分类： society

In an extraordinary display of determination and familial legacy, 16-year-old Sarah Shajahan has successfully completed a grueling 600-kilometer camel trek across the United Arab Emirates desert, retracing the footsteps of her father’s journey from nearly a decade earlier. The adolescent adventurer transformed childhood bedtime stories into tangible reality during this winter’s demanding expedition.

Sarah emerged as one of the youngest participants in this year’s camel caravan, joining dozens of seasoned trekkers navigating extensive desert routes. While some competitors undertook the full 1,000-kilometer challenge, Sarah conquered a significant 600-kilometer segment, enduring extended riding periods, frigid nighttime temperatures, and unpredictable harsh weather conditions.

“This ambition grew organically from hearing my father’s experiences,” Sarah revealed. “Reaching participation age, I felt compelled to undertake this personal challenge.”

Her father, Shajahan, who completed the same trek nine years prior, emphasized that Sarah’s motivation emerged independently. “There was no parental pressure whatsoever. She developed this inspiration naturally through exposure to my expedition photographs and regular riding excursions where I always included my children,” he noted, particularly praising her fearlessness around the majestic animals.

Sarah’s journey to the desert began with formal applications and rigorous selection processes earlier this year. Training commenced in May, with September trials determining her qualification on the second attempt. During the actual trek, she bonded with a camel named Ataraiya, having trained with the animal four times during the week preceding the expedition.

Despite meteorological challenges including unexpected sandstorms and rainfall that drenched equipment and disrupted sleep, Sarah maintained remarkable composure. “The experience proved less daunting than anticipated, largely due to my camel’s cooperative temperament,” she observed.

Beyond physical achievement, her father contextualized the trek as profound life education. “This transcends mere hobbyism. It represents immersion in traditional desert living, connection with animals, and experiential understanding of ancestral travel methods,” he explained. “Participants engage with multinational companions and local Emiratis, experiencing ancient lifestyles that often evolve into spiritual journeys.”

While Shajahan views his own prior completion as personal accomplishment, he perceives his daughter’s achievement differently: “For me, it represented closure. For Sarah, this signifies merely the commencement of her journey.”

Notably, the teenager returned to normalcy without seeking social media validation, surprising her father given contemporary youth trends. The experience has ignited new aspirations, with Sarah expressing interest in future camel racing competitions. Nine years after witnessing her father’s return from the desert, the now-accomplished trekker has created her own legacy of quiet confidence and cultural connection.

As the sacred month of Rajab dawns across the United Arab Emirates, Muslim communities worldwide are initiating spiritual preparations for the approaching Ramadan season. Sheikh Nasser Al Hammadi of Sharjah Islamic Affairs delivered crucial guidance during a live Instagram lecture on Tuesday, emphasizing the significance of this preparatory period within the Islamic calendar.

Sheikh Al Hammadi clarified that Rajab constitutes one of the four venerated months (Al-Ashhur Al-Hurum) in the Hijri calendar, alongside Dhul Qa’dah, Dhul Hijjah, and Muharram. These months hold distinctive spiritual status where righteous deeds yield amplified rewards and transgressions carry heightened consequences. The scholar described Rajab as an agricultural metaphor: “It resembles a farmer who commences by planting seeds, subsequently irrigating them, then nurturing the crop until harvest time” – representing spiritual groundwork for Sha’ban and ultimately Ramadan.

Regarding worship practices, Sheikh Al Hammadi underscored that no exclusive rituals are designated for Rajab. Instead, Muslims should intensify general acts of devotion throughout the month while maintaining annual consistency. He referenced prophetic traditions indicating that even Muhammad (PBUH) never completed a full month of fasting outside Ramadan, and that Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA) discouraged complete Rajab fasting to prevent resemblance to Ramadan.

The Islamic authority issued specific cautions against introducing non-authenticated practices, particularly warning against innovations like Salat Al-Raghaib or specialized Umrah rituals exclusively for Rajab. He emphasized that worship foundations must derive exclusively from established Quranic principles and Sunnah teachings: “Muslims should not engage in any act of worship, add to it, or single it out, except based on what has been established in Islamic law.” This guidance aims to preserve religious authenticity while enabling meaningful spiritual preparation during Islam’s sacred months.

Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has unveiled an ambitious educational initiative to integrate football into physical education curricula across all academic institutions. The comprehensive policy framework, developed through interdepartmental collaboration, aims to cultivate athletic talent while promoting sports participation among students.

The strategic implementation plan establishes football-focused schools that will dedicate no less than one-third of physical education hours to football instruction and training. This institutional approach forms part of a broader vision to construct an integrated talent development pipeline connecting vocational schools, universities, football academies, and professional clubs.

Xinjiang’s rich football heritage provides fertile ground for this expansion. With 4,595 football fields recorded by 2024, the region boasts one of China’s highest per capita rates of football infrastructure. The existing network of campus leagues will continue operations alongside newly expanded weekend competitions designed to increase regular student participation.

Addressing historical challenges in coaching capacity, the initiative includes measures to enhance training protocols, improve recruitment strategies, and elevate compensation packages for football instructors. Educational institutions will expand specialized programs while actively recruiting retired professional players to bolster teaching ranks.

The region has emerged as a significant talent source for Chinese football, producing national team players including striker Behram Abduweili and defender Umidjan Yusup. This new systematic approach to youth football development promises to strengthen both regional sports culture and China’s national football pipeline.

The Yellow River wetlands in Pinglu county, Shanxi province, have transformed into a seasonal haven for an extraordinary natural spectacle as thousands of wild white swans complete their annual migration from Siberia. This massive avian gathering, occurring amidst dropping temperatures, marks one of China’s most significant wintering phenomena for these majestic birds.

