- The United States has canceled a summit planned this month between President Obama and Gulf leaders over splits with allies in the region, however he will still meet with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah in Riyadh.
- Lebanon’s parliament has approved a newly-formed cabinet breaking a political deadlock and giving the country a fully empowered government for the first time in over a year.
- The Israeli army has discovered what it has described as one of the longest and most advanced tunnels running from the southern Gaza Strip into Israel found to date.
- As Iranians celebrate the New Year, price increases for energy and commodities are overshadowing festivities and hopes for President Rouhani’s promised economic recovery fade.