. Bouvet Island and Peter I Island are mostly covered by glaciers, while on Queen Maud Land, there is very limited ice-free land at the coast. It hosts the largest-known seabird colony in Antarctica.
(Al Jazeera)
New Zealand – 4 territories
New Zealand has two self-governing regions that are part of it, one dependent territory, and one Antarctic claim.
The Cook Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, located between New Zealand and Hawaii, and Niue, located in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of New Zealand and east of Tonga, are both self-governing in “free association” with New Zealand. This is a voluntary association in which a nation, such as the Cook Islands or Niue, assumes responsibility for its domestic affairs but defers to New Zealand for defence and foreign policy.
Tokelau came under the control of New Zealand in 1925 and is a non-self-governing territory. This means that the UN considers it a territory where the people have “not yet attained a full measure of self-government” but are being encouraged to work towards it.
Like several countries, New Zealand claims part of the Antarctic. The 1959 Antarctic Treaty System is an international agreement which preserves Antarctica for peaceful purposes and scientific research, while freezing all territorial claims. Since 1923, New Zealand has maintained a right of sovereignty over the Ross Dependency in Antarctica for research purposes. It was originally part of the UK’s claim.
Denmark – 2 territories
The Kingdom of Denmark has two self-ruling territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Greenland is at the centre of a transatlantic dispute as US President Donald Trump insists on buying the resource-rich island, which is located in the region of North America, despite it having its own parliament and leader. Both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly stated that the island is not for sale.
The Faroe Islands are located in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland, Norway and Scotland. Since 2005, the Faroes have had a self-government arrangement.
China – 2 territories
Unlike the UK or France, China does not have overseas territories in the traditional sense. It has two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) – Hong Kong and Macau. These are generally autonomous in terms of political, economic and legal systems, operating under the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”.
Hong Kong, located on the South China Sea, is a former British colony but was returned to China in 1997. It has a population of about 7.5 million and is one of the world’s most important financial centres. According to Hong Kong’s Department of Justice, its legal system is different from China’s and is based on common law.
Nearby Macau is a former Portuguese colony which was returned to China in 1999. It has a population of about 680,000 and is known for its financial services industry as well as casinos. The legal system is based on Portuguese civil law, rather than China’s.
China also has five autonomous regions within mainland China, which have a degree of political and cultural autonomy.
Taiwan, which China considers a province, operates as a self-governing territory with its own government, economy and legal system, but China insists it is part of its sovereign territory and has not ruled out using force to bring it under Beijing’s control.
Portugal – 2 territories
Portugal has two autonomous regions: The Azores and Madeira, both in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Azores are an archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, roughly 1,400 to 1,600km (870-1,000 miles) west of mainland Portugal. The islands were claimed by Portugal in 1439, but today are autonomous with their own regional government and a population of about 245,000.
In 2025, Portugal’s aviation regulator granted a five-year licence to the Atlantic Spaceport Consortium (ASC) to operate a spaceport in the Azores on Santa Maria Island. The facility is Portugal’s first licensed spaceport. Its location in the mid-Atlantic is seen as advantageous for the launch of satellite activities.
Madeira is roughly 1,000km (600 miles) southwest of mainland Portugal, with a population of about 260,000. Madeira was officially discovered in July 1419 by two sailors who had veered off course due to a storm. Madeira gained autonomy in 1976 following the Carnation Revolution.
