Key Insights for Why Western Designs Fail in Developing Countries by Merlin AI Cultural Misunderstandings in Design - Designers often fail to grasp the cultural nuances of the communities they aim to serve, leading to designs that do not resonate with local needs. - The Neon Nurture incubator, despite its innovative features, was perceived as untrustworthy due to its car parts composition, which conflicted with local expectations for medical devices.

Turkey ranks first in Europe for income inequality Turkey now holds the unwelcome title of Europe’s most unequal country in terms of income distribution. According to recent data, the richest 20 percent of the population receive nearly half of the nation’s total income, while the poorest 20 percent survive on less than 6 percent. The gap has widened sharply in recent years, reflecting the combined impact of inflation, stagnant wages, and limited social safety nets.

Well, it depends on one and only person... Selahattin Demirtaş, former Co-Chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), has faced multiple trials and legal challenges since his arrest in November 2016. The most significant trial, known as the Kobani case, resulted in a severe sentence of 42 years in prison in May 2024. This trial involved accusations related to the 2014 Kobani protests, including charges such as "disrupting the unity and territorial integrity of the state," attempted killings, and terrorism-related offenses.

Animal Communication Insights Elephants' Unique Communication African savanna elephants exhibit a sophisticated form of communication, potentially using specific calls directed at individual members of their family. Joyce Poole's decades-long research revealed that elephants may assign names to one another based on the acoustic structure of their calls. A statistical model analyzing nearly 500 calls confirmed that these elephants can effectively communicate with identifiable "names," enhancing our understanding of their social interactions.

Serdar Öktem, a lawyer and defendant in the Sinan Ateş murder trial, was assassinated in Istanbul on October 5, 2025, outside his office on Büyükdere Avenue in the Şişli district. Assailants in two vehicles, reportedly masked, opened fire with long-barreled weapons (including a Kalashnikov) at Öktem as he waited in traffic near the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü junction. On its social media accounts, a gang claimed the assassination.

Two photos that were shared by the Turkish presidency’s X account this week, after a reception for the opening of the new legislative year, drew attention. There appears to be a reconfiguration or re-...

Global reactions to Israel's interception and attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla have been overwhelmingly critical, with widespread condemnation, protests, and calls for accountability from governments, international organizations, and civil society across multiple continents.wikipedia+2 Widespread Protests Protests erupted immediately in cities across Europe (including Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, Brussels, and London), the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.trtworld+2 Italian unions announced a general strike, and activists occupied railway stations, university buildings, and consulates in solidarity with the flotilla.

Key Insights by Merlin AI The Rise of Figma Figma emerged as a strong competitor to Adobe in the UI design space, focusing on collaboration and simplicity, which appealed to users seeking alternatives to Adobe's complex software. The company’s successful IPO in July 2025 valued it at $68 billion, driven by demand and the backing of a $1 billion reverse breakup fee from Adobe, enhancing its financial stability.

Intentionally or not, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has publicly blamed US congressional restrictions for stalling the delivery of the necessary engines, threatening to delay serial production of the KAAN jet, which was promoted as another artifact of the Turkish sovereign defense industry. Although experts were already aware of the engine issue, many lay citizens realized that the engine was not produced locally.

Dear readers, One’s deadline is already here, and the other’s soon. I can still accept if you are a few days late.   Here is the full post. Here is the post for this one, which is due for 15 October.

Updated Digital Anthropology syllabus at İstanbul Bilgi University highlights AI, digital ethnography, activism, labor, and privacy in a global context.

This is an advice page from WikiProject AI Cleanup. Signs of AI writing This is a list of writing and formatting conventions typical of AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, with real examples taken from Wikipedia articles and drafts. It is meant to act as a field guide to help detect undisclosed AI-generated content on Wikipedia. This list is…

Key Insights for The Downfall of Tinder Explained in 11 Minutes by Merlin AI Launch and Initial Success - Tinder launched in September 2012, initially developed as Matchbox before pivoting to its now-iconic swiping mechanic. - Early user acquisition strategies included promoting the app on college campuses, leading to over 350 million swipes per day by early 2013. - Tinder's design focused on simplicity and speed, allowing for rapid engagement, which won it the Best New Startup award at the TechCrunch Crunchies in 2013.

