More than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said, according to The Guardian. The Rubaya mine produces about 15% of the world's coltan, which is processed into tantalum and used in mobile phones.
In other news, tensions remained high in the Middle East as Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that any attack on his country by the United States would spark a regional conflict, the BBC reported. Khamenei was quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency as saying, "The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war." This warning came as the US continues to build up its forces in the region. Despite the tensions, Donald Trump said Iran was in "serious discussions" and he hoped they would lead to something "acceptable," while Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CNN he was "confident that we can achieve a deal" on Tehran's nuclear program.
Meanwhile, 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, the BBC reported. 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 announced on Friday that it would not share a list of its Palestinian and international staff with Israeli authorities as it had not secured "assurances to ensure the safety of our staff."
In Venezuela, prominent rights activist Javier Tarazona was freed, in the latest prisoner release announced by the government amid US pressure for reforms, according to the BBC. Tarazona, the head of human rights NGO Fundaredes, was arrested in July 2021 and detained in the El Helicoide prison in Caracas. His release was announced on Sunday by Fundaredes. Foro Penal, another Venezuelan rights group, said it had verified the liberation of more than 300 political prisoners since January 8. On Friday acting President, Delcy Rodríguez said the government would introduce an amnesty law that is expected to benefit more political prisoners.
In technology news, Elon Musk's SpaceX has applied to launch one million satellites into Earth's orbit to power artificial intelligence (AI), the BBC reported. The application claims "orbital data centres" are the most cost and energy-efficient way to meet the growing demand for AI computing power. SpaceX claims processing needs due to the expanding use of AI are already outpacing "terrestrial capabilities." Its existing Starlink network has nearly 10,000 satellites in orbit.
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