News of the Day, 15:00 Moscow time

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he hoped for a real "reset" in relations with Washington after his first meeting with the new U.S. leader on April 1

* Russia and the United States have every chance of reaching an agreement on a new arms reduction treaty to replace START-1 by December this year, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said

* Combat training has started at Russian military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the chief of Russia's Ground Forces said

* North Korea's planned launch of a rocket that it says will deliver a satellite into orbit will take place on April 4, Japanese news agency Jiji Press reported

* A prototype of the advanced Su-35 Flanker multi-role fighter plane has conducted its 100th test flight, to complete testing of flight control systems, the Sukhoi aircraft maker said

* Turkmen President Gurbanguly Bedrymukhammedov will visit Russia on March 24-25, the Kremlin press service said

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the number of presidential scholarship to be granted to students will be increased to 2,000 and the value of each award will double or even triple

* The Russian government could provide additional 30-50 billion rubles ($0.9-1.5 billion) for medical care in 2009 due to the decrease in insurance contributions, the health and social development minister, Tatyana Golikova, said

* The chief of General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces confirmed that the head of military intelligence (GRU) would retain his post