Copper finds and conflict in Congo; Lula assassination plot foiled

• In the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the mineral-rich region of Katanga, a mountainside collapsed, revealing massive deposits of copper ore hidden under the rocks. Despite the enormous mineral wealth, 70% of DRC residents live in poverty, which is further exacerbated by a decade-long conflict with numerous rebel groups fighting over land and resources.

• The Brazilian Federal Police arrested members of a criminal group primarily consisting of military personnel on Tuesday. They had planned an attack on Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after his victory in the late 2022 elections over the radical right-wing politician, former military officer Jair Bolsonaro. The Secretary-General of the Office of the President of Brazil, Marcio Macedo, stated on Tuesday in an interview with journalists covering the G-20 summit convening in Rio de Janeiro: "There will be no tolerance for those who attempted to attack the democratic rule of law."

• The Pentagon is expected to soon announce another military aid package for Ukraine worth at least $375 million - the AP agency reported on Tuesday, citing an anonymous Pentagon official. The new package will include, among others, new missiles for the HIMARS air defence system, 155 and 105 mm artillery ammunition, and Javelin anti-tank missiles.

• Hundreds of thousands of Cuban residents have been without electricity and water since Sunday due to a failure of the national energy system, Cuban authorities reported on Tuesday. The most difficult situation was on Tuesday in the western agglomeration of Havana, the country's capital, as well as in the province of Santiago de Cuba, in the east of the island.

• Four soldiers of the UNIFIL mission were wounded on Tuesday after a rocket struck their outpost located in southern Lebanon. UNIFIL reported that the missile was launched by a "non-state entity." The Israeli army stated that it was a Hezbollah rocket.

Source: PAP, Reuters, AP