International and Bilateral Issues:

The United States has announced a $3.48-billion arms deal with the United Arab Emirates as part of a wider American effort to build up missile defences among Gulf allies to counter Iran.
The announcement late on Friday came amid threats from Iran to close the vital Strait of Hormuz if Western countries press ahead with punitive sanctions and a day after the United States sealed a $30-billion arms deal to provide another Gulf ally — Saudi Arabia — with 84 new F-15 fighter jets.
U.S. officials say the arms sales in the Gulf send a signal to Iran that its missile build-up and nuclear programme are undermining its security and leaving the country isolated.
- Meanwhile, top negotiator Saeed Jalili said Iran was ready to rejoin European Union-led talks with major powers on assuaging Western concerns over its nuclear programme even as tensions with the U.S. soared in the Gulf.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared “Iraq Day” on Saturday to mark the end of a pact allowing U.S. forces to stay in the country, two weeks after they left and with Iraq mired in a political row.
U.S. troops completed their withdrawal Iraq on December 18, nearly nine years after Washington launched a controversial war to oust Saddam Hussein.

The era of visa-on-arrival comes to end in Sri Lanka on Saturday night.
After a lot of deliberations, Sri Lanka has decided to go ahead with the proposed electronic travel authorisation scheme, which requires a tourist to register and pay a fee ahead of arriving in the country.
Only two countries – Singapore and The Maldives – are exempted from the rule since they too provide visa-free travel for Sri Lankans.