Key Gaza border crossing reopens, a step forward in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire

TheRafah border crossingbetween the Gaza Strip and Egypt partially reopened Monday, a significant step in theceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The limited reopening will allow some movement of people in and out of the Palestinian enclave, enabling small numbers in need of medical aid to leave Gaza and letting some others return to the territory.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military agency COGAT, Shimi Zuaretz, confirmed to NBC News that the crossing had reopened at 2 a.m. ET. He was unable to say how many people had crossed so far.

COGAT had said Sunday the crossing would reopen only for the movement of people. It earlier warned that the crossings at Rafah would be limited and would involve security clearance by Israel.

European Union border officers are expected to assist with operations at the crossing, consistent with past operations in Rafah. Shadi Othman, media officer at the European Union Office in Jerusalem, told NBC News on Monday the reopening would allow dozens of patients to leave Gaza, while dozens of people would enter from the Egyptian side.

"This is today's plan," Othman said. "We will wait until the end of the day to see what will happen and to know the final number of those who depart and those who enter."

The crossing in Gaza's southernmost city has been nearly completely closed since May 2024, amid Israel's massive military offensive launched in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attack. The conflict was brought to a halt in October by a ceasefire brokered in part by the United States.

The closure of the Rafah crossing, which has long been one of the only gateways to the rest of the world for Palestinians in Gaza, cut off an important route for the sick or injured to get medical care outside the war-ravaged enclave. Hospitals and other lifesaving infrastructure inside Gaza have been largely destroyed or badly damaged in the Israeli offensive.

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The Egyptian Health Ministry said Monday that the level of preparedness at all health care facilities had been raised for the movement of patients and the wounded, and the return to Gaza of those who have recovered. Some 150 hospitals nationwide, nearly 12,000 doctors and between 250 and 300 fully equipped ambulances, were on standby for crisis management, it said.

Khaled Mujawir, the governor of Egypt's North Sinai province, told NBC News on Sunday that 150 wounded, injured and sick Palestinians from Gaza were expected to arrive in Egypt on Monday.

The director of the Nasser Medical Complex in the city of Khan Younis told NBC News that Israel had approved travel for only five patients from a list of 27 the hospital had submitted for transfer. Delaying travel of those in medical need out of Gaza is "a real threat to their lives," Dr. Atef Al-Hout said.

The reopening the crossing in both directions is a key pillar ofPresident Donald Trump's peace plan for Gazaand comes just days after the remains ofthe last hostage held in the enclave were returned to Israel.

The reopening could signal a long-awaited transition to the second phase of the plan, which also involves Hamas' disarmament, the transfer of power to a new technocratic government and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces.

But many details remain uncertain, and the ceasefire remains shaky.

Israeli strikes on Gaza killedat least 30 Palestinians including several children Saturday, local officials said, a day after Israel accused Hamas of new truce violations. Israel's army said it was targeting Hamas militants and weapons sites across the Gaza Strip.

Israel has killed more than 500 people in Gaza since the ceasefire began, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 02, 2026

Key Gaza border crossing reopens, a step forward in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire

TheRafah border crossingbetween the Gaza Strip and Egypt partially reopened Monday, a significant step in theceasefire be...

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What to know after a deadly landslide in eastern Congo kills at least 200 miners

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A landslide last week collapsed several tunnels at a major coltan mine in eastern Congo, leaving at least 200 people dead in the rebel-controlled site.

The collapse occurred on Wednesday at the Rubaya mines, controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, after heavy rains caused several hand-dug tunnels in the unregulated mine to cave in, according to the regional governor's spokesperson.

The M23 rebels and the Congolese government traded accusations over responsibility as reports from the remote region began to emerge.

The collapse is one of the deadliest disasters in years in an area already facing a humanitarian crisis and ongoing conflict.

In May 2024, M23seized the town of Rubaya and took control of its mines.

Here's what to know about the collapse:

Why did the accident happen?

On Wednesday, following heavy rains in eastern Congo, a network of hand-dug tunnels collapsed, killing at least 200 artisanal miners and trapping an unknown number who remain missing. The mine, located around 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the west of the regional capital of Goma, has been under the control of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels since early 2024 and employs thousands of miners who operate largely by hand.

Miners dig long tunnels, often parallel to one another, with limited support and no safe evacuation route in case of a collapse.