Strategically positioned at the provincial border between Shanxi and Henan, the Pinglu wetland ecosystem offers ideal winter conditions with its temperate microclimate and abundant nutritional resources. The area’s unique geographical attributes have established it as a crucial habitat for migratory swans seeking refuge from harsh northern winters.

Local conservation authorities have implemented comprehensive measures to ensure the swans’ welfare during their extended stay. According to Wang Chao, a representative from the Pinglu County Forestry Bureau, the migration pattern typically begins in mid-to-late October, with populations remaining until March of the following year. “We’ve established substantial food reserves including Chinese cabbage and corn supplements,” Wang explained. “Additionally, we maintain continuous patrol operations with staff conducting 24-hour monitoring to protect these vulnerable migrants.”

The swan population reaching approximately 10,000 annually reflects successful ecological preservation efforts in the region. Conservation initiatives have progressively enhanced the wetland environment, creating sustainable conditions that support this remarkable yearly migration. The growing numbers demonstrate how targeted environmental protection policies can positively impact wildlife preservation, offering a promising model for ecological balance between human activity and natural habitats.

A transformative transportation milestone has been achieved in Northwest China with the full operational launch of the Baotou-Yinchuan High-Speed Railway, creating unprecedented connectivity between Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The 519.3-kilometer infrastructure marvel, commencing full service on December 24, 2025, now seamlessly links Baotou and Yinchuan with 13 strategically located stations along its route.

Engineering excellence enables trains to operate at peak velocities of 250 km/h, dramatically compressing the intercity journey from approximately six hours to a mere two hours and 38 minutes. The railway’s initial segment between Yinchuan and Huinong district had previously commenced operations in October 2024, setting the stage for the complete corridor’s activation.

China Railway Hohhot Group has implemented a robust operational framework with 12 daily high-speed trains scheduled initially. The service incorporates flexible pricing structures and market-responsive discounts to accommodate diverse passenger requirements, as confirmed by Han Zhenmin, director of the 12306 customer service center.

The inaugural services featured trains adorned with cultural motifs representing cities along the route, transforming the maiden voyage into a mobile exhibition of regional heritage. For residents like Ms. Li from Baotou, the railway delivers immediate practical benefits: “My daughter studies at a university in Yinchuan. Previously I endured overnight train journeys—now travel is both rapid and convenient for family visits.”

Beyond immediate passenger convenience, the railway carries substantial strategic importance within China’s national transportation blueprint. It completes a critical segment of the Beijing-Lanzhou corridor, integrating with existing Beijing-Baotou and Yinchuan-Lanzhou lines. This integration promises to reduce Yinchuan-Beijing travel duration from 19 hours to approximately six hours once fully optimized.

Ma Hongyue, director of the Transportation Project Center at Ningxia’s Development and Reform Commission, emphasized the project’s broader implications: “This railway significantly enhances rail connectivity between Northwest China and northern/northeastern regions. It will effectively stimulate coordinated regional development and economic advancement across western territories while facilitating Ningxia’s deeper integration into the national high-speed network.”

Anticipating increased passenger volume, stations along the route have implemented enhanced service protocols. Baotou Railway Station has optimized passenger flow management with streamlined entry-exit routes and specialized assistance measures for elderly travelers and those without digital access. Yinchuan Railway Station conducted comprehensive emergency preparedness drills and extensive staff training programs prior to launch, with deputy director Shen Xingtao confirming “multiple training rounds covering passenger service etiquette and operational knowledge.”

The Zhejiang Provincial Government has deployed a specialized task force to supervise investigations into the tragic postoperative death of a child at Ningbo University’s Women and Children’s Hospital, according to an official Xinhua News Agency report. The case, involving a young patient surnamed Xu who passed away on November 14 after cardiac surgery, has triggered significant public concern and intensive scrutiny across social media platforms.

Provincial authorities have designated this incident as a critical priority, establishing enhanced oversight mechanisms for subsequent measures. Concurrently, Ningbo municipal authorities have dispatched their own working group to the medical facility to advance the investigation, implement corrective actions, and safeguard normal clinical operations.

In a December 14 statement, Ningbo’s Health Commission revealed that their investigation uncovered multiple deficiencies in the medical team’s management of the case. These included insufficient surgical risk assessment, procedural negligence, failure to promptly notify family members of intraoperative emergencies, and inadequate postoperative monitoring and care protocols. The hospital itself was found to have systemic weaknesses in enforcing quality control standards and risk prevention mechanisms.

Accountability measures have already been implemented, with the lead surgeon and anesthesiologist removed from their departmental leadership positions and suspended from clinical practice. The pediatric intensive care attending physician has likewise been suspended pending further investigation. Additional disciplinary actions against other personnel will follow completion of a technical appraisal of the medical accident and subsequent legal proceedings.

Following the incident, authorities arranged for an autopsy through a forensic center selected by the child’s family. Tide News, a Zhejiang-based digital news outlet, reported that the notarized autopsy report was delivered to the family on December 19. The city has now initiated a formal medical-accident technical appraisal that will incorporate national experts to identify medical errors and establish responsibility levels. A local court has accepted the family’s medical liability lawsuit against the hospital.

From November 19 to December 9, the investigation team consulted 17 medical experts from leading hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and various Zhejiang institutions, including specialists in pediatric cardiac surgery, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, anesthesiology, pediatric intensive care, neonatology, and forensic medicine. While experts agreed that the child’s condition warranted surgical intervention without absolute contraindications, they expressed differing opinions regarding the optimal timing of the procedure—a matter expected to be resolved through the ongoing technical appraisal.

Ningbo’s Health Commission has announced a comprehensive citywide quality and safety rectification campaign focusing on surgical safety protocols, patient safety measures, humane care standards, and medical record documentation practices.