Peace through strength, Taiwan president says on China battle anniversary

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By Reuters, Posted by TOE KINMEN, Taiwan — Peace can only be secured through strength and not even an inch of territory can be sacrificed, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on ⁠Sunday, visiting a sensitive frontline island to mark a key battle with Chinese forces almost seven decades ago. Taiwan has controlled the Kinmen and Matsu islands, which lie just off the Chinese coast, since the Republic of China government fled to Taipei in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists. No peace ⁠treaty or armistice has ever been signed. In heavy rain, ​Lai ⁠laid a wreath and bowed at a memorial park for the 68th anniversary of the 1958 clash with Chinese forces, known as the start of the second Taiwan ⁠Strait crisis — the last time Taiwanese and Chinese forces battled on a large scale. Addressing veterans later, ​Lai ⁠expressed gratitude to those who “stood united and ‌fought a bloody battle to repel Communist totalitarian aggression”. “Our resolve to unite ...
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Death toll from fuel tanker explosion in Nigeria rises to 147

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 By Camillus Eboh and Ahmed Kingimi Reuters

A fuel tanker overturned late on Tuesday in Nigeria’s northern state of Jigawa after the driver lost control of the vehicle, spilling petrol which exploded and killed at least 147 people, police and state emergency services said on Wednesday.

The accident is one of the worst in recent times in Africa’s most populous nation, which is battling with widespread security threats and a cost of living crisis.

Haruna Mairiga, head of Jigawa state emergency services, put the death toll from the accident at 147.

Local police spokesperson Lawan Shiisu Adam said the tanker was travelling from the ancient city of Kano to Yobe State in the north, when the driver lost control near Majia town in Taura local government area, about 530 kilometers (330 miles) north of the capital Abuja, causing it to overturn and spill fuel.

Item 1 of 4 A fuel tanker that overturned after the driver lost control of the vehicle and caused fatalities, according to police and state emergency services, is seen in the middle of the highway, in Majia, Jigawa State, Nigeria, October 16, 2024.REUTERS/Alamin Mohammed

[1/4]A fuel tanker that overturned after the driver lost control of the vehicle and caused fatalities, according to police and state emergency services, is seen in the middle of the highway, in Majia, Jigawa State, Nigeria, October 16, 2024.REUTERS/Alamin Mohammed Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Adam said that villagers attempted to scoop petrol from the spillage, resulting in a fire that engulfed the area, reportedly leading to many deaths.

Adam added that 50 others were wounded and have been taken to local hospitals, in Ringim and Hadejia towns where they were being treated.

A mass burial was held for the dead on Wednesday, Mairiga said.

Many roads in Nigeria are poorly maintained and riven with potholes, causing accidents that claim dozens of lives every year.

Last month, at least 48 people were killed in north-central Nigeria when a fuel tanker exploded after colliding with another truck carrying travellers and cattle, trapping other vehicles as well in the blaze.



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/JkyjAXY

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