Warehouse Roof Collapses at Istanbul Airport After Heavy Snowfall

INTERNATIONAL: The roof of a cargo warehouse has collapsed at Istanbul Airport after heavy snowfall hit the city on Monday,January 24.

A footage shows several people walking around rubble inside the damaged warehouse during the blizzard.

It also shows people walking through heavy snow outside the airport and cars slowly driving on a nearby road blanketed in white.

Turkish authorities have temporarily stopped all flights at Istanbul Airport on Monday, while winter weather has snarled transportation across the country.

The heavy snowfall also out a stopped to some of Istanbul's ferry services, shut some roads and caused visibility problems for drivers.

Nationwide, the Disaster and Emergency Authority has said some 4,600 people were stranded due to weather and more than 6,700 were taken to shelters, while thousands of containers of food supplies were delivered to those in need.

Many parts of Turkey have been hit with heavy snowfall since last week, which coincided with a winter break at most schools.

Turkey's flag-carrier Turkish Airlines has said it had cancelled all flights from Istanbul Airport until Tuesday to ensure "travel safety and for all their passengers" and to prevent them from being stranded at airports.

Sudan's Security Forces Kill Protesters

A medical group has announced, three more people were killed in Sudan on Monday, 24 January, as thousands of people once again took to the streets of the capital and other cities. Of the two protesters killed, one was shot in the chest and the other in the head, the group have said. And dozens protesters were injured in the capital Khartoum and the city of Omdurman, when Sudanese security forces fired live rounds and teargas during protests against military rule that attracted tens of thousands of people across the country, medics have said.

Such protests, along with barricades throughout the capital and a general strike last week, have continued since the military took power on October 25, ending a partnership with civilian political parties since the removal of Omar al-Bashir as Sudan's ruler in 2019.

Some 76 civilians have been killed and more than 2,000 injured in crackdowns on the protests, according to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, which is aligned with the protest movement, mainly by gunshots and teargas canisters.

Police could not immediately be reached for comment.

Protesters chanted and marched as security forces threw tear gas.

A protester who participated to several demonstrations and got injured has said he won't stop marching. "I was hit on the 6th of January in my feet and was hit here showing his head in the head on the 10th of January. Today is the 24th and I'm still marching, I will march tomorrow and the day after tomorrow until we die," he bravely said.

Sudan's military leaders have said the right to peaceful protest is protected. The Sovereign Council, Sudan's highest authority, run by the military, received a briefing on the work of a committee investigating protester deaths, it said in a statement. The violence has deepened the deadlock between pro-democracy groups and the military leadership.

A witness recounts, security forces using teargas and stun grenades as protesters stood 1.2 kilometres from the presidential palace.

In the cities of Bahri and Omdurman, another witnesses saw a heavy security presence and teargas fired on a main road.

The protests were called by neighbourhood resistance committees, which advocate a stance of "no legitimacy, no negotiation, no partnership" towards the military.

One committee has reported the arrest of at least four members. Another said its headquarters were raided.

There were also large protests in the city of Madani, where witnesses said protesters marched towards the house of a protester killed on Friday before heading to the state government building.

Last week, the United States has condemned the use of force against protesters, saying it would consider additional measures.

Denmark Sends Four F-16 Fighter Jets and a Frigate to NATO's Operations in the Baltic Region

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has said on Monday, January 24, it was putting forces on standby and have reinforced eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets, in what Russia denounced as Western "hysteria" in response to its build-up of troops on the Ukraine border.

Denmark is sending four F-16 fighter jets and a frigate to NATO's operations in the Baltic region and northern Europe.

The frigate Peter Willemoes has left port last week and will strengthen one of NATO's standing naval forces, Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 which usually operates in the Baltic Sea as well as the northern and eastern Atlantic.

According to the Danish Armed Forces, the Peter Willemoes will be part of the force until the end of April.