🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨Grand Monuments Built for the Dead

Throughout history, incredible structures have been built to honor the dead.

Here are 5 iconic examples:

🇮🇳 Taj Mahal (India): A stunning white marble mausoleum built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

🇪🇬Great Pyramids (Egypt): Massive tombs constructed for pharaohs, believed to guide them to the afterlife.

🇹🇷Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Turkey): One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built for King Mausolus and inspiring the word “mausoleum.”

🇨🇳Terracotta Army (China): Thousands of life-sized statues built to guard Emperor Qin Shi Huang in his afterlife.

🇬🇷Colossus of Rhodes (Greece): A towering statue commemorating a military victory, built in honor of the sun god Helios.

Source: History archives
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

Pay Your Bills or Stack Stats? Crypto In 2025

2025 is here, and crypto’s stepping out of the moonshot shadows into real life.

Platforms like BitPay and PayPal are the plug, converting your bags into fiat for anything from Netflix to your water bills

Turkey, Argentina, and Venezuela are showing the world how digital assets thrive when fiat fails, and fast tech like Solana and Lightning Network is making microtransactions practical.

The catch? Adoption and regulation are still the boss fights we need to win ahead.

Source: CCN
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/... https://x.com/RoundtableSp...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🇹🇷AVALANCHE SWALLOWS EXCAVATOR IN TURKEY—DRIVER MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVES

An excavator operator in Turkey’s Sırnak province found himself buried alive after snow cascaded down the mountainside, trapping him under tons of debris.

Rescuers acted quickly, freeing the driver from the icy wreckage.

He was rushed to the hospital and is expected to recover.

Source: Sputnik
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇹🇷🇸🇾TURKEY STEPS IN TO LIGHT UP SYRIA

According to Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, they are ready to supply electricity to Syria and have already sent a delegation to Damascus to tackle severe power shortages.

He slammed the dire situation in the country, noting Syria's pre-war power capacity of 8,500 megawatts had collapsed to 3,500, leaving most people dependent on generators.

Plans include exporting electricity and tapping Syria's oil and gas reserves for long-term recovery.

It comes as Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus and offered further support to rebuild the country.

Source: Reuters
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו נתני parody:

🇮🇹 Italy is famous for Pizza

🇹🇷 Turkey is famous for kebabs

🇱🇧 Lebanon is famous for Humus

🇵🇸 Palestine is famous for Olives

🇮🇱 What’s Israel famous for..?
https://x.com/netanyahupre...

🔁Arya - آریا:

The TRANS SEA loaded with oil and chemicals departed from a port in #Turkey and made its way to Haifa. Initially, navigation sites listed "Port Said in Egypt" as its destination. However, the ship altered its course midway, turned off its AIS and headed to Haifa instead. #Israel
https://x.com/AryJeay/stat... https://x.com/A7_Mirza/sta...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇹🇷TURKEY ANNOUNCES $14 BILLION PLAN TO CLOSE ITS ECONOMIC GAP

Turkey has unveiled a $14 billion development plan to narrow the economic divide between its Kurdish-majority southeast and the rest of the country.

The focus includes Şanlıurfa, a historically rich city known as the "City of Prophets" and a cultural hub, but with a GDP per capita of just $4,971—far below the national average of $13,243.

The plan promises 198 projects and a $1,400 annual income boost by 2028.

The timing is notable: Turkish officials recently met jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, fueling speculation he may urge an end to the 40-year conflict that’s killed over 40,000 people.

Source: Reuters
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

commitment.

10. Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed PKK leader, hinted at calling for militants to lay down arms, marking a potential breakthrough in Turkey's 40-year conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives.
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🇹🇷JAILED PKK LEADER MAY CALL AN END TO INSURGENCY

Abdullah Ocalan has hinted at calling for militants to lay down arms, marking a potential breakthrough in Turkey’s 40-year conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives.

After a decade-long silence, Ocalan met pro-Kurdish politicians and declared he was "qualified and determined" to support a new peace process, calling the Kurdish issue "undelayable."

The proposal, spearheaded by Erdogan ally Devlet Bahceli, suggests Ocalan’s change of heart could lead to discussions on his release.

Erdogan called the moment a "historic window of opportunity."

Source: Reuters
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🇦🇱 ALBANIAN DRUG LORD’S RISE HIGHLIGHTS GLOBAL COCAINE BOOM

Dritan Rexhepi, an Albanian drug lord, rose to power from Ecuadorian prison, building a network that rivaled Mexico’s cartels.

His alliances spanned South America to Europe, making Albania a key player in the global cocaine trade.

Cocaine production has surged, with South America producing over twice as much as a decade ago.

Europe is now a top market, with demand skyrocketing and Albanian networks dominating the trade through strategic partnerships and corruption.

