Coltan Mine Collapse in DRC Claims Over 200 Lives
More than 200 people died this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), officials said, according to The Guardian. The Rubaya mine produces approximately 15% of the world's coltan, a mineral processed into tantalum and used in mobile phones. The location of the mine is in North Kivu.
In other news, Israel is moving to ban Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) from working in Gaza after the medical charity refused to hand over a list of its staff in the territory, according to BBC World. The Israeli government had ordered 37 organizations to submit documents about their local and international workers in Gaza, claiming some in MSF had links to armed groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. MSF vehemently denied this, stating on Friday that it would not share the list as it had not secured "assurances to ensure the safety of our staff," BBC World reported.
Islamic State in the Sahel claimed responsibility for an attack on the international airport and adjacent air force base in Niamey, the capital of Niger, The Guardian reported, citing the SITE Intelligence Group. The attack, which began shortly after midnight on Thursday, reportedly involved motorcycle-riding militants using heavy weaponry and drones. The militants damaged planes belonging to an Ivorian carrier and a Togolese airline.
Emails revealed that U.S. Commerce Department Secretary Howard Lutnick planned a visit to Jeffrey Epstein's island with his family in 2012, years after Lutnick claimed to have cut ties with the convicted paedophile, according to BBC Business. The emails, included in the latest Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), contradict statements Lutnick made in October about vowing in 2005 to "never be in a room" with Epstein again. A Commerce Department spokesperson said Lutnick had never been accused of any wrongdoing in connection to Epstein.
Cuba is facing increasing pressure as the Trump administration intensifies its policies, potentially leading to a "real blockade," The Guardian reported. The country is already suffering an acute fuel shortage, and experts say a complete cutoff would be catastrophic to its infrastructure. Javier Peña and Ysil Ribas were quoted waiting since 6 a.m. outside a petrol station in Havana's Vedado neighborhood, highlighting the current fuel crisis.
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