1. Boehner elected House Speaker of 112th Congress. As Democrat Nancy Pelosi stepped down, Republican John A. Boehner stepped up and the United States House of Representatives welcomed its new speaker on  Jan. 5. Promising to remain “open” to the Democratic minority, Boehner expects to focus on fiscal issues.
2. Historic vote takes place in Southern Sudan. Following Sudan’s long civil war, a vote determining Southern Sudan’s independence from their northern half will take place Jan. 9. Though this decision is not expected to stem conflicts in Sudan, it marks progress in a long and bloody civil war.
3. Iran arrests American woman and accuses her of spying. After initially denying it, Iranian officials confirmed the arrest on Hal Falayan, a 34-year-old American woman whom the Iranian government believes to be a spy. According to Gen. Ahmad Geravand of Iran’s border police, Falayan was arrested at the Jolfa border for “using advanced equipment” to film the Jolfa border strip.
4. Seemingly apocalyptic natural events prompt differing theories. Last week, the populations of spot fish, blackbirds, pogies, drugfish, crab and shrimp plummeted all over America when a series of mass deaths occurred. Explanations for this unusually widespread string of events range from apocalypse theories to a series of abnormal but highly possible scientific explanations.
5. Mistaken identity ends in fatality in Palestine. A 66-year-old Palestinian man was shot dead in his bed on Friday by members of Israeli special forces, after being mistaken for a wanted Hamas militant.

All information gathered from the Washington Post Online.