Caught in Turkey in 2023, Rexhepi’s arrest underscores the massive expansion of global drug networks, now reaching Africa, Asia, and beyond.

Source: Washington Post
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🇹🇷 TURKEY PROTESTS: MINIMUM WAGE HIKE FALLS FLAT

Thousands hit the streets in Ankara demanding a larger minimum wage increase after the government announced a 30% hike for 2025, bringing the monthly wage to 22,104 lira ($630).

Workers, facing 45% inflation, wanted a 70% increase.

Opposition leader Ozgur Ozel blasted the move.

“If there’s no bread, there should be elections!”

Meanwhile, Erdogan defended the hike, claiming it balances inflation and employment—but protesters weren’t buying it.

Source: Reuters
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇹🇷NO BREAD, NO BUTTER, NO PATIENCE: TURKS SLAM ERDOGAN OVER WAGE HIKE

Thousands packed Turkey's Ankara streets to roast the government’s 30% minimum wage hike for 2025, calling it laughably out of touch with 45% inflation.

Workers demanded a 70% raise, but instead got what opposition leader Ozgur Ozel called proof Erdogan’s government “lost touch with reality.”

Ozel:

“They say that inflation would increase as much as the minimum wage is increased.

If there’s no bread and butter, there should be elections!”

(Sorry, folks, that’s still scheduled for 2028.)

Erdogan defended the hike as “balanced,” but 9 million workers aren’t feeling it.

Source: Reuters
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Arya - آریا:

🇹🇷🇮🇱🇸🇾| Turkish officials call for coordination with Israel in Syria

According to Israel’s Channel 12, Turkish officials have sent a message to Israel calling for the establishment of a coordination mechanism with their armies in Syria, similar to the one that existed between the Russians and Israel—this is while Turkey condemns Israel at the same time.

Russia and Israel actively had a hotline open, including a deconfliction line in Syria.

Additionally, Turkey has also expressed interest to establish a new Syrian (mercenary) army consisting of 300,000 soldiers with full Turkish support.
https://x.com/AryJeay/stat... https://x.com/AryJeay/stat...

🔁Arya - آریا:

🇹🇷🇮🇱🇸🇾| Turkish officials call for coordination with Israel in Syria

According to Israel’s Channel 12, Turkish officials have sent a message to Israel calling for the establishment of a coordination mechanism with their armies in Syria, similar to the one that existed between the Russians and Israel—this is while Turkey condemns Israel at the same time.

Russia and Israel actively had a hotline open, including a deconfliction line in Syria.

Additionally, Turkey has also expressed interest to establish a new Syrian (mercenary) army consisting of 300,000 soldiers with full Turkish support.
https://x.com/AryJeay/stat...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇷🇺 RUSSIA TRADES DOLLARS FOR BITCOIN?!

Who needs the U.S. dollar? Russian companies are now using bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for international trade.

Russian Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov:

"As part of the experimental regime, it is possible to use bitcoins, which we had mined here in Russia (in foreign trade transactions).

Such transactions are already occurring. We believe they should be expanded and developed further.

I am confident this will happen next year."

Thanks to new laws, Russia can now use its locally mined bitcoin to work around Western sanctions.

Partners like China and Turkey are onboard because their banks want zero drama with U.S. regulators.

Putin even threw some shade, calling out the U.S. for ruining the dollar’s reputation and praising bitcoin as untouchable.

Guess sanctions sparked a crypto glow-up.

Source: Reuters
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Arya - آریا:

Seriously?

Israel occupied & keeps occupying Syrian lands from the west

The US has illegal bases & steals oil

Turkey is occupying Syrian lands in the north

Iran has none of the above,only had personnel presence in Syria on the request of the country itself with advisory role
https://x.com/AryJeay/stat... https://x.com/MEMRIReports...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🇺🇸🇹🇷U.S. & TURKEY TALK SYRIA: "COORDINATION IS KEY"

Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin spoke with Turkey's defense minister to hash out security concerns over Syria.

Lloyd:

"We agreed to remain in close communication and affirmed that coordination presents the best opportunity to promote stability in the region.

Our countries will continue to work together to defeat terrorism and support a more secure and stable Syria."

Source: @​SecDef
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🇬🇧LONDON’S FESTIVE MEAT AUCTION: A CHRISTMAS TRADITION

Londoners gathered at Smithfield Market for the annual Christmas Eve meat auction, where turkeys sell for $13 and beef ribs for $39—steals compared to butcher prices.

Participants, some dressed in festive costumes and waving signs like “I love steak,” bid with cash in hand to catch the sellers’ attention.

The market’s chairman, Greg Lawrence:

“This is where Christmas starts.

People come for the deals, the fun, and the tradition that dates back to 1327.”

