Main news of July 21

RUSSIA

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed his support for a proposal to teach religious education in Russian state schools

* Nuclear cooperation between Russia and Myanmar is not in conflict with the Nonproliferation Treaty or IAEA requirements, and will move ahead, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said

* Russia is willing to help both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resume peace talks as soon as possible, Moscow's special envoy to the Middle East said

* Russia is against any arms race in the Arctic, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said

* As from Tuesday, Russian law enforcement agencies have the right to inspect all private letters, parcels and other personal postal deliveries

* A Russian carrier rocket has successfully put one military and one civilian satellite into orbit, a spokesman for the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said

* About 320,000 young men are to be drafted into the Russian Armed Forces in the fall of 2009, a deputy chief of the General Staff said

WORLD

* Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso dissolved the lower house of parliament, forcing early elections to be held on August 30, the Kyodo News agency reported

* The United States supports Ukraine's plans to join NATO, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said

* The European Commission has announced it has frozen 65.5 million euros ($93 mln) in financial aid to Honduras over the political crisis following the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya last month

* Israel plans to evacuate 23 unauthorized settler outposts in the West Bank in a single day amid growing pressure from Washington over its controversial settlement policy, Haaretz reported

* The government of Azerbaijan and U.S.-based RV Investment Group signed a protocol on exporting gold from the South Caucasus republic

* Georgia's president has proposed electoral and economic reforms to the opposition and called for unity in the face of Russia, Georgian media reported

* Kyrgyzstan intends to join the post-Soviet customs bloc of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, the Kyrgyz ambassador to Kazakhstan said

* Two astronauts from the U.S. space shuttle Endeavour carried out a spacewalk to mark the 40th anniversary of the first human landing on the Moon, NASA said on its website

* Customs officials arrested an Italian man, who tried to smuggle some 25 kg (55 lbs) of cocaine hidden inside Caribbean carved figures, La Repubblica said

BUSINESS

* Russia has lifted all restrictions on the import of Moldovan wine and is even prepared to open extra custom points, the head of the Moldova-Vin agency said

* Russia's largest truck producer KamAZ announced net profits under Russian Accounting Standards of 54.96 million rubles ($1.8 million) in April-June 2009