Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday, including Israelis heading to polls in parliamentary elections, Russia-Ukraine ceasefire in Oleshky brokered by US first lady taking effect, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran holding a quadrilateral meeting in Tehran, and Saudi-led coalition saying it intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi group.
Voting began Tuesday in Israel’s parliamentary elections, with more than 7.3 million people eligible to cast ballots to elect the 120-member Knesset.
Polling stations opened at 7 am local time (0500GMT) and are scheduled to close at 10 pm (2000GMT), according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee.
A total of 12,018 polling stations and approximately 18,000 ballot boxes have been prepared nationwide, with around 100,000 election workers deployed. Thirty-seven parties and electoral lists are competing in the elections, with at least 61 seats required to form a governing coalition.
The main contenders include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, former Army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party and the Together alliance led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
The elections represent Israel’s first general vote since the start of its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Oleshky brokered by US first lady Melania Trump took effect at 0100GMT on Tuesday to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.
An official press release was issued Friday by the White House confirming that the first lady had served as the "Exclusive Intermediary" to secure the localized agreement.
The development came amid worsening shortages of food, medicine and clean water in Oleshky, a frontline town located on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Ukraine's southern Kherson region. Residents must also contend with limited access to electricity, mined roads and recurring military attacks, according to the White House.
A quadrilateral meeting between delegations from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran began in the Iranian capital Tehran, with talks set to focus on regional security, Israel's activities in the region, and developments in Palestine and Lebanon.
The meeting was hosted by Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei.
Both Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are attending, while Türkiye is represented by National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director Ibrahim Kalin, Saudi Arabia by Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Pakistan by Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir.
The Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi group toward Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
The announcement did not specify the intended targets or provide details on possible casualties or damage.
On Monday, the coalition said it intercepted and destroyed three drones over the Riyadh region and southern Saudi Arabia without identifying their origin or intended targets.
SPORTS
Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane won the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or, becoming the first English player to claim football's most prestigious individual award since Michael Owen in 2001, while Spain's Alexia Putellas secured her third Women's Ballon d'Or.
The awards were presented at the 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony at the London Palladium, marking the first time the prestigious event was held in the British capital.
Kane, 33, claimed the award for the first time after scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for Bayern Munich and England during the 2025-26 campaign, including 61 goals in 51 matches for the German side, which won a domestic double.
The England captain also scored six goals at the 2026 World Cup, helping his country finish third.
Meanwhile, Putellas, 32, claimed her third Women's Ballon d'Or following her previous victories in 2021 and 2022, equaling former Barcelona teammate Aitana Bonmati's record.
The Spanish midfielder captained Barcelona to a quadruple during the 2025-26 season, winning Liga F, Copa de la Reina, the Spanish Super Cup and Women's Champions League.
Jay-Z announced Monday night that he will be the US' Super Bowl LXI halftime performer on Feb. 14, 2027.
The rap mogul, whose company Roc Nation partnered with the National Football League (NFL) in 2019 to choose the halftime musicians for the United States' largest television event (125.5 million viewers for 2026 Super Bowl according to Nielsen ratings service), made the announcement that he chose himself on ESPN and through various online platforms.
"From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey," said Jay-Z in a news release. "Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world's biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true."
Eric Bauza, the Emmy-winning Canadian voice actor best known for voicing Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, died at age 46, according to his family.
Bauza died at his home from hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records.
His family announced his death in a statement posted on his Instagram account Sunday.
Anthropic, the San Francisco-based developer behind AI chatbot Claude, has officially unveiled its initial public offering (IPO) prospectus, setting the stage for one of the largest market debuts in history.
The company expects to target a market valuation between $1.5 trillion and $1.75 trillion, according to its regulatory filing.
The nearly 240,000-word prospectus showed that the firm recently told backers its third-quarter revenue surged nearly 50% from the previous quarter to $16.8 billion, reaching profitability on an adjusted basis.
European natural gas prices rose 3.3% to exceed €97 ($108.8) per megawatt-hour for the first time since 2022 as the Middle East conflict continues to threaten supplies.
The intensifying conflict in the Middle East has sharply heightened concerns over winter energy supplies, particularly as liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows from the Persian Gulf — which previously accounted for nearly a fifth of global supply — remain down roughly 80% year-on-year.
European gas futures traded at €97.15 per megawatt-hour as of 0820GMT, up 3.3% from Friday's close and hitting their highest level since December 2022.
Singapore and Saudi Aramco plan to store Saudi crude oil in the underground Jurong Rock Caverns starting in 2027 to boost energy security amid global supply disruptions.
Tan See Leng, Singapore's minister for energy, trade and industry, announced the joint intention during the Singapore Energy Lecture 2026 on Monday.
Tan said the arrangement would enhance the resilience of the Saudi crude oil supply chain across Southeast Asia.
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