Main news of September 28

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* Russia is concerned over Iran's missile launches against the backdrop of the Islamic Republic's unresolved nuclear issues, but Moscow is calling for restraint, the Russian foreign minister said

* The U.S. described recent missile launches by Iran "provocative" and called on the Islamic Republic to return to the negotiating table

* Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said at the 64th session of the UN General Assembly on Monday that U.S. President Obama had failed to fulfill his promise to improve relationships with Havana

* Iran has test launched the longest-range missile in its arsenal as tensions grow with the West over its nuclear program, national media said

* Abkhazia and Russia have signed a memorandum that will see the former Georgian republic establish its own independent telecommunication and postal services, the Abkhaz Apsnypress news agency said

* A scandal involving metals magnate Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia's richest man, and alleged prostitutes has been dropped for a lack of evidence, the oligarch's lawyer said

* A leader of the opposition in Kyrgyzstan's parliament said on Monday he was forced to leave the republic because his life was in danger

* Kazakhstan is requesting a transition period for the introduction of new customs tariffs as part of a Customs Union with Russia and Belarus, the country's deputy prime minister said

* At least 86 people have died and 32 are still missing following heavy flooding in the Philippines caused by tropical storm Ketsana, regional media said

* Portugal's center-left Socialist Party led by Prime Minister Jose Socrates has won parliamentary elections and will stay in power for another four years, the Spanish television reported

* The de-facto Honduran government has refused to allow ambassadors from Argentina, Mexico, Spain and Venezuela to return to the country after they left together with diplomats from other countries in protest against a state coup in June

* Panama will sign before October 2009 a treaty with the United States on the opening of two U.S. naval bases on its territory, a senior Panamanian government official said

RUSSIA

* Russia will recreate a powerful Navy in the next ten years, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday at a meeting with military personnel who took part in the Zapad 2009 drills

* Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said on Monday he was ready to give evidence as a witness in a new trial of Yukos founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky

* Large-scale joint military exercises being held by Russian and Belarus are not aimed at anyone and are purely of a defense nature, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said

* Russian strategic and tactical bombers equipped with new high-precision weapons systems have successfully conducted live-firing drills at a practice range in Belarus, a Ground Forces spokesman said

* Russia's last cargo spaceship with an analogue control system plunged on Sunday into a "spaceship cemetery" in the southern Pacific, the Russian Mission Control said

BUSINESS

* Moody's has downgraded Russia-based metals and mining company Evraz Group S.A.'s rating to B1 from Ba3, with a negative outlook, the international rating agency said

RELIGION

* The head of the Russian Orthodox Church criticized on Monday modern European values and called on Europeans to stick to their Christian roots

SPORT

* Spartak Moscow scored five goals without reply against West Siberia's Tom Tomsk to move within four points of leaders Rubin in the Russian Premier League