A former miner at the site told The Associated Press that there have been repeated landslides because the tunnels are dug by hand, poorly constructed, and not maintained.

"People dig everywhere, without control or safety measures. In a single pit, there can be as many as 500 miners, and because the tunnels run parallel, one collapse can affect many pits at once," former miner Clovis Mafare said.

Congo's government, in a statement on X, expressed solidarity with the victims' families and accused the rebels of illegally and unsafely exploiting the region's natural resources. An M23 spokesperson accused the government of politicizing a "tragic accident" and provided a list of other collapses at government-controlled mines.

What is happening in eastern Congo?

The M23 group is one of about 100 armed factions vying for a foothold ineastern Congo, where a decades-long conflict has raged.

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Since early last year, the M23 rebel group has been on theoffensive,taking the regional capitals of Goma and Bukavu and advancing toward the south of the country. The group, composed primarily of fighters from the Tutsi minority who failed to integrate into the Congolese army, launched an insurgency against the Congolese government in 2012. It was then dormant for a decade, until its resurgence in 2022.

M23 claims to defend Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination. Critics say it's a pretext for neighboring Rwanda to obtain economic and political influence over eastern Congo.

Congo, the United States, and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, which had hundreds of members in 2021. Now, according to the United Nations, the group has around 6,500 fighters.

While Rwanda denies that claim, it acknowledged last year that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo, allegedly to safeguard its security. U.N. experts estimate there are up to4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

Why is Rubaya important?

The Rubaya mines have been at the center of the fighting, changing hands between the Congolese government and rebel groups. For over a year now, the site has been controlled by the M23 rebels.

The mines produce coltan — short for columbite-tantalite — an ore from which the metals tantalum and niobium are extracted. Both are considered critical raw materials by the United States, the European Union, China, and Japan. Tantalum is used in mobile phones, computers, and automotive electronics, as well as in aircraft engines, missile components, and GPS systems. Niobium is used in pipelines, rockets, and jet engines.

According to a U.N. report, since seizing Rubaya, the M23 has imposed taxes on the monthly trade and transport of 120 metric tonnes (118 tons) of coltan, generating at least $800,000 a month. The coltan is then exported to Rwanda, U.N. experts said. But even before M23 seized control of the mine, analysts said that the mineral was sold to Rwanda, the only difference being that it was done through Congolese intermediaries.

Experts say it is not easy to trace how coltan reaches Western countries because of a murky supply chain.

How is the United States involved?

The Trump administrationhosted the leaders of Rwanda and Congoin December and oversaw the signing of a peace deal that critics say has done little to slow the fighting.

Lauded by the White House as a "historic" agreement brokered by Trump, the pact followedmonthslong peace efforts by the U.S.and partners, including the African Union and Qatar, and finalized an earlier dealsigned in June.

The region of eastern Congo,rich in critical minerals,has been of interest to Trump as Washington seeks ways to circumvent China to secure rare earths. China accounts for nearly 70% of the world's rare earth mining and controls roughly 90% of global rare earths processing.

TheNational Energy Emergencyexecutive order, issued by Trump, highlighted the significance of critical minerals — including tantalum and niobium — and called for securing U.S. access to ensure both "modern life and military preparedness."

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 02, 2026

What to know after a deadly landslide in eastern Congo kills at least 200 miners

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A landslide last week collapsed several tunnels at a major coltan mine in eastern Congo, leaving at...

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What comes next for 5‑year‑old Liam Ramos and his father after their release from federal custody

Back home in Minneapolis after more than a week at an immigration facility in Texas, Ecuadorian preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos and his father are trying to regain a sense of normalcy amid ongoing court cases and anational firestorm, aftera judge orderedthey be released from federal immigration custody – ending their detention but leaving their future in the United States unresolved.

"We are pleased that the family will now be able to focus on being together and finding some peace after this traumatic ordeal," the family's lawyers said in a statement.

The 5‑year‑old and his father were taken from their snowy suburban Minneapolis driveway earlier this month and transported more than 1,300 miles to the Dilley family detention center in south Texas, a move that drew outrage after images circulated of an agent clutching the boy's Spider‑Man backpack as he looked on beneath a cartoon bunny hat.

