REUTERS NEWS SCHEDULE AT 11 a.m. GMT/6 a.m. ET
Here are the top stories and upcoming coverage plans for Reuters text service as of 11 a.m. GMT/6 a.m. ET. For a full schedule of news and events, go to our editorial calendar on Reuters Connect https://www.reutersconnect.com/planning or on Media Express http://mediaexpress.reuters.com/planning-tools/calendar.
TOP STORIES
GLOBAL
US-IRAN-USA-ROUHANI/
Rouhani says Iran- U.S. tensions are at 'a maximum'
LONDON (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that tensions between Tehran and Washington were at “a maximum” rarely seen in the decades-long contentious relations of the two countries.
US-RUSSIA-USA-ESPIONAGE-WHELAN/
Russia looks to extend detention of ex U.S. marine held for spying: Ifax
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s FSB security service has asked a Moscow court to extend the detention of former U.S. marine Paul Whelan who is being held on suspicion of spying, the Interfax news agency cited a court spokeswoman as saying on Wednesday.
U.S.
US-USA-TRUMP-ROSEN/
Trump plans to nominate Jeffrey Rosen as Justice Dept. No. 2: senior official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump plans to nominate Jeffrey Rosen as the next deputy U.S. attorney general, the White House said on Tuesday night, the latest shuffle in the Justice Department at a time when it faces close scrutiny over its Russia investigation.
US-USA-ELECTION-SANDERS/
Bernie Sanders faces new challenges in crowded 2020 U.S. presidential race
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bernie Sanders is back for another White House run, but this one promises to be far different than the improbable 2016 presidential campaign that made the Vermont senator a political force.
BUSINESS
US-USA-TRADE-CHINA/
Amid trade talks, China urges U.S. to respect its right to develop, prosper
BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States should respect China’s right to develop and become prosperous, the Chinese government’s top diplomat told a visiting U.S. delegation, reiterating that the country’s doors to the outside world would open wider.
US-APPLE-QUALCOMM/
Qualcomm urges U.S. regulators to reverse course and ban some iPhones
Qualcomm Inc is urging U.S. trade regulators to reverse a judge’s ruling and ban the import of some Apple Inc iPhones in a long-running patent fight between the two companies.
ENTERTAINMENT
US-PEOPLE-LADY-GAGA/
Lady Gaga splits with fiance Christian Carino
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop superstar and Oscar nominee Lady Gaga has split with her fiance, her second broken relationship in three years.
US-AWARDS-OSCARS-BOXOFFICE/
'Green Book' enjoys biggest Oscar nominations bounce at box office
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-nominated dramedy “Green Book” has turned Hollywood awards race publicity into more box-office gold than each of the seven other films in the best-picture contest.
SPORTS
US-ICEHOCKEY-NHL-ROUNDUP/
NHL roundup: Blues win record 11th straight
Ryan O’Reilly scored 34 seconds into overtime as the St. Louis Blues extended their winning streak to a franchise-record 11 games with a 3-2 victory over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.
US-TENNIS-DUBAI/
Tearful Osaka stunned by Mladenovic in Dubai
A tearful Naomi Osaka said she was struggling with the attention of being the world’s top-ranked woman after being stunned 6-3 6-3 by France’s Kristina Mladenovic in her opening match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday.
UPCOMING
POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
NIGERIA-ELECTION/
Nigeria's opposition holds rally as campaigns resume after election delay
Nigeria's main opposition party is on Wednesday holding its first rally since the country's presidential election was delayed by a week. The rally, in the northwestern state of Kaduna, follows the resumption of campaigning by the main parties ahead of the Feb. 23 poll.
20 Feb, 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT
PORTUGAL-POLITICS/VOTE (TV)
Portuguese government faces symbolic no confidence vote
Portugal's Socialist government faces a symbolic vote of no confidence on Wednesday after a wave of public sector strikes, but Prime Minister Antonio Costa is likely to survive the motion with the support of other left-wing parties.
20 Feb, 10:00 ET / 15:00 GMT
BRITAIN-EU/GERMANY (PIX) (TV)
Foreign ministers of Germany, Britain discuss Brexit
British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt and his German counterpart Heiko Maas are due to hold a news conference after a meeting in Berlin, as London is trying to convince other EU nations to reopen a draft Brexit agreement to provide legal assurances over the Irish border.
20 Feb, 10:00 ET / 15:00 GMT
VENEZUELA-POLITICS/RIGHTS (PIX) (TV)
Amnesty reveals results of Venezuela rights abuses investigation
Rights group Amnesty International will hold a news conference to announce the results of an investigation into human rights abuses committed in Venezuela during protests against President Nicolas Maduro between Jan 21 and Jan 25.
