* Arafat-style, Abbas is playing with fire "It was expected that the fourth phase (of prisoner releases) would be executed on the 29th of Mar".
* US Army chief: Israel trusts we'll bomb Iran if needed Israel and the US have bridged the gap in their once-divergent opinions regarding Iran's nuclear program.
* Israel, India agree on missile defense system against China, Pakistan nuclear strikes India and Israel have concluded an agreement to assemble a ballistic missile defense system.
* Hamas PM says peace talk troubles 'no surprise', calls for action to end 'occupation' Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday said that he was not surprised by the crisis in peace talks.
* Israeli Iron Beam laser air defense system 'brings down mortars like flies' creator says A new air defense system being developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which uses lasers to shoot down low altitude threats, is able to bring down "mortars like flies."
* Turkey's constitutional court: Twitter ban violates free speech The Twitter ban imposed by Turkey's government violates freedom of expression and individual rights.
* U.S. sends in team with Apache attack helicopters to help Iraq against Sunni onslaught The United States plans to send advanced attack helicopters to help Iraq quell the Sunni revolt.
* US says 'still a chance' in peace process Obama administration officials expressed dismay on Wednesday reflecting on a series of "unhelpful actions taken on both sides" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
* Earthquakes in Chile and L.A. Raise Fears About 'Ring of Fire' The 8.2 earthquake that shook northern Chile and surrounding countries late Tuesday night was one of a string of recent earthquakes.
* NATO’s Rasmussen: more Russian intervention in Ukraine would be 'historic mistake' As NATO suspended cooperation with Russia over its annexation of Crimea, Moscow has denounced what it called the "verbal jousting" of the Cold War.