Main news of August 26

RUSSIA

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he had no regrets about recognizing the independence of the former Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia one year ago

* Russia will continue to give its full support to the former Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and will not allow the events of last August to recur, Russia's prime minister said

* A Russian court has formally impounded the Finnish-owned Arctic Sea merchant vessel, which was allegedly seized by hijackers and freed by the Russian Navy, prosecutors said

* Russia has deployed advanced S-400 Triumf air defense systems in the Far East to counter the potential threat posed by N. Korea's missile tests, the chief of General Staff said

* Russia has reduced the number of its personnel stationed at military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia to 1,700 in each republic, the chief of the General Staff said

* Production of Russia's troubled Bulava ballistic missile has been moved to another manufacturer following reports of the faults in the production cycle, the chief of the Russian General Staff said

* Russia's Foreign Ministry has said that the Arctic Sea cargo ship, earlier reported to have gone missing before being found with hijackers on board, was constantly monitored throughout the incident

* Russia and the U.S. have yet to decide on where to place a joint control point to observe rocket launches by foreign countries, Russia's chief of staff said

WORLD

* At least 43 people died and 65 were wounded when a bomb blast shook the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, the foreign ministry said in a press release

* Moldova's government has formally resigned, Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii said

* Sen. Edward Kennedy, the last surviving brother of former President John F Kennedy, died of brain cancer at his home in Massachusetts on Wednesday at the age of 77

* The leader of one of Iraq's most powerful Shiite political groups died of lung cancer in Tehran on Wednesday, party officials said

* NASA has postponed until Friday the launch of the Discovery space shuttle after a fuel valve developed problems during tanking operations, the agency said

* Forest fires near the Greek capital of Athens were brought under control on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the country's fire service said

* The Indian Navy has suspended flights of its fleet of carrier-based Sea Harrier fighter jets following a fatal crash of one of the aircraft off Goa last week, local media reported

BUSINESS

* The newly-built gas pipeline in the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia costs 15 billion rubles ($476 million), a deputy CEO of Russia's energy giant Gazprom said

* Russia's oil output should reach up to 535 million tons (3.93 bn bbl), and gas production will grow to 880-940 billion cubic meters annually by 2030, a Russian government source said

* Russia's energy giant Gazprom posted a 62% decline in net profits in the first quarter of 2009 year-on-year as calculated to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

SPORTS

* New Everton signing Diniyar Bilyaletdinov believes the club has a good enough squad to contend for honors in the English Premier League