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A subsea gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea have been damaged in what may have been a deliberate act, the Finnish government said on Tuesday. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO was sharing its information over the damage and stands ready to support the allies concerned. Finland joined the military alliance in April, while Estonia has been a member since 2004. The Balticconnector gas pipeline was shut early on Sunday on concerns that gas was leaking from a hole in the 77-km (48-mile) pipeline. Finnish operator Gasgrid said it could take...

Five ballistic missiles fired by China on Thursday appear to have landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters. This is the first time that Chinese missiles have fallen into Japan's EEZ, Kishi said at the Defense Ministry here. "We strongly condemn this grave matter involving Japan's national security and the safety of its people," he said. Japan confirmed nine launches in total from around 3 p.m. to after 4 p.m. while Taiwan said it observed 11. Chinese state-owned broadcaster CCTV quoted a military expert saying this marks the first time a Chinese missile flew over...

Following are excerpts from an interview with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, which aired on the Al-Jazeera network on September 11, 2011. Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan: The measures we have taken are only the beginning. As you know, we have taken five measures, and we will see the results of these measures in the days, weeks, and perhaps months to come. Israel must realize that it is accountable for its actions, past and present. It will realize this. We have seen that Israel has never observed any of the resolutions issued by the UN General Assembly or Security Council. Israel...

The attorney general of the U.S. Virgin Islands is targeting dozens of conservative and libertarian organizations in a racketeering lawsuit against climate change skeptics that has been widely described as an effort to silence political opponents. In a subpoena issued in March, the office of USVI attorney general Claude Walker demanded from Exxon Mobil copies of communications between the oil company and 90 different political and policy organizations “and any other organizations engaged in research or advocacy concerning Climate Change or policies.” The subpoena was part of a national, coordinated legal campaign by state attorneys general and left-wing advocacy groups...

/begin my excerpts Torpedo's Serial Number Found to be in N. Korean Typeface Ju Yongjung Ryu Yongwon, military affairs reporter 2010.05.19 03:00 An intact pair of 'torpedo propellers’ recovered, engraving style analyzed ... U.S. and Australian experts also agree (Torpedo) exploded 3 meters under the turbine room... Cheonan's lost engine room found Government source said on May 18, "Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo and we found a smoking gun that proves that it is made in N. Korea, after intensive investigation in recent days by civilian-military team." The investigation team recently recovered relatively intact torpedo propellers on the sea...

  Secretary Chertoff Announces New Members of the Homeland Security Advisory Council For Immediate Release Contact: DHS Press Office, 202-282-8010 January 10, 2006 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff announced today the appointment of Elliott Broidy, Tom Foley and John Magaw to serve on his Homeland Security Advisory Council. The Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC), as established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, is the Secretary’s primary council and is comprised of experts from state and local governments, first responder communities, academia and the private sector. Members of the Council provide advice and recommendations to Secretary...

<p>"Polish regular officers fired on our territory. Since 5:45 a.m. we have been returning the fire."</p> <p>IT WAS a particularly contemptible case of vice paying homage to virtue when Hitler spoke those words -- "returning fire," indeed -- in the first hours of the Second World War. But the virtue -- having a casus belli before going to war -- is so universally acknowledged that even Hitler paid homage to it. Immediately before Hitler attacked Poland, the SS staged a provocation -- a "Polish" attack on a German radio station near Poland's border, a sham that included corpses of German "victims" -- actually, concentration camp inmates shot by the SS.</p>