20 Feb, 09:30 ET / 14:30 GMT
USA-TRUMP/RUSSIA-STONE (PIX)
Former Trump adviser Stone ordered to appear in court over Instagram posts
Roger Stone, former political adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, is ordered to appear in court this week over Instagram posts that chastised and appeared to threaten judge presiding over his criminal trial.
Feb 21
IRAN-NUCLEAR/IAEA
Quarterly U.N. nuclear watchdog report on Iran
The U.N. nuclear watchdog is expected to send a confidential quarterly report on Iran to its member states on Thursday, though the date is tentative and can change at the last minute. The International Atomic Energy Agency is policing Iran's 2015 deal with major powers under which sanctions against Tehran were lifted in exchange for restrictions on its atomic activities.
Feb 21
USA-CZECH/
Czech foreign ministry to discuss cyber-security, trans-Atlantic issues with Pompeo, Bolton
Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek to meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, as well as Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development Mark Green. Topics for discussion will include cybersecurity, bilateral and transatlantic relations.
Feb 21
MEXCIO-POLITICS/MILITARY (PIX)
Mexican Congress due to vote on creation of militarized police force
Congress votes on President Lopez Obrador's plan to create a military police force designed to bring down Mexico's record murder rates. Human rights activists, including in the president's own party, warn against expanded military control of crime fighting, which as a constitutional reform needs a two thirds majority to pass, and could deliver his first major defeat.
Feb 21
HONGKONG-POLITICS/GREATERBAY (TV)
Hong Kong leader to detail plans for Greater Bay Area development
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam is expected to elaborate on a development plan for the Guangdong- Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area after China's cabinet on Monday issued guidelines for developing the area around the Pearl River Delta.
Feb 21
MYANMAR-RAKHINE/INVESTMENT (PIX)
Myanmar holds a government-backed “Invest in Rakhine” conference
Myanmar holds a government-backed investment fair in Rakhine state, scheduled to open on Thursday, without a single word on the crisis which has created one of the world’s largest refugee emergencies.
Feb 21
HUNGARY-BABYBOOM/ (PIX) (TV)
With tax cuts and subsidies, Hungary hopes to ignite baby boom
Hungarian PM Orban hopes his family subsidy program will ignite a new baby boom and solve the country's labor shortages without the need for immigration. The program – big incentives in taxes, mortgages, car purchases, general loans and even nannies – changes family planning for many young people in the country.
Feb 21
CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE
USA-HATECRIME/
Southern Poverty Law Center releases annual count of U.S. hate groups
The Southern Poverty Law Center releases its annual tally of the number of hate and extremist groups working in the United States.
20 Feb, 12:00 ET / 17:00 GMT
VENEZUELA-POLITICS/EVIDENCE (PIX) (TV)
One witness, little evidence: How Venezuelan justice targets the opposition
Jose Rengel, an opposition leader in the outskirts of Caracas, has spent three weeks in a cramped detention cell after a single witness accused him of leading a riot that burned down a office. But the building still stands. Lawyers and rights groups say Venezuela's justice system fabricates evidence and invents circumstance to target the opposition, newly energized under Juan Guaido.
Feb 21
BUSINESS / ECONOMICS
AEROSPACE-BUSINESS JETS/
Aviation group to announce 2018 business jet shipments
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) will announce the 2018 year-end aircraft shipment and billing numbers for the global general and business aviation industry at its annual press conference.
20 Feb, 08:00 ET / 13:00 GMT
ILLINOIS-BUDGET/
New Illinois governor proposes his first state budget
Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who took office in January, will unveil a fiscal 2020 budget as the state struggles with a huge unfunded pension liability and its credit ratings hover just a notch or two above the junk level.
20 Feb, 13:00 ET / 18:00 GMT
SAMSUNG ELEC-TECH/ (PIX) (TV)
Samsung to unveil new phones after hinting at foldable screens
In a bid to reignite consumer interest after the worst year for the global smart phone market ever, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the world's biggest phone maker, will announce new phones at an event in San Francisco on Feb. 20, with analysts expecting the company to unveil a phone with a foldable screen that the company provided a brief glimpse in November. Samsung is also expected to release a device that can connect to speedy new 5G networks.
20 Feb, 14:00 ET / 19:00 GMT
BRAZIL-AGRICULTURE/ (PIX)
Brazil farm minister addresses industry event
Brazil’s Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias will address an event being held by grains exporter association ANEC and cotton export group ANEA. Consultancy Agroconsult will also offer new forecasts for grains at the event.
20 Feb, 13:00 ET / 18:00 GMT
USA-FED/MINUTES (PIX) (GRAPHIC)
FOMC minutes
Federal Open Market Committee issues minutes from its meeting of January 29-30, 2019.
20 Feb, 14:00 ET / 19:00 GMT
CVS HEALTH-RESULTS/ (PIX)
CVS Health Corp reports Q4 earnings
CVS Health Corp is expected to a report higher fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday, helped by the strength in its retail pharmacy segment. Investors will focus on commentary about recent proposals by the U.S. government to overhaul the drug rebate rule, as well as on CVS's recently closed deal to acquire Aetna Inc.