The family entered the US legally and applied for asylum upon arrival in 2024, their attorney has said. "They were following all the established protocols, pursuing their claim for asylum, showing up for their court hearings, and posed no safety, no flight risk and never should have been detained," the family's lawyer, Marc Prokosch has said.

Their release followed a Saturday ruling byUS District Judge Fred Biery, who ordered that Liam and his father be freed, finding there wasn't enough probable cause to detain them. The decision was narrowly focused on the legality of their detention and did not address the family's immigration status or whether they can remain in the country.

Here's what comes next as the family's immigration case proceeds through the courts:

Trump administration weighs appeal

Trump administration signaled it may appeal the ruling that allowed Liam and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, to be released.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday the government is reviewing its options, though he declined to comment directly on the judge's opinion.

"The immigration law, the body of immigration law, is much different than our typical criminal process because of the administrative nature of what we do every day," Blanche said on ABC's "This Week," adding that while a judge ruled against the government, "to the extent that we need to appeal that judge's decision, I promise we will."

Blanche framed the case as part of a broader legal dispute over whether migrants should be held in custody while their immigration proceedings move forward or released pending those cases. He suggested appellate courts – and potentially the Supreme Court – may ultimately need to weigh in, describing what he called a "schism in the law" over immigration detention.

In his opinion, Biery took aim atadministrative warrants, which federal immigration agents often use to make arrests and which do not require a judge's signature. Calling the practice "the fox guarding the henhouse," Biery wrote that the Constitution requires arrests to be authorized by an independent judicial officer.

While an appeal could clarify how far the government's detention authority extends, the broader questions raised by the case may take months, or longer, to resolve.

A separate asylum case

In his opinion, Biery noted Liam and his father could still be required to leave the US under what he described as the "arcane" immigration system, possibly through deportation or voluntary departure. "But that result should occur through a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place," he wrote.

Liam and his parents entered the US legally and applied for asylum after presenting themselves to border officials in Texas in December 2024, according to Prokosch.

The economic situation, insecurity, and unstable employment conditions in Ecuador led Arias and his wife to leave their country "for a good life," his brother Luis Conejotold CNN earlier.

The Department of Homeland security hasdisputedthat the father entered the US legally and said he's an "illegal alien" who was the target of the operation in which he and Liam were taken.

Liam's father does not appear to have a criminal record in Minnesota, according to Prokosch. A CNN search of public records also did not reveal any criminal record for Arias, and he did not have a criminal record in Ecuador, his origin country, according to the country's Interior Ministry.

The asylum case is still pending in immigration court.

Even as Liam has returned home, elected officials and school leaders have continued to call for the release of children and families held in immigration detention, saying there are systemic problems in how arrests involving minors are carried out.

"It should not take a court order to get a toddler out of a prison," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said onsocial mediafollowing the ruling.

Liam is at least the fourth child from his school district to be taken into immigration custody in the past month, according to Columbia Heights Public Schools.

"We want all children to be released from detention centers and the reunification of families who have been unjustly separated," the district said in a statement.

CNN's Zoe Sottile, Elizabeth Wolfe, and Ed Lavandera contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 02, 2026

What comes next for 5‑year‑old Liam Ramos and his father after their release from federal custody

Back home in Minneapolis after more than a week at an immigration facility in Texas, Ecuadorian preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos and his fathe...

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ICE halts "all movement" at Texas detention facility due to measles infections

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement halted "all movement" at a detention center in Texas for families and quarantined some migrants there after medical staff confirmed two detainees had "active measles infections," the Department of Homeland Security said Sunday.

Themeaslescases at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center were detected Friday, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to CBS News. The ICE facility houses parents and children taken into federal custody over alleged violations of immigration law. It is located in south Texas, roughly an hour drive from San Antonio.

"ICE Health Services Corps immediately took steps to quarantine and control further spread and infection, ceasing all movement within the facility and quarantining all individuals suspected of making contact with the infected," McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said medical officials were monitoring detainees and taking "appropriate and active steps to prevent further infection."

"All detainees are being provided with proper medical care," she added.

Before McLaughlin's statement on Sunday, immigration lawyers hadreported concernsabout a potential measles outbreak at the Dilley center.

Neha Desai, a lawyer for the California-based National Center of Youth Law, which represents children in U.S. immigration custody, said she hopes the measles infections at Dilley are not used to "unnecessarily" prevent lawmakers and attorneys from inspecting the detention center in the near future, citing broader concerns about the facility.

