Iran says it would resume nuclear talks with US if guaranteed no further attacks
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, 'assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war.'
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Here's how Nigerians remember Buhari, who ruled both as a dictator and a democrat
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's former President Muhammadu Buhari, who ruled Africa's most populous nation twice as a military dictator and a democratic president, died on Sunday at age 82 and is being remembered as a divisive figure who oversaw one of the country's most troubled periods. 'He inherited unprecedented goodwill and squandered it,' Olive Chiemerie, a Lagos-based writer, told The Associated Press. 'His legacy is one of missed opportunities, deepening inequality and a country left to pick up the pieces.' Here are some highlights of Buhari's presidency: 'EndSARS' protests In October 2020, thousands of youths took to the streets to protest against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, a police unit accused by rights groups and others of extrajudicial killings, torture and extortion. Buhari initially responded by disbanding the unit. As the protests grew stronger with broader demands for better governance, however, his government deployed security forces to resist the demonstrations. On Oct. 20, soldiers opened fire at peaceful protesters in the economic hub of Lagos, killing at least 12 people, according to rights groups. Buhari didn't acknowledge the shootings in a nationwide address that called protesters 'rioters' and warned them against 'undermining national security.' Ban on Twitter Months after the protests, many Nigerians took their anger online, mostly on Twitter, to rail against institutional corruption, economic woes and escalating insecurity. The matter spiked after Twitter removed a tweet from Buhari's account about a secessionist movement, calling it abusive. The Nigerian government responded by suspending access to the platform for seven months. That further heightened concerns over human rights. As a military dictator in Nigeria in the 1980s, Buhari had brooked little criticism. As president, he detained political opponents and several journalists. Nigerian police operatives once stormed a courtroom to re-arrest activist Omoyele Sowore, drawing outrage from the judge and many Nigerians. An ailing economy Buhari pursued economic policies that Nigerians said imposed huge strains on the economy, forcing it to dip into recession in 2016 and 2020. In 2019, he closed the border to all goods with the goal of spurring local production, especially of agricultural products, which sparked surging inflation. In the face of a dollar shortage as a result of a slump in oil production and falling oil prices globally, his government pegged the local currency to the dollar at an artificial rate, worsening the naira's value. 'Buhari left a legacy of debt that continues to sabotage the economic efforts of his successors,' said Akeem Alao, a teacher in Lagos. Security crises Buhari's administration failed to rid Nigeria of its security woes — a key election promise and an ambitious one in a country long threatened by Boko Haram extremists and a breakaway faction. The years of violence have killed at least 35,000 people and displaced more than 2 million. While Buhari was president, the extremists expanded beyond the northeast and partnered with other armed groups in the north to carry out attacks, including on a passenger train near the capital, Abuja, and a jailbreak there. Buhari's government often declared that Boko Haram had been 'technically defeated,' to the scorn of critics.
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Here's how Nigerians remember Buhari, who ruled both as a dictator and a democrat
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's former President Muhammadu Buhari, who ruled Africa's most populous nation twice as a military dictator and a democratic president, died on Sunday at age 82 and is being remembered as a divisive figure who oversaw one of the country's most troubled periods. 'He inherited unprecedented goodwill and squandered it,' Olive Chiemerie, a Lagos-based writer, told The Associated Press. 'His legacy is one of missed opportunities, deepening inequality and a country left to pick up the pieces.'
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Iran says it would resume nuclear talks with U.S. if guaranteed no further attacks
Iran's foreign minister said Saturday that his country would accept a resumption of nuclear talks with the U.S. if there were assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, 'assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war.' Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the U.S. strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the U.S. and others wish to resume talks with Iran, 'first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated. The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations.' Following the strikes, Iran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors. Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for cooperation 'case by case,' based on Iran's interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's 'security' concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors. 'The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious,' he said. He also reiterated Iran's position on the need to continue enriching uranium on its soil. U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that cannot happen. Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. U.S. intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said the U.S. airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.
