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Global Events Unfold: From Diplomatic Expulsions to Tech Firm Departures
A series of unrelated events unfolded across the globe, ranging from diplomatic tensions and energy crises to personnel changes in the tech industry and sports-related disciplinary action.
In South Africa, the government expelled a top Israeli diplomat, Ariel Seidman, declaring him persona non grata. The expulsion, which requires Seidman to leave the country within 72 hours, stemmed from what South Africa deemed "insulting attacks" on President Cyril Ramaphosa, according to The Guardian. The action is the latest development in a long-standing disagreement between the two countries, rooted in South Africa's support for the Palestinian cause.
Meanwhile, Ukraine experienced mass power outages and water shortages on Saturday due to a "technical malfunction" that caused a shutdown of electrical lines between Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine, according to Euronews. The incident occurred at 10:42 am (0842 GMT) and involved the 400 kilovolt line between Romania and Moldova and the 750 kilovolt line. Ukraine's energy minister stated that the malfunction was the cause. This disruption follows months of Russian attacks targeting Ukraine's critical infrastructure, which have severely damaged the energy system.
In Iran, two separate gas explosions resulted in multiple fatalities. Five people were killed in the incidents, which local officials and state media attributed to gas leaks, according to BBC World. One person died and 14 were injured in an explosion at a residential building in the southern city of Bandar Abbas on the Gulf coast, a local official told Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency. Another explosion in the south-western city of Ahvaz killed four people, the state-run Tehran Times reported.
In the sports world, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $50,000 by the NBA for "aggressively pursuing, berating and making inadvertent contact with a game official," the league announced Saturday, according to Fox News. The incident occurred with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter of Cleveland's 126-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Atkinson was assessed his second technical foul of the game after he stormed the court following a no-call against Sam Merrill.
Finally, in the tech sector, Kofi Ampadu, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) who led the firm's Talent x Opportunity (TxO) fund and program, has left the firm, according to an email he sent to staff that TechCrunch obtained. The departure comes months after a16z paused the TxO program and laid off most of its staff last November. "During my time at the firm, I was deeply grateful for the opportunity and the trust to lead this work," Ampadu wrote in the email. He added that "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.
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