Quartz Daily Brief—Putin’s flexing his muscles, Saudi Arabia wants to enrich uranium, Egypt’s ambitious goals

Good morning, Quartz readers!

What to watch for today

Israel votes. If the opinion polls have it right, this could be the end of the road for prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s long, often controversial career. Absent a late surge in support for Bibi, it will fall to Isaac Herzog, head of the Zionist Union alliance, for form a new coalition government.

The US Federal Reserve starts talking interest rates. The two-day meeting will lead to an official announcement Wednesday. The key question: will the Fed finally bump up rates? (paywall)

The Bank of Japan talks monetary policy. It likely won’t introduce any radical new policies, despite missing its 2% inflation target. There have been suggestions that more quantitive easing is needed, even though the latest round of aggressive bond-buying was announced late last year.

Flights between New York and Cuba begin. Just a few week after relations between the US and Cuba began to thaw, Cuba Travel Services will start selling a $849 round-trip ticket between New York’s JFK and Havana.

While you were sleeping

The battle to liberate Tikrit from ISIL was put on hold. Iraqi forces halted their offensive so residents in the area could safely flee, and roadside bombs could be dismantled. Officials said they need more airpower to retake the city, and asked for help.

Russia flexed its muscles. Moscow assembled over 38,000 troops, 50 ships and subs, and 110 airplanes in the Arctic, for exercises set to last five days. In a documentary that aired over the weekend, president Vladimir Putin (who returned after going off the grid for 11 days) said Russia was ready to activate its nuclear arsenal during last year’s crisis over Crimea.

Ukraine called for a boycott of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. President Petro Poroshenko said Ukraine’s allies should pull out of soccer’s biggest contest, to protest Moscow’s continued military presence in his country. He also called for tougher sanctions on Russia.

Saudi Arabia warned it will seek nuclear parity with Iran. Prince Turki al-Faisal said that a deal on Iran’s uranium-enrichment program could set off a race for nuclear fuel across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia plans to build 16 reactors in the next two decades.

Valeant bought Salix Pharma for $11 billion. A week after investor Bill Ackman said he had acquired a big chunk of Valeant, the Canadian pharma giant upped its offer for Salix—best known for gastrointestinal drugs—and outbid Endo International. Ackman had previously failed in his effort to help Valeant buy Allegran.

Another high-profile CFO stepped down. Uber announced its chief financial officer, Brent Callinicos, is leaving the company. He will remain an adviser to the firm. Just last week, Google’s CFO, Patrick Pichette, said he was quitting, to spend more time with his family.

Dubai’s polo set got some good news. Starwood announced it will open a St. Regis polo resort in the city. It will take up 6 million square feet, there will be over 130 private villas, 24 luxury bungalows, and a polo club with 500 stables.

Quartz obsession interlude

Max Nisen on the fine art of the workplace haggle. “Asking for a raise is one of the most fraught parts of a working life, a process maniacally Googled and agonized over with friends. Advice is often conflicting. Don’t give your number first, or always do. Start with a number you don’t really expect to get, or ask for nothing at all. A frequent piece of advice, enshrined in one of the standard business school texts on negotiation, is to avoid giving a salary range, because an opponent or manager will seize on the low end.” Read more here.

Matters of debate

The world can’t get richer forever. If global GDP growth stayed at a constant 3%, then the oceans would literally start boiling in a few hundred years.

Living to be 500 would be great. But only if you’re wealthy—can you imagine what it would be like to toil away for centuries?

Asia will survive the strong dollar. Banks are cutting interest rates, and doing everything else necessary to prevent a relapse of the 1997 crisis.

Mariupol must be saved. The Ukrainian port is increasingly looking like Putin’s next target, and the West must do everything it can to prevent it from falling into Russia’s hands (paywall).

Bomb historic sites if it means getting rid of ISIL. But be ready to rebuild the millennia-old cities where civilization was founded.

Surprising discoveries

Old habits die hard. Children who watch a lot of TV are 42% more likely to grow into couch potatoes—and have poor health.

Make sure you get enough sleep. An extra half-hour a night can prevent the onset of diabetes, and other weight-related diseases.

Ultrasound can combat Alzheimer’s. Mice exposed to the waves saw amyloid beta plaque clusters being broken up, and fewer symptoms of the disease.

Egypt is planning to build a new capital. It’s expected to cost $45 billion—one sixth of the country’s GDP—and will house 5 million residents.

Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, picture books, and sleeping aids to [email protected]. You can follow us on Twitter here for updates throughout the day.