International Tensions Rise as South Africa Expels Israeli Diplomat, Cuba Faces Potential Crisis, and DRC Mine Collapse Claims Hundreds of Lives
International relations and humanitarian concerns dominated headlines this week as South Africa expelled a top Israeli diplomat, Cuba braced for potential U.S. tariffs, and a mine collapse in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) resulted in a devastating loss of life.
South Africa expelled Israel's chargé d'affaires, Ariel Seidman, declaring him persona non grata and giving him 72 hours to leave the country, according to The Guardian. This action followed what South Africa deemed "insulting attacks" on President Cyril Ramaphosa. The move is the latest in a series of diplomatic tensions between the two nations, stemming from South Africa's long-standing support for the Palestinian cause.
Meanwhile, Cuba is facing a potential humanitarian crisis as the Trump administration considers imposing tariffs on countries that supply the island with oil. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned that such tariffs could trigger a crisis, as Cuba is already suffering from chronic fuel shortages and regular blackouts, according to The Guardian. "Island country only has oil enough to last 15-20 days, and 12-hour blackouts have become commonplace," The Guardian reported. The U.S. president signed an executive order on Thursday declaring a national emergency and laying the groundwork for such tariffs, ratcheting up the pressure to topple the communist government in Havana.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a coltan mine collapse resulted in the deaths of more than 200 people this week, officials said, according to The Guardian. The Rubaya mine, located in eastern DRC, produces about 15% of the world's coltan, a mineral processed into tantalum and used in mobile phones.
In other news, U.S. Commerce Department Secretary Howard Lutnick planned a visit to Jeffrey Epstein's island with his family in 2012, emails show, 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.
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