World of Tanks

Good morning, curious minds!

There's no way we're going to ease into this week quietly. Hollywood awards shakeups are flipping Oscar bets, and Israeli tanks are entering new West Bank territory after a jolt from the German election. Shall we see what's cooking?

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Your daily lens on the world starts here:

For the first time in twenty-something years, Israel rolled tanks into the West Bank—like a throwback no one asked for—and declared that thousands of displaced Palestinians can’t come home “for the foreseeable future.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz says the army might stick around refugee camps for up to a year. The Palestinians call it a "dangerous escalation," and footage of bulldozers reshaping Jenin's landscape is all over social media. Even though Gaza's border might seem quiet right now, things in the West Bank aren't settled.

Guten Tag, Uncertainty

The snap election in Germany wasn't a snoozer: Friedrich Merz's conservatives soared, Olaf Scholz's coalition fell, and the AfD's far-right ambitions shot up—though not enough to get in. Combined with Elon Musk's lukewarm endorsements and some side-eye over U.S. meddling, you've got the makings of an epic binge.

Now, the real show begins: Can Merz keep Europe stable without accidentally sharing the cockpit with the far right? Get ready for turbulence.

VRinge

Here's one more reason to cringe at Meta's Metaverse: a new Horizon Worlds ad featuring bobblehead avatars and a forced Valentine's "support group." Apparently, billions of dollars have bought us mid-90s video game graphics and dialogue that are more like "Group Therapy 101" than "Ready Player One."

If you're still holding onto those NFT receipts, yes, the Metaverse should have rescued them all. This latest flop shows that sometimes you should let those digital tokens gather pixel-dust in peace. I'd like to see how a $70 billion dream can go, so...meh.

Sanada Slice

Here's a look back at the Screen Actors Guild Awards—aka the final pep rally before the Oscars. The best ensemble award went to "Conclave," while Timothée Chalamet surprised everyone with his vocals (sorry, Adrien Brody!).

Meanwhile, Jane Fonda reminded everyone that ‘woke’ is just code for caring, and “Shōgun” sliced up the television categories like a real samurai. This year's Oscar predictions just got shaken up by upsets, acceptance speeches, and stunt ensemble mania. Let the final countdown begin!

💬 Beyond the Core

Love is Blind: Ghosting isn't just for dating apps. Here's "career catfishing"—more prevalent and more confusing than you think.

Let It Die: RIP, capital letters. Gen Z is to blame.

Waterfest: It may sound kooky, but some TikTokers swear to manifest their dreams by talking—yes, talking—to their water.

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

Images of the first day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

🧮 Core Count: 7,000,000,000,000

Globally, glaciers have shrunk by tons in the last 25 years because of climate change.

🗓️ Flashback:

1525 - In the Battle of Pavia, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V's troops defeat the French and capture French King Francis.

1582 - The new style calendar, commonly known as the Gregorian calendar, was announced by Pope Gregory XIII.

1739 - In the Battle of Karnal, the Iranian army defeats the forces of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah.

1821 - Agustín de Iturbide and Vicente Guerrero agree to the Plan of Iguala. Mexico became a constitutional monarchy, Roman Catholicism became the official religion, and Peninsulares and Creoles got equal rights.

1868 - US House of Representatives vote 126 to 47 to impeach President Andrew Johnson.

1942 - In response to a rumored but false Japanese attack, the "Battle of Los Angeles" takes place over the city.

1946 - General Juan Perón first elected President of Argentina.

2008 - After nearly fifty years as president of Cuba, Fidel Castro retires due to ill health.

2022 - Russian leader Vladimir Putin announces a three-day "special military operation" in Ukraine to demilitarize it. In the hours before, Russia launched a full-scale invasion by land, air, and sea, with bombings across several cities.

I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Fatih Taskiran