* Israel scrambles jets to Syrian border Israel scrambled jets to its northern border with Syria on Friday.
* Ukraine crisis: Crimea vote 'will not be recognised' Arseniy Yatsenyuk and others in the Kiev government have called the vote "unconstitutional" and "illegitimate".
* OBAMA'S WARNINGS BRUSHED ASIDE BY RUSSIA'S PUTIN One by one, President Barack Obama's warnings to Russia are being brushed aside by President Vladimir Putin.
* Abbas: I will not recognize Israel as Jewish state Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinians will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
* Muslim group urges Egypt to ban Paramount Pictures' 'Noah' A Muslim group in Egypt is urging the country to ban the Paramount Pictures epic depicting the biblical story of Noah and his ark.
* Religion and gay rights collide over children's book Where is the line between respecting diverse religious beliefs and violating the rights and dignity of gays and lesbians?
* The Islamist war for Gaza The prevailing assessment in Israel is that the Syrian-Iranian cargo was intended for Palestinian Islamic Jihad rather than Hamas.
* Turkey PM Erdogan threatens to ban Facebook and YouTube Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his government could ban Facebook and YouTube, arguing that opponents are using social media to attack him.
* Kerry Makes Surprise Visit to Jordan to Discuss Talks US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Jordan on Friday for talks with King Abdullah II.
* EU leaders freeze Russia visa talks, threaten trade sanctions EU leaders have suspended talks on visa-free travel with Russia and threatened asset freezes and economic sanctions if the situation in Ukraine gets worse.