Source:
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇹🇷 TURKEY HIKES MINIMUM WAGE 30%, BUT CAN IT TAME INFLATION?

The minimum wage jumps to 22,104 liras ($627) a month for 2025, giving a boost to over a third of workers.

Investors, however, are crossing their fingers it won’t make inflation—now a wild 47.1%—even worse.

President Erdogan, known for salary hikes that make wallets fatter but inflation scarier, now relies on his “market-friendly” team, who’ve jacked rates up to 50%.

Their goal?

Drag inflation down to 21%.

Easier said than done when wage hikes keep the spending spree alive.

Source: Bloomberg
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇺🇸 HOLIDAY STRESS: DEMOCRATS AND INDEPENDENTS AREN’T FEELING JOLLY

This holiday season, Democrats (61%) and Independents (60%) are more likely to find family gatherings stressful.

Republicans? Only 39% feel the same, probably because they’re basking in post-election vibes.

Nearly 1 in 5 Democrats (17%) admit their emotional health is in the dumps, compared to just 7% of Republicans.

Still, 84% of Americans claim their emotional well-being is “good.” Guess we’re all faking it ‘til we make it.

Meanwhile, a Harris Poll shows 2 in 5 adults under 44 are skipping family get-togethers over political drama.

But for those braving the turkey table, 72% just want to dodge politics altogether. Pass the gravy, not the grievances.

The bottom line? Keep it light. Nobody wants a side of political squabbles with their mashed potatoes.

Source: Axios
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇹🇷🇸🇾 TURKEY GETS COZY WITH SYRIA’S LEADERSHIP

Erdogan announced more chats with Syria’s de facto leader, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, and promised Turkey will step up visits to Syria.

Erdogan:

"In the future of Syria and our region, there is no place for any terrorist organization, including Daesh and the PKK.

Turkey's unwavering line is to protect Syria's territorial integrity and unity under all circumstances."

Guess diplomacy’s the new Turkish delight.

Source: Reuters
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/... https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇺🇸 BROOKLYN MOGUL TO PLEAD GUILTY IN ERIC ADAMS TURKISH AIRLINE SCANDAL

Brooklyn developer Erden Arkan is throwing in the towel, set to plead guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud for funneling illegal “straw donations” to Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign.

Arkan allegedly played bagman for Turkish diplomat Reyhan Özgür, who sweetened the pot with discounted Turkish Airlines flights for Adams while lobbying to fast-track Turkey’s new NYC consulate.

Diplomacy?

More like mileage points with benefits.

When asked for comment, Arkan said, “I’m so busy, thank you,” and his lawyer ghosted reporters.

Adams denies wrongdoing, but as guilty pleas roll in, this story is taking off faster than a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul.

Source: New York Post
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇪🇬🇸🇴 EGYPT JOINS SOMALIA PEACE MISSION AS REGIONAL DRAMA HEATS UP

Egypt is sending troops to the African Union’s new peacekeeping mission in Somalia, AUSSOM, replacing an anti-terror force wrapping up this year.

The move comes after a Somali request and a not-so-subtle dig at Ethiopia.

Why the friction? Ethiopia’s plan to build a port in Somaliland, the breakaway region Somalia still claims, hasn’t exactly won applause from Egypt or Somalia.

Egypt has been cheering for Somalia’s sovereignty, calling out Ethiopia’s “unilateral moves.”

To seal the deal, Egypt shipped artillery, anti-aircraft guns, and other weapons to Somalia under a fresh security pact.

With Turkey mediating talks between Somalia and Ethiopia, things are quieter—for now.

Source: Reuters
Media from December 13, 2024
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇪🇨ECUADOR JUDGE REINSTATES VICE PRESIDENT, THROWS WRENCH IN PRESIDENT’S PLANS

VP Veronica Abad is back in the game after a judge overturned her suspension for ignoring orders to leave Israel during the Hamas conflict.

The ruling complicates President Daniel Noboa’s plans to take a break and campaign for re-election, as Abad would step in as acting president—a scenario Noboa likely wants to avoid given their constant clashes.

Abad was sent to Israel as an ambassador earlier this year, a move many saw as an effort to sideline her.

She was later suspended in November for skipping an order to relocate to Turkey, but now she’s demanding a public apology from the labor ministry (yes, really) and insists she’s ready to take over if Noboa steps aside.

With tensions this high, Noboa might think twice about campaigning if it means giving his rival even a moment in the spotlight.

Neither he nor the government has commented—probably too busy figuring out their next move.

Source: Reuters
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨12 HOUR NEWS RECAP

1. 🇩🇪 Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, the German Christmas market attack suspect, faces 5 counts of murder and attempted murder while in pre-trial detention as Germany grapples with the horrific aftermath.

