When Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, Western leaders warned Russia against trying the same trick in mainland Ukraine. Russia is now trying the same trick in mainland Ukraine. Over the past several days, masked, heavily armed men have seized strategic locations in eastern Ukraine.In Kharkiv, pro-Russian armed forces have occupied City Hall. In Donetsk, they have taken control of the regional legislature building and the interior ministry. In Luhansk, they […]

The face-off between the West and Russia over its annexation of Crimea and threat to invade eastern Ukraine has raised calls for the expansion of shale gas production and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian gas. While the Obama administration is pushing to begin exporting natural gas to Europe, the call for Europe to start fracking operations of its own is being spearheaded in Europe by […]

As the U.S. rebalances its security strategy toward Asia, the U.S. Marine Corps is rebuilding its expertise for amphibious warfare, which was eroded during wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The WSJ’s Yuka Hayashi reports. POHANG, South Korea—The U.S. Marine Corps is rebuilding its forces in East Asia, beefing up amphibious fighting capabilities that had been eroded during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The effort, which Marines showed off this […]

With tensions rising between Russia and Western powers, the U.S. held submarine exercises in the Arctic Ocean – the body of water where the Russian and U.S. subs are likeliest to encounter each other. Via The Foreign Bureau, WSJ’s global news update.   BENEATH THE ARCTIC OCEAN—Five hundred feet below the Arctic ice cap, the USS New Mexico’s crew filled two torpedo tubes. “Match sonar bearings and shoot,” ordered the […]

The US has warned Americans not to travel to Egypt and has told non-emergency diplomatic staff to leave, as clashes continued in the country. The state department also urged US nationals in Egypt “to remain alert”. The warning came as at least three people – including a US citizen – died in clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi. Tensions have been rising ahead of a mass rally […]

There’s a new pest invading many American towns, and it’s about as menacing as it sounds: the Asian tiger mosquito. Named for the black-and-white stripes on its body, the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) was first brought to Texas in a shipment of tires (which are notorious for holding the standing water that mosquitoes require for breeding), the Wall Street Journal reports. The bug is worrisome for several reasons: Unlike […]

In Pic :A U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bomber flew near Osan U.S. Air Base, south of Seoul, on Thursday in a display of force aimed at deterring North Korean threats of attacks on the U.S. and South Korea. Two B-2 stealth bombers flew from a base in the American heartland, dropped test charges on targets near North Korea and returned to the U.S. on Thursday, as Washington mounted its […]

North Korea says it has ordered artillery and rocket units into “combat posture” to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland. The announcement, carried by KCNA news agency, follows days of strong rhetoric from Pyongyang. The Pentagon condemned the threats, saying the US was ready to respond to “any contingency”. South Korea on Tuesday marked the third anniversary of the sinking of the Cheonan ship, […]

KABUL: Suicide bombers targeted Afghanistan’s intelligence agency and other security forces in four coordinated attacks in the heart of Kabul and outlying areas yesterday, officials said, a bloody reminder of the insurgency’s reach nearly 12 years into the war. The brazen assaults, which occurred within a three hour timespan, were the latest to strike Afghan forces, who have suffered higher casualties this year as US and other foreign troops gradually […]

As a major winter storm made its way up the Atlantic Coast on Thursday, local authorities from New York City to Maine began to make preparations for what forecasters said could be the heaviest snowfall for some cities in the Northeast in a century. Airlines began announcing the suspension of flights out of New York and Boston airports starting Friday night, as thousands of workers readied their plows, checked their […]