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A truck carrying passengers crashes in northern Nigeria, killing at least 30 people

KANO, Nigeria (AP) — A truck carrying passengers crashed in northern Nigeria because of reckless driving, killing at least 30 people and injuring several others, authorities said Sunday.

The trailer was driving along a highway in Kwanar Barde town in Kano’s Gezawa local government area when it lost control, according to a statement from the Kano governor’s office.

Road accidents are frequent in Africa’s most populous country, in part due to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.

The truck involved in the latest accident was carrying some passengers and goods towards Gujungu town in Kano when it crashed early Sunday morning.

Those injured, many of them with serious injuries, are receiving medical care in different hospitals, according to the statement issued by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, spokesman for Kano Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf.

“The Governor described the incident as heartbreaking and a great loss not only to the affected families but to the entire people of Kano State,” the statement added.

Sunday’s accident renewed calls from officials urging adherence to traffic regulations and threatening severe punishment for offenders.

In December, British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was injured and his two close associates killed when their their driver hit a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which links Ogun state to Lagos. Officials said the driver was speeding, and charged him for dangerous driving.

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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