Military standoff in Crimea to end with Ukrainian personnel's withdrawl
Ukrainian Navy personnel have begun vacating their barracks in the port city of Sevastopol in the Crimea.
The move is easing a military standoff between pro-Russian forces and Ukrainian troops which almost threatened to turn the situation into a major military confrontation.
Meanwhile, Ukraine and the pro-Russia authorities in Crimea are now requiring visas for cross-border travel.
Moscow has also begun to issue Russian passports to Crimean residents.
Kiev is now demanding Russian nationals obtain visas to enter Ukraine.
Ukrainian authorities have also decided to relinguish the chairmanship of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and is now pondering a permanent withdrawl from the bloc.
Amid the deepening crisis, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has departed for both Moscow and Kiev.
Ban Ki-moon is expected to hold talks with Russian and Ukrainian leaders in an attempt to try to find a peaceful resolution of the current crisis.
And China has reiterated that the Crimean issue should be resolved politically, urging all parties concerned to refrain from raising tensions.
"Substantive" Iranian nuclear talks discuss core issues
The latest round of Iranian nuclear talks in Vienna are said to have made "substantive" steps forward.
Iran's lead negotiator and the head of delegation representing the P5+1 both say this week's talks have been very "useful," saying they have touched on a number of controverial issues.
Javad Zarif and Catherine Ashton say this round of talks have focused on enrichment, heavy water reactors, civilian cooperation and sanctions relief for Iran.
A senior US official taking part in the talks says the two sides now understand one-another's positions better than before.
The next round of negotiations among Iran and the P5+1 has been set for May 7th.
The current 6-month interim agreement, which has seen Iran temporarily shut down its enrichment programs in exchange for limited sanctions releif, is set to expire in July.
Abbas says extension of peace talks needs tangible Israeli steps
It appears Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas may still holding out the possibility of extending the current round of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks beyond their mandate in April.
The Xinhua News Agency is quoting an unnamed Palestinian official, who says Abbas has told US President Barack Obama he will need to press the Israeli side to release more Palestinian prisoners and freeze Israeli settlements if peace talks are to be extended.
The same official says this week's meeting between Abbas and Obama at the White House was focused mostly on the potential extention of the talks, rather than the framework peace accord the US side has put forward recently.
Abbas has been under pressure from within his own administration and among various Palestinian groups to let the current mandate of the peace talks expire next month.
Malaysia to send high-level team to China over missing jetliner
Malaysia is to send a high-level working team to Beijing to deal with issues related to the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner.
The team is said to be comprised of representatives from the Prime Minister's Office, the Foreign Ministry, the Royal Air Force, the Department of Civil Aviation and Malaysia Airlines.
The Malaysian side has also confirmed on Wednesday that the police investigation shows some data had been deleted from the flight simulator found at the captain's home.
26 countries are now jointly searching for the missing plane in an area as large as Australia.
Malaysia also dismissed reports alleging that a low flying jumbo jet sighted in the Maldives on the morning of the plane's disappearance could be MH370.
US fist lady visit China
U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and her family are arriving later today here in Beijing to start a visit to China as the guest of Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The White House has said that the trip will be focusing on the power and importance of education.
Michelle will also visit some important historical and cultural sites in China, as well as making two separate speeches at Peking University and a Middle school in Chengdu.
Israel resorts to "aggressive action" on Syria border: PM
In an somewhat unprecidented move, Israel's Prime Minister has openly confirmed Israeli forces have struck targets inside Syria.
Speaking at his weekly cabinet meeting, Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed Israeli warplanes have struck Syrian military and security targets inside the Syrian border near the Golan Heights.
In making the admission, Netanyahu says Israel inevitabily resorts to "agressive" military action to maintain security along its northern border.
This follows a roadside bombing Tuesday in the Golan which injured four Israeli soldiers.
While Israeli forces have struck targets inside Syria in the past, the Israeli government rarely confirms them.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon is warning it will continue to hold the Bashar al-Assad administration responsible for any actions it takes inside Israeli territory.
Israel annexed the Golan Heights from Syria following the 6-day war in 1967. |