Main News of September 27

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

RUSSIA

* A republic in Russia’s North Caucasus and a Ukrainian region joined the wave of protests against the notorious movie “Innocence of Muslims” this week

* President Vladimir Putin criticized Western countries again over their conduct in connection with the civil war in Syria

* Russia needs a leaner space industry, and that means significant job cuts, Vladimir Popovkin, head of Russia’s Space Agency Roscosmos, said

* The number of corruption-related crimes in Russia has grown by almost one-third during the first six months of 2012, year-on-year, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said

* Two reserve pilots from the Russian aerobatic team The Swifts stepped down following a recent scandal that cost their commander's job

* Russian state-controlled oil giant Rosneft will invest $16 billion in the project to develop the Carabobo 2 bloc in the southern Orinoco extra-heavy crude belt in Venezuela, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin said

* Russian citizens have no right to use force to defend themselves against illegal acts by the police, the country’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday

WORLD

* Japan will never compromise with China in the dispute over a chain of islands in the East China Sea but will make a strong effort to avoid further deterioration of relations with its powerful neighbor, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said

* Delegations from Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan closed talks by signing agreements on cooperation in several areas, including security, oil production, trade, and rights

* A compromise with Moscow on U.S. missile defense system in Europe is possible despite the current deadlock, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said

* The Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office detained and charged four employees of Kutaisi Prison No. 16 for allegedly torturing inmates, Prosecutor Shota Tkeshelashvili said at a press briefing

* Mexican law enforcement has arrested drug kingpin Ivan Velazquez Caballero, dealing a serious blow to the nation’s biggest drug cartel, Los Zetas, the government said