Heavy snow has blanketed Istanbul for the first time in years as an Arctic storm hit the region, with temperatures plunging across Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
The snow was forecast to reach depths of up to 40 centimetres in some areas of the Turkish city and has played havoc with transport. Cars and buses became stuck on icy roads as traffic ground to a near standstill, while authorities closed schools on Friday.
Istanbul and Sabiha Gokcen airports announced flight cancellations as snow removal teams worked to clear runways.
Temperatures were expected to drop below freezing in Istanbul on Friday night, with authorities warning of black ice and potential power cuts. The cold weather is being caused by an air mass from Siberia that reached the city early on Wednesday. It followed a week of intermittent sleet and hail in Istanbul.
Some made the most of the inclement weather, descending on parks for snowball fights, while a group of hardened swimmers took to the Bosphorus Strait for a dip in the icy waters.
Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu warned residents in the metropolis of 16 million that the treacherous conditions would continue into Saturday, advising against travelling by car unless necessary. Governor Davut Gul said women government employees who are pregnant or have children under the age of eight could take Friday off.
Turkey’s meteorological service issued warnings for heavy snow along the Black Sea coast all the way from Istanbul to the Georgian border, as well as avalanche risk warnings for the eastern border area with Iran, Iraq and Armenia.
Weather apps reported temperatures as low as minus 11°C in the eastern province of Erzurum, home to a popular ski resort, and said the mercury could drop to minus 21°C in the coming days.
As far south as Lebanon, snow was forecast on ground 400 metres above sea level in northern parts of the country.
"Lebanon and the eastern Mediterranean basin are affected by an Arctic atmospheric depression ... leading to a marked decrease in temperatures," Lebanon's Department of Meteorology said. Temperatures were well below the seasonal averages, it added, with lows of 4°C forecast in Beirut on Saturday.
In Jordan, snow showers were expected to fall on mountain peaks. Temperatures in the capital Amman dropped as low as 2°C. Authorities declared a state of emergency for valleys and reservoirs in anticipation of flash floods and rising water levels, Jordanian media reported.
Raed Al Khattab, director of the Jordan Meteorological Department, said the chilly period was being driven by a cold air mass from the Arctic. Snowfall was expected to begin on Saturday at higher elevations, he said.
In Syria, state media reported that temperatures were expected to be at least 10°C lower than the seasonal average, with the mercury forecast to approach 0°C next week.
“The polar mass will be accompanied by snowfall next Saturday morning in the western countryside of Damascus,” news agency Sana quoted experts in the Syrian Civil Defence as saying.
The cold was forecast to persist until the end of the month, Sana added.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Price: From Dh590,000
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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MATCH RESULT
Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira: Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Points classification after Stage 4
1. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 124
2. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 81
3. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 66
4. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 63
5. Alexander Kristoff (Norway / Katusha) 43
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PLUS
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THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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