Fela Kuti, the late Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer, will posthumously receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys, almost three decades after his death. The announcement comes as Israel plans to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday, after nearly two years of closure, while aid workers in Mozambique are struggling to reach communities devastated by recent floods. In London, an American student was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his Chinese girlfriend.
Fela Kuti's recognition by the Grammys was hailed as a significant achievement. "Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it's a double victory," said his son, musician Seun Kuti, to the BBC. Rikki Stein, a long-time friend and manager, described the award as "better late than never." Kuti, who died at the age of 58, is considered by many to be the king of Afrobeat.
Meanwhile, the Rafah crossing, Gaza's only land link to the world not routed through Israel, is set to reopen on Sunday, according to a statement from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli defense ministry body. Al Jazeera reported that the crossing will only allow a limited movement of people and is a key entry point for humanitarian supplies for Gaza's displaced population. This comes as Israel has, according to Al Jazeera, faced criticism for dismissing the death toll in Gaza since the start of its war on October 7, 2023.
In Mozambique, aid workers are facing a "mammoth task" in reaching starving communities affected by devastating floods in the Gaza province, Sky News reported. Yousra Elbagir, Sky News' Africa correspondent, described the Limpopo River's broken banks as "faint snaking lines in a vast sea of brown, stagnant water." Mercy Air helicopters are being used to deliver food aid to communities surrounded by submerged farms.
In other news, Joshua Michals, a 26-year-old American student, was sentenced at London's Old Bailey criminal court to life in prison with a minimum term of 16 years for the murder of Zhe Wang, 31, a Chinese student at Goldsmiths, University of London, Euronews reported. Michals stabbed Wang, his casual girlfriend, in March 2024. The two master's degree students met in 2023 and had a sexual encounter in February 2024.
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