A U.S. Marine shot and killed two colleagues before apparently turning the gun on himself at a military base in Virginia, the U.S. Defense Department said on Friday.

Officials said the shooting happened late Thursday at the Quantico Marine base not far from Washington DC.

Hizbullah slammed on Friday U.S. President Barack Obama's “appeasement” speech in Israel, considering that his remarks are to “satisfy” the Jewish state.

“Obama's speech is similar to all the hostile and boring stances made by the U.S.,” Hizbullah said in a statement.

Israeli, Greek and U.S. warships concluded a joint two-week Mediterranean naval exercise code-named "Noble Dina" on Thursday, the Israeli military said.

"The exercise, which took place in the Mediterranean Sea, was conducted in order to assess the level of operational coordination between the three navies," it said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday claimed victory in his latest dispute with the U.S. after accusing its special forces of abusing civilians in the key strategic province of Wardak.

Karzai had demanded that the elite U.S. units leave the province, just outside Kabul. On Wednesday, a deal was stuck in which Afghan forces will take responsibility for security in Nerkh, one of Wardak's eight districts.

The North Korean army on Thursday threatened a possible strike against U.S. military bases in Japan, in response to the use of nuclear-capable U.S. B-52 bombers in joint military drills with South Korea.

The threat came a day after Pyongyang condemned the B-52 flights as an "unpardonable provocation" and threatened military action if they continue.

Venezuela said Wednesday it has suspended a "channel of communications" with Washington as it ratchets up tension ahead of elections to replace the late president Hugo Chavez.

Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said the move was a response to "interventionist statements" by U.S. assistant secretary of state Roberta Jacobson, who called for "open, fair and transparent" elections on April 14.

An alleged veteran of al-Qaida's fight against U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan who went on to plot a bomb attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Nigeria was charged Wednesday in New York.

Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun, also known as "Spin Ghul," was charged by a grand jury with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to bomb American diplomatic facilities, as well as providing material support to al-Qaida.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday warned the Damascus regime it would be held accountable for any use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria in a move which would spark an international response.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Obama said the use of chemical agents against the Syrian people would be a "grave and tragic mistake" and a "game-changer."

The United States and Kabul appeared Wednesday to reach an agreement on the pullout of coalition forces from a strategic province, nearly a month after an ultimatum from Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Karzai on February 24 gave American special forces two weeks to leave Wardak, a hotbed of Taliban activity on the doorstep of Kabul, accusing Afghans they work with of torture and murder that has incited local hatred.

The United States on Tuesday welcomed the election of a long-time Texas resident as the Syrian rebel prime minister, voicing hopes he can foster "unity and cohesion among the opposition”, as Russia expressed that it “deeply regrets” this step.

U.S. officials "know and respect" Ghassan Hitto from his work with the Syrian coalition on humanitarian efforts in Syria, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.