Morning Brief: Iran tests missiles

Middle East

• Ayman al-Zawahri, al Qaeda's second-in-command, released a half-hour video eulogy for Baitullah Mehsud, the Pakistani militant leader killed by a U.S. airstrike. The video is the first acknowledgement of Mehsud's death by al Qaeda.
• A skirmish broke out between Palestinians and Israeli police in Jerusalem's Old City over the weekend.
• The leader of the Yemeni rebel group fighting the Army released a tape accusing the government of discrimination and vowing to continue fighting.

Asia

• At least 140 died in the worst floods in the Phillipines in 40 years.
• Discussions between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, which have been at diplomatic loggerheads for more than a year, apparently stalled at the G-20 conference.
• Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao plans to visit North Korea -- whose new constitution mentions human rights -- on Oct. 4 to discuss issues including its nuclear weaponry.

Africa

• In Somalia, the al-Shabab Islamic militant group publicly executed two men it said were spies for the United States and African Union.
• Kenya said it plans to shut down its largest refugee camp.
• Zimbabwe dropped terrorism charges against a leading human rights activist after a court ruled she had been tortured in state custody.

Europe

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union, won re-election at Sunday's national election.
• A row may be brewing between Britain's 10 Downing Street and the BBC, after a broadcaster asked Prime Minister Gordon Brown whether he relies on prescription medication to "get through" the day.
• U.S. President Barack Obama may visit Copenhagen, Denmark, this week to rally for Chicago to win its bid to host the Olympics.

Americas

• The interim government of Honduras threatened to suspend its diplomatic relationship with Brazil, because the country hosted ousted President Manuel Zelaya.
• On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates reiterated the administration's intention to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay as close to the January 22, 2010, deadline as possible.
• The Dalai Lama started a two-day peace summit in Vancouver, Canada.