20 Feb, 08:30 ET / 13:30 GMT
GODADDY-RESULTS/
GoDaddy Inc reports fourth quarter results
GoDaddy Inc is expected to report a rise in quarterly revenue, helped by its highly profitable web hosting business.
20 Feb, 16:00 ET / 21:00 GMT
VOLKSWAGEN-AFRICA/ (PIX) (TV)
VW targets record production in South Africa despite headwinds
German automaker Volkswagen expects to produce a record number of vehicles from its South African operation this year, despite a sluggish local economy, power outages and looming negotiations with unions, said Thomas Schaefer, Managing Director Volkswagen Group South Africa.
20 Feb, 12:00 ET / 17:00 GMT
USA-FED/KAPLAN
Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Kaplan participates in moderated Q&A
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan participates in moderated question-and-answer session before the CFA Society of Houston, in Houston, Texas.
20 Feb, 13:10 ET / 18:10 GMT
USA-FED/DALY
Fed's Daly speaks on labor market at Stanford
San Francisco Fed Bank President Mary Daly, a policy centrist, will speak about the labor market at the Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research.
20 Feb, 20:00 ET / 01:00 GMT
MEXICO-OIL/REFINERY (TV)
Wild cats, boas: Obstacles in Mexican president's refinery race
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's race to build a refinery in record time, on land recently alive with mangrove, big cats and boa constrictors, has run into the rough after a government agency fined a contractor for illegal deforestation.
Feb 21
EGYPT-AUTOS/ (PIX) (TV)
Campaign to boycott buying cars hits Egypt's auto industry
A campaign to boycott buying cars has gained traction in recent months, significantly impacting Egypt's car sales, several car dealers said.
Feb 21
AIRSHOW-INDIA/ (PIX) (TV)
Aero India
Feb 21
MEXICO-ECONOMY/MINUTES
Mexico central bank issues mintues of monetary policy meeting
The central bank will publish minutes from its last monetary policy decision. We will be on the lookout for comments on the future trajectory of interest rates and risks to inflation and economic growth.
Feb 21
ERAMET-PRESENTATION/
Eramet full-year results presentation
Presentation to investors following publication of results on Wednesday. Looking for update on impact of protests at its New Caledonia nickel mines and a quality management review at its alloys division. Also checking for update on lithium deposit project in Argentina.
Feb 21
SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY
VIRGINGALACTIC-ROCKETS/ (PIX)
Virgin Galactic performs test flight
Virgin Galactic’s carrier airplane WhiteKnightTwo carrying space tourism rocket plane SpaceShipTwo will perform a test flight from Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California.
20 Feb, 11:00 ET / 16:00 GMT
HEALTH-SPENDING/
WHO releases study of public health spending levels around the world
A new report on global health expenditure from the World Health Organization (WHO) gives latest figures on trends in global health financing, government’s spending on health and the role of external aid
20 Feb, 09:00 ET / 14:00 GMT
ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT
FASHION-MILAN/ (PIX) (TV)
Gucci, Annakiki kick off Milan Fashion Week
Milan's leg of the autumn/winter 2019 fashion season kicks off with designer labels Gucci and Annakiki presenting their catwalk creations.
20 Feb, 13:00 ET / 18:00 GMT
AWARDS-OSCARS/SHOW (PIX) (TV)
No host? No problem. Queen, Lady Gaga bring Grammys vibe to Oscars
There won't be a host and Sunday's Oscars ceremony won't open with the traditional monolog in which celebrities and politicians are skewered but with rock band Queen, pop superstar Lady Gaga and two musicals in the race for best picture, the highest honors in the movie industry will have an unusually strong music vibe.
20 Feb, 07:30 ET / 12:30 GMT
FASHION-MILAN/PRADA (PIX) (TV)
Prada showcases latest womenswear at Milan Fashion Week
Milan fashion house Prada unveils latest womenswear line for autumn/winter 2019.
Feb 21
AWARDS-OSCARS/ (PIX) (TV)
Oscars big races pose cliff hangers ahead of Sunday's award ceremony
Curtain raiser on which films and celebrities are favorites to take home Oscars on Sunday after contradictory Hollywood awards season
Feb 21
BELGIUM-CHOCOLATE/ (PIX) (TV)
Brussels hosts its annual chocolate fair
Brussels' chocolate fair opens for three days with a special fashion show where models wear chocolate-made dresses
Feb 21
AWARDS-OSCARS/FOREIGN (TV)
From street kids to war romance, Oscar foreign film slate keeps it real
From Lebanese street children to love behind the Iron Curtain and the daily life of a Mexican housekeeper, this year's Oscar-nominated foreign language films draw from real-life, and in some cases, deeply personal experiences.
20 Feb, 20:30 ET / 01:30 GMT
