World - Friday

Putin: U.S. missiles may spur crisis

Russia's president compared the U.S. plan to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. At an EU-Russian summit in Portugal, Vladimir Putin said the U.S. plan posed a similar threat "on our borders." But he suggested that the tensions had not risen as high this time because Russia-U.S. relations have improved. Putin also said he's able to resolve problems by working with his "friend" President Bush.

BURMA: The military gov't released 50 members of Burma's opposition pro-democracy party on the same day it met with their leader. The junta is under int'l pressure after its crushing of peaceful protests.