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Iranian Vice President Zarif Resigns After 11 Days
Iran’s Vice President, Mohammed Javad Zarif, has stepped down from his position only 11 days after his appointment.
Zarif announced his resignation via his social media platform, expressing dissatisfaction with his role and regret over his inability to meet expectations.
Zarif’s resignation is attributed to disagreements over the selection of ministers for President Massud Pezeshkian’s new cabinet.
Zarif indicated that the composition of the cabinet did not align with his preferences, noting that at least seven of the 19 nominated ministers were not his first choices.
This resignation marks the second significant challenge for President Pezeshkian since he assumed office at the end of July.
The first crisis involved the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Zarif, who was a crucial ally during Pezeshkian’s presidential campaign, had been instrumental in the campaign’s success due to his popularity.
Following the election, Zarif and his team were tasked with recommending candidates for key government positions to help implement promised reforms.
However, the cabinet list presented by Pezeshkian was seen by observers as inconsistent with the reform plans. Speculation suggests that Iran’s conservative hardline faction may have influenced the ministerial appointments.
Zarif, who previously served as Iran’s chief diplomat from 2013 to 2021 and played a key role in negotiating the 2015 nuclear agreement, was expected to contribute significantly to Pezeshkian’s foreign policy and the resumption of nuclear negotiations.
The hope was that with a new team, Pezeshkian could address the economic sanctions impacting Iran’s economy.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reportedly declared a strike at Taraba State University over outstanding salary-related demands and delays in payments.
The strike is scheduled to begin today, October 12, 2026. According to the union’s chairman, the union had been engaging the Taraba State Government over its outstanding demands since February 2026.
“The union had exercised considerable patience and demonstrated its commitment to dialogue since February 2026, when it began engaging the Taraba State Government over the outstanding issues,” Mbave said.
“The union had earlier suspended its planned industrial action following an appeal by the government for additional time through the Office of the Head of Civil Service, in the interest of maintaining industrial harmony,” the chairman added.
The Chairman of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Torseer Yina, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the ancient town.
The curfew takes effect from Thursday, October 8, 2026, following unrest and violent protests in the area.
According to reports, the action was taken to contain the unrest and violent protests by members of BEMOA following the death of one of its members by unknown gunmen.
The protest, which was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, turned violent after an angry mob burnt two vehicles belonging to the Benue State Civil Protection Guards.
The Gboko council chairman said the curfew takes effect immediately and warned that anyone caught flouting the order or breaching public peace would be decisively dealt with.
Nine people have died in a fatal road crash along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway in Ogun State.
The crash occurred on Monday at about 4:55pm around the Bethel area along the Ijebu-Ode/Ore axis of the expressway. It involved a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus belonging to Delta Line and a white Sino truck operated by Bill Gas Solution Ltd.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), all nine people involved in the crash, comprising three males and six females, died in the incident.
The FRSC said the crash occurred while it was raining and the road was wet, with preliminary investigations identifying speed violation as the probable cause.
The FRSC rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the report, while the bodies of the victims were taken to the General Hospital Morgue in Ijebu-Ode.
The Ogun State Sector Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and exercise extra caution when driving in the rain.
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