The Russian Information Agency Novosti begins Hotline coverage for Monday, May 2, 2005.
MOSCOW
* Winners of a national wartime and patriotic song contest receive their awards in a gala, finalists' concert following. The all-Russia contest had a motto, "This is my Motherland". 18.00
* Moscow has its 78th running relay race along Garden Ring. 10.00-14.30
VOLGOGRAD
* A 7th super-marathon running race takes start on Mamayev Hill. Dedicated to the 60th V-E anniversary, it will have a route 950 kilometers long. The athletes will light a torch by the Eternal Fire to carry it across several major Russian cities to finish in Sarov, famous religious shrine, May 9. Mamayev Hill is a memorial of the Battle of Stalingrad, WWII turning point. The city was renamed Volgograd, 1961.
VLADIVOSTOK
* An international charitable White Nights car race is taking start. The route crosses 24 cities to finish in St. Petersburg, June 12-Russia's Independence Day. Brainchild of the British aristocracy, the race has the patronage of HRH Michael The Prince of Kent, and aims to promote Russian-based charitable and nonprofit endeavors.
PARIS
* The OECD, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, launches a sequence of annual conferences on topical global economic issues, May 2-4. A forum is opening within the program under the motto, "Security, Stability, Development: Vehicles of the Future". It will concern promoting the energy infrastructure, environment protection, and efforts against poverty. Parallel to it, the International Energy Agency will hold conference to evaluate global power industry today and tomorrow.
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