Sediment containing rare earth was retrieved from ocean depths of 6,000m on a Japanese test mission, the government said on Monday (Feb 2), as it seeks to curb dependence on China for the valuable minerals. Japan says the mission was the world's first bid to tap deep-sea rare earths at such a depth. "Details will be analysed, including exactly how much rare earth is contained" in the sample, government spokesman Kei Sato said, calling it "a meaningful achievement both in terms of economic security and comprehensive maritime development". The sample was collected by a deep-sea scientific drilling boat called the ... (full story)