Heavy snow sweeps northwest China's Xinjiang, affecting transport

Heavy snow has hit multiple parts of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday, affecting transport and triggering emergency measures to ensure travel safety across the region.

Snowfall continued in various counties and cities of the Ili River Valley in Xinjiang on Wednesday.

The snow was particularly heavy in mountainous areas, with some places experiencing heavy snow to blizzards, leading to blocked road sections and stranded vehicles. Local government organized large machinery for multiple rounds of snow clearance to help trapped vehicles leave the affected sections.

"The vehicle was skidding badly on Daban (mountain pass). The traffic police helped us push the car and even deflated the tires (to increase traction). Their help was tremendous, and I'm very grateful to these officers," said Zhao Shijun, a driver.  

The Guozigou section of the G30 Lianyungang-Khorgas Expressway is the only road passage in and out of the Ili River Valley during winter.

Starting Wednesday afternoon, wind and snow intensified in the Guozigou section, with snow accumulation reaching nearly 20 centimeters at its deepest. Local traffic police implemented two-way traffic restrictions on the Guozigou section and turned back vehicles at the entrance of this section.

In the early hours of Thursday, the wind and snow conditions eased. Highway departments accelerated snow-clearing operations. Currently, there are no trapped or stranded vehicles within the Guozigou area.

Horgos City in Xinjiang welcomed its first snowfall this winter on Wednesday, accompanied by a strong temperature drop, with the minimum temperature expected to fall to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

"We've been looking forward to this snow for so long. We just want to go skiing at the ski resort right away, and we've already stocked up on tickets," said a local resident.

Local municipal management departments dispatched over 70 large snowplows to promptly clear city roads, addressing the impact of the snowy weather on travel.

The local meteorological department predicts that this snowy and cold weather will continue for another two to three days.

To cope with the snowy and cold weather, livestock officials in multiple parts of Xinjiang have been visiting herders door-to-door, guiding them in adopting cold protection and warmth preservation measures to ensure the safety of livestock through the winter.

Heavy snow sweeps northwest China's Xinjiang, affecting transport

Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region has suspended in-person classes at all schools and universities following Iran's threats to target U.S.-linked universities in the country.

Local authorities have moved classes online, citing growing security threats from Iran.

The decision came after Iran warned that U.S.-linked universities could be attacked, in response to a recent airstrike on a university in Tehran, which Israel says was involved in ballistic missile development.

"Iran is seriously threatening the Kurdistan region, and we must take this seriously. The lives of people -- and especially our students -- are more valuable than anything," said Mohammad Qadir, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for the Kurdistan Region.

The sudden move to online learning has been challenging, with many students struggling to stay connected.

"Some students couldn't join the live sessions. Others had electricity problems, internet issues, or other technical difficulties on the first day. Despite all that, in my opinion, online teaching -- with all its shortcomings -- is better than doing nothing and staying at home," said Dana Mohammed Abdullah, an assistant lecturer at Salahaddin University.

Abdullah added that the impact is especially severe on programs that rely on hands-on instructions.

"Many of our courses are practical rather than theoretical and need to be taught face to face. Now that everything is online, it's only a temporary solution -- better than pausing entirely -- but for a fine arts college, it won't be very effective," he said.

For many students, fear is now part of their daily life.

"We don't feel safe. Drones are coming from the sky and can explode at any moment. We don't know where they will hit -- so we can't be fully confident about going back to campus and studying in class," said Zana Amin, a university student.

With no clear end to the conflict, officials say it is too soon to say when classrooms will reopen.

"We can't give a timeline. We are in a war situation, and it has affected Kurdistan and Iraq deeply. Even politicians don't know when things will return to normal. In-person classes will resume when the war ends," said Qadir.

Iraq's Kurdistan region suspends in-person university classes over security concerns