Russia: President Dmitri A. Medvedev threatened to place short-range missiles on the Russian border on Wednesday, after calling on the U.S. to cancel its planned missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. Medvedev also blamed the U.S. for recent shocks in the Russian financial system—which, he said, has suffered due to the housing bubble—and criticized Washington for its unilateral decisions regarding the market. Senior officials in the Bush administration dismissed the criticism as Russia “attributing blame to outsiders.”
Israel: Five lines on recently uncovered pottery appear to be the oldest Hebrew text ever found, archaeologists in the Valley of Elah reported. The pottery, which was discovered in the ruins of a 3,000-year-old fortified city, is expected to provide clues about the reign of King David, along with information about the size and influence of the Israelite tribes. According to the Bible, the Valley of Elah is where David fought Goliath.
Canada: Quebecois Premier Jean Charest announced an early election for his province on Wednesday, less than a month after national elections in Canada. The move, which Charest hopes will give his party a majority in the provincial legislature, attracted criticism for its timing, which comes in the middle of a global financial crisis. Recent polls show his party ahead of both the Parti Quebecois and the Action Democratique du Quebec.
China: Fifty-five Tibetans have received prison sentences for their involvement in ethnic riots in Lhasa, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reports. The riots, which erupted in the Tibetan capital only days after a group of monks staged peaceful protests, involved Tibetans attacking Han Chinese residents of the city. The Chinese government has encouraged these residents to emigrate.
Spain: The Spanish government has denied an asylum request from a son of Osama bin Laden. According to an unidentified official in the Interior Ministry, Omar Osama bin Laden, 27, “did not meet the conditions necessary for entering Spain.” He has 24 hours to appeal.
Yemen: The bodies of 60 African migrants have washed up on the shores of southern Yemen, an international aid group said Monday. The migrants, whose surviving peers say were part of a larger group of refugees from Somalia, were forced into the sea when smugglers who kept them as stowaways thought they saw police lights. Another 23 passengers died when their boat capsized.
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