News
Car Crash Outside Chinese School Injures Multiple Students
Multiple students were injured Tuesday morning after a car struck a group outside a primary school in Changde, a city in central China’s Hunan province, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Authorities have not disclosed the exact number of those injured but confirmed that all victims were taken to a hospital for treatment. None of the injuries were reported to be life-threatening, according to a local police statement.
The incident occurred just outside the school premises, causing chaos among students and staff. A 39-year-old male suspect was apprehended at the scene, and the case is under active investigation, police said.
Panic and Distress at the Scene
Videos circulating on social media, which have since been verified and geolocated, showed scenes of panic as children screamed and ran into the schoolyard. A man’s voice can be heard shouting, “Quickly, quickly,” urging others to move to safety.
Other footage depicted injured individuals, including adults, lying on the road. Police officers were seen handcuffing a man in front of a vehicle believed to be involved in the crash.
While these images gained brief attention online, they were swiftly removed from Chinese social media platforms. Comments sections on related posts were also disabled, reflecting ongoing efforts to control public discourse around the incident.
Rising Concerns Over Public Safety
The crash comes on the heels of a series of violent incidents across China that have unsettled the public. Just over a week ago, 35 people were killed in Zhuhai when a man drove his car into a crowd exercising at an outdoor sports center. Days later, a mass stabbing on a college campus in eastern China left eight dead and 17 injured.
These high-profile attacks, targeting random members of the public, have sparked widespread concern about public safety. Economic struggles and societal pressures are being cited as contributing factors behind these acts of violence, with online users describing them as acts of “revenge against society.”
Tuesday’s crash also echoes other recent incidents involving school children, including a stabbing near a Beijing elementary school in October and a bus crash outside a school in Shandong province in September, which killed 11 and injured 13.
Social media discussions surrounding these events have highlighted growing unease, with many users urging vigilance in public spaces. Comments from users on since-deleted posts expressed dismay over the targeting of children, with one writing, “How can someone target kids to get back at society?”
As the investigation into Tuesday’s crash continues, authorities are under pressure to address public safety concerns amid a noticeable rise in violent incidents.
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Russia Demands SWIFT Reconnection as Condition to Revive Black Sea Initiative
Russia has set forth a key demand for the restoration of the Black Sea Initiative—reconnecting its Agricultural Bank, Rosselkhozbank, to the SWIFT financial system. This request, which falls under the jurisdiction of the European Union (EU), comes amid ongoing negotiations between global powers on the war in Ukraine.
Partial Ceasefire and Black Sea Security Agreement
Following recent talks in Saudi Arabia, the United States announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a partial ceasefire specifically covering energy facilities. While this fell short of the broader ceasefire pushed by former President Donald Trump, the parties also agreed on measures to ensure the safe navigation of commercial vessels in the Black Sea and to prevent their use for military purposes.
However, the Kremlin quickly detailed additional conditions, demanding the lifting of sanctions on food exports, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, and cargo insurance. Most notably, Russia is insisting that Rosselkhozbank and other financial institutions involved in agricultural trade be reinstated on SWIFT, a global messaging system that facilitates secure financial transactions.
EU’s Role and Sanctions History
SWIFT, headquartered in Belgium, falls under EU regulations. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU removed several Russian banks from SWIFT in 2022, including Sberbank, Credit Bank of Moscow, and Rosselkhozbank. The exclusion was a significant blow to Russia’s financial system, as it restricted the country’s ability to conduct international transactions.
Rosselkhozbank, a state-owned institution, plays a critical role in facilitating payments for Russia’s agricultural exports, a major revenue source through the global sale of wheat, barley, and corn. While the EU has not directly sanctioned Russian agricultural exports, the banking restrictions have complicated payments for these transactions, leading to the collapse of the initial Black Sea Initiative brokered by Turkey and the United Nations.
Diplomatic Tensions and Uncertain Outcomes
The demand to reinstate Rosselkhozbank puts the EU in a difficult position. Granting this request could signal a willingness to make concessions, potentially encouraging Russia to seek further sanctions relief. However, refusing it could provoke tensions with the Trump administration, which is eager to secure a ceasefire.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently opposed easing sanctions, arguing that they must remain in place until Russia ends its military aggression. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed this stance, stating that sanctions would only be lifted after Russia takes concrete steps toward peace.
As EU sanctions require unanimous renewal every six months, any member state could disrupt the process. Hungary, which has previously expressed opposition to sanctions, could leverage this situation to push for changes when restrictions are up for review on July 31.
Future of SWIFT and Global Financial Pressures
While the EU holds the power to reinstate Rosselkhozbank’s SWIFT access, the U.S. could signal leniency by ensuring that those engaging with the bank avoid legal repercussions. Analysts suggest that Russia’s demand may be a strategic move to test both Washington and Brussels, pressuring the EU to reconsider its stance on financial restrictions.
For now, the EU remains firm in its approach. France has indicated that sanctions should remain unless Russia agrees to a full ceasefire, reparations, and security guarantees for Ukraine. However, with negotiations ongoing and international pressure mounting, the debate over SWIFT and broader sanctions relief is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
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