Nigeria's ex-president Buhari, twice leader of Africa's most populous nation, passes away aged 82
Lagos, Jul 13 (AP): Nigeria's former president, Muhammadu Buhari, who led Nigeria twice as a military head of state and a democratic president, has passed away aged 82, his press secretary said Sunday.
Buhari died in London on Sunday afternoon, where he was receiving medical treatment in recent weeks. When he was elected in 2015, on his fourth attempt, he became the first opposition candidate to win a presidential election.
He led Africa's most populous nation until 2023, when he was succeeded by Bola Tinubu, also from the All Progressives Congress.
Buhari's presidency was plagued by extremist killings, a plunging economy, and burgeoning corruption. He faced similar circumstances when he first took power in 1983, after a military coup.
Tinubu dispatched the vice president to bring his body home from London and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff as the country enters a mourning period.
Coming from Nigeria's largely Muslim north, the lanky, austere Buhari rode on a wave of goodwill off the back of popular anger with the government to be elected president in 2015. He had vowed to end the killings and clean up rampant corruption in one of the continent's largest economies and oil producers.
However, by the end of his eight-year tenure, that goodwill toward him had faded into discontent. More Nigerians had died as a result of growing insecurity while corruption spread across the government.
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Karnataka launches state-led Centre of Excellence for Space Technology in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): In a significant boost to India’s rapidly expanding space economy, the Karnataka government on Friday launched the country’s first state-led Centre of Excellence for Space Technology here, officials said.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening India’s capabilities to translate space innovation into scalable commercial outcomes, they said.
The Centre, established by the Government of Karnataka through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society in collaboration with SIA (Satcom Industry Association India) -India, was inaugurated by Minister for Electronics, IT/BT, and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, in the presence of senior officials and industry leaders, officials said.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Kharge said that Karnataka has consistently been at the forefront of India's technology and innovation journey. With the launch of this Centre of Excellence for Space Technology, we are extending that leadership into one of the most strategic sectors of the future.
"Our focus is not just on advancing research, but on creating an ecosystem where innovation can translate into real-world applications, economic growth, and high-quality jobs. This Centre will play a critical role in positioning Karnataka as a key driver of India's space economy," he said.
According to an official statement, the CoE SpaceTech Foundation has been established under a Memorandum of Agreement between KITS and SIA-India to drive research and innovation in space technologies, industry-aligned training, startup incubation and cross-sector applications, it said.
The Centre has also formalised strategic MoUs with multiple industry and academic partners to support research in space biotech and microgravity, enable collaboration, build talent pipelines, and provide startups with training and market access, it added.
