Israel is reopening the Rafah Crossing after almost two years. But a maximum of 200 people will be allowed to enter and exit each day, leaving many Palestinians to suggest this is little more than a publicity show. Soraya Lennie has more details.
Japan has announced the discovery of rare earth elements at record sea depths.
The government said on Monday that a deep-sea test mission in the Pacific Ocean had retrieved sediment containing rare earths from depths of 6,000 metres (about 20,000 feet). Tokyo has stepped up efforts to mine deep-sea deposits in a bid to reduce its dependence on China for the valuable minerals.
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Government spokesman Kei Sato said the sample, recovered by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), was being analysed for the quantity of rare earth contained in the sediment.
She called the retrieval of the sediment “a meaningful achievement both in terms of economic security and comprehensive maritime development”.
On Sunday, Science and Technology Minister Yohei Matsumoto, whose ministry oversees JAMSTEC’s work, announced in a social media post that “rare earth mud” had been collected by research vessel Chikyu.
The deep-sea scientific drilling boat set sail last month for the remote Pacific island of Minami Torishima, where surrounding waters are believed to contain a rich trove of valuable minerals.
The area around Minami Torishima, which is in Japan’s economic waters, is estimated to contain more than 16 million tonnes of rare earths. The Nikkei business daily says it is the third-largest reserve globally.
Late last year, Japan signed an agreement with the United States to coordinate on securing the supply of rare earths, with both eyeing China’s control of much of the world’s critical minerals.
In particular, Japan fears that China, the world’s biggest supplier of rare earths, could choke exports of the mineral due to strained diplomatic relations.
As tempers have flared in recent months, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Tokyo could react militarily should China attack Taiwan.
Japan, which imports roughly 70 percent of its rare earths from China, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, was spooked when Beijing responded to Takaichi’s remarks by blocking exports of “dual-use” items with potential military uses.
Rare earths, 17 metals difficult to extract from the Earth’s crust, are used in everything from electric vehicles to hard drives, wind turbines and missiles.
Celtic have rejected a bid of about £17m from Nottingham Forest for Belgium midfielder Arne Engels.
Forest failed with an initial £14m offer for the 22-year-old and then had a second bid of £17m also turned down.
Engels joined Celtic for £11m from German club Augsburg in August 2024.
He has played 89 times in all competitions for the Glasgow club and helped them win the Scottish Premiership and League Cup last season.
“Honestly, I am telling you, I didn’t know anything about it,” said interim manager Martin O’Neill when asked about Forest’s bid following Celtic’s 2-0 win over Falkirk on Sunday.
“If they have, then they must have done it during the game. And I would want it rebuffed, unless it was £100m.
“Then I think the board would step in there. No, absolutely, I would rather keep him.”
Both Celtic, who O’Neill says are close to making two signings, and Forest are in the Europa League play-offs that take place this month.
Kendrick Lamar has etched his name into music history, becoming the most awarded rapper at the Grammy Awards after a dominant showing at the 2026 ceremony held on Sunday, February 1.
The Compton-born rapper entered the night with 22 Grammy wins and walked away with five additional trophies, taking his career total to 27.
In doing so, the 38-year-old rapper surpassed Jay-Z’s long-standing record of 25 Grammy wins, while also pulling ahead of Kanye West, who has 24, to claim the title of the most decorated rapper in Grammy history.
The milestone was sealed early in the night when Lamar won Best Rap Album for GNX, his third victory in the category following To Pimp a Butterfly in 2016 and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers in 2023.
READ ALSO: 2026 Grammy Awards Winners [FULL LIST]
The win pushed him past Jay-Z’s tally mid-ceremony, drawing reactions from fans and the music industry.
Lamar went on to dominate the rap categories, winning Best Rap Song for Tv off featuring Lefty Gunplay, Best Rap Performance for Chains & Whips alongside Clipse, and Best Melodic Rap Performance for Luther, his collaboration with SZA.
He also secured one of the night’s top honours, Record of the Year, for Luther, marking his second consecutive win in the general field following his 2025 triumph with Not Like Us.