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"In the meantime, we are deeply concerned for the physical and the mental health of every family detained at Dilley," Desai said. "It is important to remember that no family needs to be detained — this is a choice that the administration is making."

In 2025, the United States saw themost measles cases in decades. Overall, the nation recorded more than 2,200 measles cases, including 762 people in aWest Texasoutbreak, according to theTexas Department of State Health Services. Two young children died and 99 people were hospitalized, according to state data.

Dilley is the detention complex where ICE had been holding 5-year-oldLiam Conejo Ramosand his father, both detained in Minnesota during an operation that garnered widespread outcry, until the family was released over the weekend due to a court ruling.Liam and his father returned to Minnesotaon Sunday.

ICE's detention population has ballooned under the second Trump administration, which has vowed to stage a deportation crackdown of unprecedented proportions.

ICE is currently holding more than 70,000 individuals facing deportation in detention centers across the U.S., according to government data obtained by CBS News. The vast majority are single adults accused of being in the U.S. illegally. The number is a massive jump from a year ago, when ICE was holding around 40,000 detainees.

Rep. Michael McCaul says Gregory Bovino "crossed the line" in Minneapolis crackdown

Passage: In memoriam

Mel Robbins on "The Let Them Theory"

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 02, 2026

ICE halts "all movement" at Texas detention facility due to measles infections

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement halted "all movement" at a detention center in Texas for families and ...

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A Kremlin official confirms that U.S.-brokered Russia-Ukraine talks are resuming this week

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A new round ofU.S.-brokered talkson ending Russia's war on Ukraine is set to go ahead this week after a brief postponement, a senior Kremlin official said Monday, with negotiations taking place against a backdrop of continuedfront-line fightingand deadlylong-range attackson rear areas.

The trilateral talks will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in Abu Dhabi, wherea previous meetingwas held last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that he would be sending a delegation to the meeting, which initially was to be held at the weekend but was delayed by what Peskov said were scheduling conflicts.

The Trump administration has over the past year pushed the two sides to find compromises. But breaking the deadlock on key issues appears no closer as the fourth anniversary ofRussia's all-out invasionof its neighbor approaches later this month.

Peskov described the talks as "very complex."

"On some issues, we have certainly come closer because there have been discussions, conversations, and on some issues it is easier to find common ground," he told reporters. "There are issues where it's more difficult to find common ground."

Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev was in Miami, Florida, at the weekend for talks with American officials, but Peskov refused to provide any details of the meeting.

A key sticking point is whether Russia gets to keep the Ukrainian territory its army has occupied, especially inUkraine's eastern industrial heartland. Moscow is also demanding possession of other Ukrainian land there that it hasn't been able to capture.

Russian drones and missiles have continued to bombard civilian areas, killing 12 minersin a bus on Sunday in the most recent mass aerial attack. The barrages have also wrecked the Ukrainian power grid, leaving peoplewithout heating, light and running waterin bitter winter cold.

Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Monday that authorities are taking steps to prevent Russia using Starlink satellite services to steer its drones toward their targets.

Fedorov asked Elon Musk's SpaceX to help deny Russia use of the service in Ukraine. Starlink is a global internet network that relies on around 10,000 satellites orbiting Earth.

Ukraine is requiring civilian and military Starlink users to register their terminals on a database, allowing approved devices to function while unregistered terminals would be disabled inside Ukraine, Fedorov said.

"Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked," Musk said Sunday on X. "Let us know if more needs to be done."

Litvinova contributed from Tallinn, Estonia.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 02, 2026

A Kremlin official confirms that U.S.-brokered Russia-Ukraine talks are resuming this week

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A new round ofU.S.-brokered talkson ending Russia's war on Ukraine is set to go ahead this week ...

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EU's foreign policy chief says a Europe-wide army could be 'extremely dangerous'

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday rejected calls for a Europe-wide army, warning that it could be "extremely dangerous" as the bloc considers ways to provide its own security after the United States warned that itspriorities lie elsewhere.

Talk of a European army has resurfaced amid tensions within NATO over President Donald Trump'sthreatsto annex Greenland, the semiautonomous territory of NATO-ally Denmark.

