Russian troops on Friday stormed a Ukranian military base 5 kilometers from the Ukranian city Sevastopol, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimean peninsula. No shots were fired.

The Obama administration would like nothing more than to find an off ramp from the Ukrainian crisis. An unwelcome distraction from its domestic agenda, Ukraine is also dangerous territory since they are unsure of their footing in foreign policy.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says he rejects Prime Minister Netanyahu's repeated request to recognize Israel as a Jewish state as a critical part of framework deal.