Istanbul has been named the world’s most congested city for 2024, according to the INRIX 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard[1][2][3]. The report found that drivers in Istanbul lost an average of 105 hours to traffic congestion in 2024, placing it at the top of the global rankings[2][3]. Global Rankings Istanbul’s position as the most congested city … Read more
Meta has decided to discontinue its fact-checking program on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, in the United States[1][2][3]. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced this significant policy shift on January 7, 2025[4][5]. Key Points of the Change Discontinuation of Third-Party Fact-Checking: Meta will end its collaboration with independent fact-checking partners, a program that was initiated … Read more
update: Historians’ Council Vetoes Gaza Scholasticide Condemnation American Historical Association convention-goers overwhelmingly passed the statement on Jan. 5, but the group’s top elected body has vetoed it without letting all AHA members vote. I guess there might be similar outcomes in other fields, too. Historians Condemn ‘Scholasticide’ in Gaza at Conference The measure now goes … Read more
Mavi Boncuk blog has a list of cheese types from Türkiye. I think I have tasted half of them yet: 1) EZINE WHITE Ezine Cheese has been registered by the European Union and has become Turkey’s 18th geographically indicated product registered in the EU. Ezine Cheese is the first Turkish cheese registered in the EU. Ezine … Read more
This is Munich’s unique surfing spot right in the heart of the city. The Eisbach Wave in the English Garden is a popular location for river surfing, making Munich one of the few cities in the world where you can catch waves in an urban setting. This man-made wave on the Eisbach River attracts surfers … Read more
Istanbul Airport (IST) prices are higher than many other major European airports, particularly for food and beverages. Recent studies and reports highlight the significant cost differences: Food and Beverage Costs According to a 2025 study by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Istanbul Airport tops the list as the most expensive airport in Europe for food … Read more
Nvidia almost failed in 1995 but is now worth over $1 trillion. How does a company take such a trajectory. In this video we see how Jensen Huang has led Nvidia for over 30 years to become the company that the modern tech world can’t live without. Here are key timestamps linked to significant moments … Read more
We have arrived and settled. The city is still feeling Christmas, but life will be back to normal by January 7. Sinem and I will walk around and familiarize ourselves with the neighborhood. The Center of Advanced Studies building is within walking distance. Until we return on January 31, I hope to have a peaceful … Read more
Here is a summary of what happened in a day: DEM Party MPs Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan, who met with PKK leader Öcalan after the process started with the call of MHP leader Bahçeli, started to meet with political parties together with Ahmet Türk, the mayor of Mardin province Ahmet Türk. The DEM … Read more
I never liked Arabesk and listened to Ferdi Tayfur or Müslüm Gürses, but these musicians were strongly embedded in Turkish popular culture. After Gürses, Ferdi Tayfur just passed away at 79. Ferdi Tayfur, born Ferdi Tayfur Turanbayburt on November 15, 1945, in Adana, Turkey, was an iconic figure in Turkish music and cinema who passed … Read more
I have seen news of more deaths and asked Perplexity to compile relevant data: Turkey has been grappling with a significant bootlegging problem in recent years, driven by several factors: High Alcohol Taxes The Turkish government has dramatically increased taxes on alcoholic beverages, making them unaffordable for many: Special Consumption Tax on alcohol was … Read more
Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the PKK, recently made significant statements during a meeting with lawmakers from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) on December 28, 2024, at İmralı prison. His key messages focused on peace, democracy, and brotherhood for Turkey and the region[1][2]. Main Points of Öcalan’s Statement Turkish-Kurdish Brotherhood: Öcalan … Read more
With $10 billion spent, Apple’s secretive car project has been cancelled, but what went wrong, and why did they want to make a car? In this episode we find out the confusion and chaos behind the scenes. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G… Here are key timestamps linked to significant moments in the video: 00:00:01 – Introduction: The Concept … Read more
One could observe that the government is very employer-friendly. Bianet listed all the banned/postponed strike proposals since 2003. Here are the banned strikes under the rule of the AKP: The first strike ban during the AKP era occurred on Jul 1, 2003, at Petlas Tire Industry and Trade Inc., where workers were represented by the … Read more
I am feeling strong doses of nostalgia after taking my personal belongings from my parents’ storage place. Like many families in İstanbul, my parents finally decided to move away from their apartments because of the expected major earthquake. Istanbul is in a frenzy of urban renewal, and the building they lived in for 45 years … Read more