"Those who say that we need a European army, maybe those people haven't really thought this through practically," Kallas said. "If you are already part of NATO then you can't create a separate army."

Kallas told a security conference in Norway that the most important military asset during a crisis "is the chain of command — who gives orders to whom."

She added: "And if you have, like the European army and then you have the NATO (one), then, you know, the ball just falls between the chairs. And this is extremely, extremely dangerous."

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NATO's military operations are overseen by a Supreme Allied Commander, who is always a top U.S. officer. The role is currently held by Airforce Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich.

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: "NATO is there with the decision-making process among allies, which is in itself complex, but it is trained to work." He rejected calls for a European army, saying that "it is not a road we should travel." Norway is not a member of the EU.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said last week that Europe isincapable of defending itselfwithout U.S. military support and would have to more than double current militaryspending targetsto be able to do so.

"If anyone thinks here … that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming. You can't," Rutte told EU lawmakers in Brussels.

Europe and the United States "need each other," he said.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 02, 2026

EU's foreign policy chief says a Europe-wide army could be 'extremely dangerous'

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday rejected calls for a Europe-wide army, warning ...

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France's budget set to clear the way for Macron's military spending boost

PARIS (AP) — France's delayed budget for this year is set to pass Monday, clearing the way forhigher military spendingpromised by President Emmanuel Macron to confront threats linked to Russia's war in Ukraine and Mideast conflicts.

France Macron

The expected adoption of the budget marks the final step of a monthslong,chaotic processthat exposed deep divisions in the fractured Parliament, which proved unable to reach a compromise. Prime MinisterSébastien Lecornuultimately opted to use his special constitutional power to pass the bill without a vote. He is widely expected to survive two no-confidence votes on Monday evening.

Focus on military forces

Macron has vowed to increase defense spending to counter what he describes as a widening range of threats, from Russia and nuclear proliferation to terrorism and cyberattacks.

France in December passed an emergency law to avoid a U.S.-style government shutdown, but only the full 2026 budget provides the military with the needed funding to build up forces.

The Defense Ministry will get this year an additional 6.7 billion euros ($7,9 billion) compared to 2025 — a notable exception as the state seeks to curb spending across most other sectors. This year, the armed forces are set to receive a new nuclear-powered attack submarine, 362 armored vehicles to modernize the army, and new Aster surface-to-air missiles.

France is also launching itsnew voluntary military servicethis year aiming at training thousands of volunteers, mostly aged 18 and 19.

Limiting the deficit

The government is targeting a budget deficit of 5% of gross domestic product, down from 5.4% in 2025. Public spending is expected to edge down slightly, from 56.8% to 56.6% of GDP as authorities try to rein in debt in the European Union's second-largest economy.

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France has come under pressure from the EU and credit rating agencies to reduce its debt, prompting the center-right government to seek spending cuts.

However, with no majority in Parliament, Lecornu also granted costly concessions to Socialists to keep them from backing efforts to topple his government. The most symbolic is thesuspension of Macron's unpopular pension changesto raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

The state deficit is projected at 131.9 billion euros ($156,5 billion), almost stable compared with the previous year.

Businesses will bear several tax increases, including an extra tax on large companies' profits that's expected to raise 7.3 billion euros ($8,7 billion) in 2026.

What it means for Macron

Macron, 48, is soon entering the last year of his presidency in spring 2027.

He has largely stepped back from domestic politics since his 2024 decision to call early legislative elections plunged Parliament into turmoil and led to thecollapse of successive governmentsover budget disputes.

Lecornu, the fourth prime minister in two years, has already survived six no-confidence votes initiated by the hard left and the far right. Macron, meanwhile, has focused on foreign policy, European affairs and defense.

In recent weeks, he has pushed forsecurity guarantees for Ukrainein the event of a peace deal with Russia, joined European leaders in ashow of solidarity with Greenland, and supported the inclusion of Iran's Revolutionary Guard onthe EU's list of terrorist organization.

As hissunglasses became a sensationat the Davos gathering of world leaders, Macron's remarks that France prefers "respect to bullies," seen as a rebuke to President Donald Trump's tariffs threats, drew worldwide attention.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 02, 2026

France's budget set to clear the way for Macron's military spending boost

PARIS (AP) — France's delayed budget for this year is set to pass Monday, clearing the way forhigher military spendin...

Read More