South Africa Expels Israeli Diplomat Amidst International Tensions
South Africa expelled a top Israeli diplomat following what it described as "insulting attacks" on President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ariel Seidman, Israel's chargé d'affaires, was declared persona non grata and given 72 hours to leave the country, according to The Guardian. The expulsion occurred amidst other international incidents, including gas explosions in Iran, mass blackouts in Ukraine, and a fine levied against an NBA coach in the United States.
The move by South Africa follows a history of strained relations with Israel, primarily stemming from South Africa's support for the Palestinian cause. The Guardian noted that the two countries have engaged in a "tit-for-tat expulsion of senior diplomats."
Meanwhile, in Iran, two separate gas explosions resulted in multiple fatalities. According to BBC World, five people were killed in the incidents, which local officials attributed to gas leaks. One explosion in Bandar Abbas, a city on the Gulf coast, killed one person and injured 14. Another explosion in the southwestern city of Ahvaz resulted in four deaths, the state-run Tehran Times reported. The explosions occurred amidst ongoing tensions in the region, including a build-up of U.S. forces in the Gulf and pressure on Tehran regarding its nuclear program, the BBC noted.
In Ukraine, a "technical malfunction" caused mass power outages and water shortages on Saturday. Euronews reported that the incident involved a "simultaneous shutdown of the 400 kilovolt line between the power grids of Romania and Moldova and the 750 kilovolt line of the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant." According to Ukraine's energy minister, the malfunction occurred at 10:42 am (0842 GMT). The incident follows Russia's months-long campaign targeting Ukraine's critical infrastructure, which has inflicted severe damage to the energy system, Euronews noted.
In the United States, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $50,000 by the NBA for his behavior during a game against the Phoenix Suns. Fox News reported that Atkinson was penalized for "aggressively pursuing, berating and making inadvertent contact with a game official." The incident occurred with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter of Cleveland's 126-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns Friday. Atkinson was assessed his second technical foul of the game when he stormed the court after a no-call against Sam Merrill for driving on Collin Gillespie after he bumped into an official before being escorted off and ejected.
In the tech world, Kofi Ampadu, a partner at a16z who led the firm's Talent x Opportunity (TxO) fund and program, has left the firm, according to TechCrunch. This comes months after the firm paused TxO and laid off most of its staff. "During my time at the firm, I was deeply grateful for the opportunity and the trust to lead this work," Ampadu wrote in an email to staff, TechCrunch reported. "Identifying out-of-network entrepreneurs and supporting them as they sharpened their ideas, raised capital, and grew into confident leaders was one of the most meaningful experiences of my career." Ampadu led the program, which launched in 2020, for over four years until its pause last November, taking over for the initial leader, Na.
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