2. 🇵🇦🇺🇸 Trump threatens to take back the Panama Canal if China keeps meddling, putting an expiration date on Jimmy Carter's "magnanimous gesture."

3. 🇺🇸 Texas Rep. Kay Granger disappears for 6 months before being found disoriented near her old neighborhood, revealing she's been in dementia care without Congress even noticing.

4. 🇮🇷 Ayatollah Khamenei claims Iran doesn't use proxy forces, saying they'll attack directly if needed, raising eyebrows across the Middle East.

5. 🇺🇸 Justin Baldoni's career nosedives after Blake Lively accuses him of turning "It Ends With Us" set into his personal creep fest, leading to his talent agency dropping him.

6. 🇹🇷 Tragedy strikes in Turkey as a medical helicopter crashes into Muğla Training and Research Hospital, killing all four on board with the cause remaining a mystery.

7. 🇺🇸 AOC has a meltdown over Elon, accusing him of "controlling minds" on X, revealing her belief that free speech is only acceptable when it aligns with her views. The irony is strong with this one.

8. 🇸🇪 A late-night explosion rocks Stockholm's swanky Östermalm district, causing no injuries but leaving shattered glass and rattled nerves in its wake.

9. 🇷🇺 In Russia, a fireworks shop accidentally throws an impromptu New Year's party, with rockets shooting everywhere and turning the chaos into a dangerous light show.
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/... https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Warfare Analysis:

⚡️Ahmed Al-Sharaa during his meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister:

Turkey is a friend of the Syrian people and has stood with us since the beginning of the revolution. We will never forget that.
https://x.com/warfareanaly...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🇹🇷TURKEY'S FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS SYRIA'S HTS LEADER AL SHARAA

Hakan Fidan met with Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus.

Discussions focused on Syria’s new political structure after the regime’s collapse 2 weeks ago.

Source: Reuters
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/... https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨12 HOUR NEWS RECAP

1.⁠ The suspect in the deadly attack on a German Christmas market, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, has been charged with 5 counts of murder along with attempted murder and is under pre-trial detention.

2.⁠ Trump said he would regain control of the Panama Canal: “When President Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, it was solely for Panama to manage, not China or anyone else. If the principles of this magnanimous gesture are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us.”

3.⁠ Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, claimed they don’t have any proxy forces in the Middle East and that if they want to attack anyone, they’ll do it themselves.

4.⁠ Kay Granger, who has represented Texas’s 12th District for nearly three decades, vanished from public life for six months before being found disoriented near her old Fort Worth neighborhood. She’s been living in a dementia care facility, but here’s the kicker: it doesn’t seem like anyone in Congress or her party thought to check on her.

5.⁠ Jeff Bezos is set to marry fiancée Lauren Sanchez next Saturday in a $600 million winter wonderland-themed wedding in Aspen, Colorado.

6.⁠ A medical helicopter crashed moments after takeoff, slamming into the Muğla Training and Research Hospital in Turkey, killing all 4 people on board.

7.⁠ Justin Baldoni has been booted by talent agency WME after Blake Lively accused him of turning the set of “It Ends With Us” into his personal creep zone. In her complaint, Lively alleges Baldoni improvised intimate scenes, made crude sexual comments, and waltzed into her trailer uninvited while she was undressed.

8.⁠ AOC freaked out, claiming that Elon’s controlling people’s minds on X. It Turns out that Dems don’t like free speech if it goes against them.

9.⁠ An explosion at a gate on Grevgatan sent emergency crews racing to Stockholm’s fancy Östermalm district overnight. The blast, loud

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇹🇷BREAKING: 4 KILLED IN HORROR HOSPITAL HELICOPTER CRASH

A medical helicopter crashed moments after takeoff near the Muğla Training and Research Hospital in Turkey.

The helicopter struck the hospital before plummeting to the ground, killing all 4 people on board.

The aircraft was operating for the Turkish Ministry of Health. 

Investigations into the cause of the crash are underway.

Source: Economic Times
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...

🔁Mario Nawfal:

🚨🇹🇷🇸🇾 TURKEY TO SYRIA: HANDLE IT, OR WE WILL

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan didn’t mince words: if Syria’s new government doesn’t disband the Kurdish YPG, Turkey will take matters into its own hands—military action included.

Ankara sees the U.S.-backed YPG as PKK-linked terrorists, despite their role in defeating ISIS.

Fidan dismissed U.S. troop increases as a flimsy excuse to keep funding the SDF.

Fidan:

"The fight against ISIS, there is only one job: to keep ISIS prisoners in prisons, that's it."

After seizing Manbij post-Assad, Turkey’s message to Syria is loud and clear: no YPG, no threats—or else.

Source: Reuters
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/... https://x.com/MarioNawfal/...