With that victory, Lamar became the first rapper to win Record of the Year back-to-back, underlining his rare crossover appeal beyond hip-hop categories.
Although GNX was also nominated for Album of the Year, and Luther received a nod for Song of the Year, Lamar did not take home those awards.
Still, his five wins from nine nominations made him the most successful artist of the night.
During his acceptance speech for Best Rap Album, Lamar reflected on perseverance, cultural responsibility and the power of storytelling.
The 2026 wins bring Lamar’s career Grammy record to 27 awards from 66 nominations, a trajectory that highlights consistent dominance across rap categories and growing recognition in the Grammys’ general fields.
His Grammy journey spans more than a decade, from early wins for ‘i and Alright’ to recent sweeps with Not Like Us’ and ‘GNX.’
The record-breaking moment has fuelled fresh debate about generational shifts in hip-hop, with many pointing to Lamar’s sustained artistic evolution and cultural impact as key to his rise.
The achievement comes amid a strong run for the rapper, following the release of GNX in late 2024 and a highly publicised feud with Drake, both of which kept Lamar at the centre of hip-hop discourse.
With his latest Grammy triumph, Kendrick Lamar’s status as one of the most influential figures in modern music appears firmly secured, and, at 27 wins, his record may yet stretch even further.
Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan believes that the “really special” Wu Yize will become the world number one within three years.
Wu won his first ranking title when he beat four-time world champion John Higgins in the final of the International Championship in November.
Afterwards, Higgins described the 22-year-old from China as a “total star” and compared him to three-time Masters champions Paul Hunter, who died in 2006 aged 27.
However, O’Sullivan said Wu reminded him of six-time world champion and BBC Sport pundit Steve Davis.
“I think Wu Yize is gong to be world number one, I’d give him three years, definitely going to be world champion very, very soon, [he’s a] phenomenal player,” said O’Sullivan, speaking before this week’s World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.
“A lot of people liken him to Paul Hunter but I think he’s more like a modern day Steve Davis.
Wu also made his Masters debut in January and reached the semi-finals where he was beaten 6-5 by eventual champion Kyren Wilson.
O’Sullivan added: “I practiced with him for two or three days in Hong Kong not long ago and it’s not until you practice with someone that you can really appreciate how good they are. After day two I was like ‘this kid is really special’.
The Federal Government on Monday arraigned some suspects arrested and linked to the killings in Yelwata, Benue State.
They were arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdul-Malik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Leading the prosecution for the arraignment of nine suspects is the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Channels Television gathered that the suspects were arraigned on a 57-count charge.
The counts are presently being read to them through an interpreter.
Earlier, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice assured Nigerians that justice would be served in the matter, sending a strong signal to enemies of the country acting under any disguise.
READ ALSO: VeryDarkMan, Angry Youths Protest, Demand End To Killings In Benue
“The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to the protection of the lives and properties of all as enshrined in the constitution,” the statement by Kamarudeen Ogundele, the SA to the AGF and Minister of Justice, read.
He said this came after a “painstaking investigation and collaboration by government agencies” .
Yelwata Attack
In June 2025, gunmen attacked the Yelwata community in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, killing scores and leaving hundreds displaced.
The incident sparked a major protest and widespread condemnation.
Security agencies announced that they had arrested some people in connection with the attacks.
A survivor of the Yelwata attack, Msurshima Apeh, told the United States Congress, how she watched the killing of her five children during the onslaught.
“In the course of this action, I saw a tree when I lifted my eyes. I raised my hands on the tree and climbed up where I was able to hide myself. My five children that I left below were crying, and in my presence, they were being slaughtered by the terrorists,” she told the House Subcommittee on Africa, which examined President Donald Trump’s decision to return Nigeria to the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list in November 2026.
Tinubu had visited the state in the wake of the incident and asked security operatives to go after the masterminds.
“Police, I hope your men are on alert to listen to information. How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” Tinubu had said at the Benue Government House in Makurdi, the capital, during a stakeholders meeting.