Saturday, March 15, 2014

03/15/14

* Crimea 'calm' ahead of referendum - intl observers No tensions in Ukraine's autonomous republic of Crimea were reported by the team of international observers.

* Missing Malaysia Airlines plane 'deliberately diverted' The communications systems of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 were deliberately disabled.

* Commander: Iran Knows Enemy Well, Ready for Confrontation "We have enough knowledge of the enemy," Pourdastan said.

* Syrian rebels offer to sell Golan to Israel in return for military aid In a report in Al-Arab newspaper, quoted by Iranian news agency Fars on Saturday, a member of the Syrian opposition coalition is quoted as saying the rebels were willing to sell the Golan Heights to Israel.

* Ukraine crisis: Russia isolated in UN Crimea vote Russia has vetoed a draft UN resolution criticising Sunday's secession referendum in Ukraine's Crimea region.

* Lebanese gov't agrees to new policy allowing citizens to 'resist' Israel Lebanon's new government agreed to a compromise policy statement on Friday.

* Iran: Palestinian firepower is 1000 times stronger than before Palestinian terror organizations in Gaza have yet to display their actual missile capabilities.

* EU undecided on Russia sanctions ahead of Crimea vote Ukraine's ambassador to the EU has appealed for European unity.

* Tense Purim on Gaza front: 'The rockets will not ruin holiday for the children' A ceasefire that the Islamic Jihad announced on Thursday appeared to be holding despite two rockets that were fired from Gaza on Israel.

* Egypt unrest: Six soldiers shot dead in Cairo A security official said two bombs left behind by the attackers had been defused.