The Russian Information Agency Novosti begins Hotline coverage for Tuesday, August 31, 2004.
SOCHI
* Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Jacques Chirac of France, and Germany's Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder are expected to hold tripartite summitry.
MOSCOW
* The federal Central Election Commission is holding session to sum up national polls of the various levels that took place in Russia from the start of 2002 into this day. The conferees will also take stock of drafting efforts to amend and supplement the acting federal legislation on elections and referendums.
* The federal Supreme Court has hearings on an appeal by Zarema Muzhakhoyeva's lawyers to mitigate her sentence. The Moscow City Court convicted the Chechen girl to twenty years for an attempted terror act in Moscow, July 10, 2003.
* RIA Novosti hosts a news conference on electing a leader of the reform political party, Union of Right Forces.
* Alexander Sharandin, Director, Institute of Political and Military Analyses, addresses a news conference on Caucasian developments and yesterday's presidential election in Chechnya.
* The Russian Banking Association offers a news conference on, "From a Summer Lull to a Business Activity Peak". Gareghin Tosunyan, RBA President, and major bank managers are taking part.
* Roman Wilfand, Director, Russian Hydrometeorological Centre, addresses a news conference, "On Weather Forecast Precision. Is the Russian South In for Calamities? Weather in September".
* Anchored in the Northern River Port, the boat "Georgi Zhukov" hosts a news conference on the Volga 2004 cruise, which involves foremost Russian and German cultural activists on the programme, Russian-German Cultural Meetings, 2003-04.
* Celebrated painter Ilya Glazunov, People's Artist of the USSR, is opening his gallery in Moscow's heart.
* A news conference precedes an international festival/contest of young circus performers, to be held in Moscow, September 4 into 6.
* A news conference gathers a propos "Moscow, My Love", a gala concert of ballet superstars from all over the world, to be held at the Bolshoi Theatre, September 6.
* A news conference sums up the Olympics in Athens.
ST. PETERSBURG
* A 13th AgroRus international exposition and trade fair is on. Alexei Gordeyev, federal Agriculture Minister, will attend the key event of its business programme, a conference on, "Thirty Reform Years in Russia's Non-Black-Earth Zone: Problems and Prospects".
YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK
* A joint standing commission for partnership of the Russian Far East with the Hokkaido prefecture, Japan, opens a 2nd session of branch subcommissions.
SEVASTOPOL
* The central base of Russia's Black Sea Fleet has a gala to see off a warship force flying the flag of fleet commander Admiral Vladimir Matorin. The force is bound for a long Mediterranean voyage. Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, in command of the Russian Navy, attends the gala. The Russian ships will pay official visits to the Taranto and Augusta seaports, Italy, and take part in Italian naval exercises.
ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN
* Heads of supreme financial monitoring and control agencies of countries within the Commonwealth of Independent States are opening conference, to last through September 2.
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