Gönül Tol (@gonultol) said: Expanding its LNG portfolio and investing in new infrastructure has been a smart play for Turkey, strengthening its push to diversify energy suppliers. The latest deal carries an extra advantage: it doubles as a sweetener for the Trump administration, which may press Ankara to ( Trump’s joint press conference with Erdogan today was filled with softball questions that surely pleased the Turkish side.

The British spymaster's farewell speech in İstanbul—delivered by outgoing MI6 chief Richard Moore—was significant both for its symbolism and content, reflecting Türkiye's central geopolitical role and the evolution of global intelligence priorities.turkiyetoday+2 I agree with some commentators that Moore is a legendary figure in global intelligence history. He built up his career in Türkiye, speaks Turkish well, and is an active X user and a Beşiktaş fan!  

CHP leader Özgür Özel revealed at a rally in Bahçelievler, Istanbul, on September 17, 2025, that Donald Trump Jr. secretly met with President Erdoğan at the Dolmabahçe Palace working office on September 13, 2025. According to Özel's claims, Trump Jr. was listed in the presidential log as an anonymous "businessman" without his name being recorded. I have asked Perplexity to compile a few Youtuber journalist accounts that commented on this meeting:

Encryption, disinformation, and democracy: rethinking policy for messaging apps with rights-based safeguards.

Key Insights for Jack Ma Thought He Was Untouchable...Ended Up Losing $891 Billion by Merlin AI Jack Ma's Speech and Its Consequences - In October 2020, Jack Ma delivered a controversial speech at the Bund Finance Summit, criticizing China's banking system and calling for innovative risk management. - His comments reportedly angered senior members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), leading to a swift backlash against him and his companies.

Yesterday I saw the news online. Taylan Kulaçoğlu has passed away. We followed each other on X. I saw him once or twice in my life. He had a bar in Taksim for a while, and I visited the bar and met him there. He was a sincere man. That's what I can say about him. Our politics were never on the same page, and I eventually distanced myself from the radical politics he practiced.

On September 8–9, 2025, when the movement’s main vessel, the "Family Boat," was reportedly struck by what organizers claim was a drone while docked at the port of Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia. The Sumud Flotilla is a large, multinational civil society initiative launched in 2025 to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza by sea. The mission is both humanitarian and symbolic, aiming to deliver critical supplies and assert the right of passage in defiance of long-standing restrictions on Gaza's coastal access.

Google's Advertising Dominance - Google's core business model is primarily an advertising one, contributing over 75% of Alphabet's total revenue as of 2024. - The search engine revolutionized how users find information with its PageRank algorithm, ranking based on the quality of links. - Google maintains high margins through direct ad revenue on its own platforms, while its AdSense program involves lower margins through third-party sites.

Turkey’s main opposition party faces police blockade as court appoints new leadership in İstanbul ... and our internet connections are allegedly throttled (I cannot watch YouTube properly at the moment), so that citizens cannot be informed. There's never peace of mind in this country. Here is background for tonight's chaos: Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), is facing intense judicial and police pressure following a controversial court decision that removed its existing İstanbul provincial leadership and appointed a new, court-approved board.

I have been hearing about this for a while from many Kurdish friends. Now I see it is on the news: Abdullah Öcalan stated that Selahattin Demirtaş’s famous 2015 slogan “Seni başkan yaptırmayacağız” (“We will not let you become president”) was a mistake.turkiyekhabar+3 Details of Öcalan’s Comments Öcalan criticized Demirtaş’s choice to use the slogan so directly against Erdoğan, saying it was an unnecessary move and a strategic error.

The movie "The Voice of Hind Rajab" has ignited widespread emotional and critical reactions, especially following its premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, where it received a record-breaking 23-minute standing ovation. Critics and audiences alike describe the film as a devastating, deeply moving, and essential portrayal of one child's tragic fate amid the Gaza conflict. Its integration of real emergency call recordings lends the narrative profound intimacy and authenticity, making the experience nearly unbearable in its emotional impact.