REUTERS NEWS SCHEDULE AT 6 a.m. GMT/ 2 p.m. SGT

Here are the top stories and upcoming coverage plans for Reuters text service as of 6 a.m. GMT/ 2 p.m. SGT. For a full schedule of news and events, go to our editorial calendar on Reuters Connect or on Media Express.

TOP STORIES

GLOBAL

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/CHINA

China defends its retaliation against South Korea, Japan COVID curbs

Chinese state media defended on Wednesday the retaliatory measures against South Korea and Japan over their COVID-19 travel curbs as "reasonable", while Chinese tourists decried Seoul's "insulting" treatment on social media.

UKRAINE-CRISIS

Russian mercenary firm claims strategic Ukrainian town of Soledar, control unclear

The outcome of a battle for the eastern Ukrainian salt mining town of Soledar hung in the balance on Wednesday, as Russia's mercenary Wagner Group claimed to have won control, with fighting focused in the town centre.

U.S.

USA-TRUMP/NEW YORK-WEISSELBERG

Longtime Trump CFO Weisselberg gets 5 months in jail in tax fraud case

Allen Weisselberg, a longtime executive for Donald Trump and the star prosecution witness in the Trump Organization's criminal trial, was sentenced on Tuesday to five months behind bars for helping engineer a wide-ranging tax fraud at the former president's real estate company.

NORTHAMERICA-SUMMIT

North America vows to strengthen economic ties, Mexico energy row rumbles on

The United States, Mexico and Canada on Tuesday vowed to tighten economic ties, producing more goods regionally and boosting semiconductor output, even as integration is hampered by an ongoing dispute over Mexico's nationalist energy policies.

BUSINESS

FAST RETAILING-WAGES

Uniqlo owner gives Japan Inc a jolt with 40% wage hike

Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing Co Ltd on Wednesday said it would raise wages by as much as 40%, in the clearest sign yet that Japan's rock-bottom salaries may be starting to budge after decades of deflation and cost-cutting.

GOOGLE-INDIA/ANTITRUST

EXCLUSIVE-Apple supplier BOE plans new factories in Vietnam -sources

The growth of Google's Android ecosystem is on the brink of stalling in India due to an antitrust order that asks the company to change how it markets the platform, the U.S. company has said in a Supreme Court challenge seen by Reuters.

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

AWARDS-GOLDEN GLOBES/

'Fabelmans,' 'Banshees' win top awards as Hollywood embraces Golden Globes

Steven Spielberg's "The Fabelmans" and dark comedy "The Banshees of Inisherin" landed the top movie awards at the Golden Globes on Tuesday as Hollywood returned to a show that had been knocked off television by scandal.

VATICAN-PELL/

Australian Cardinal George Pell, acquitted of child sex abuse, dead at 81

Australian Cardinal George Pell, a leading Roman Catholic conservative and former top Vatican official who in 2020 was acquitted of sexual abuse allegations, died on Tuesday at the age of 81, his private secretary said.

SPORTS

TENNIS-AUSOPEN/WARMUPS-MEN

Murray rallies to edge Zhang in Kooyong superbreaker

Five-times Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray finally got his first victory of the year with a 2-6 6-3 10-2 super tiebreaker win over Z hang Zhizen at the Kooyong Classic exhibition event on Wednesday.

CRICKET-TEST-IND-AUS/

Australia take four spinners, six quicks to India for test series

Australia have kept their bowling options wide open for the upcoming tour of India and named four spinners and six pace bowlers in their squad for the four test matches in February and March.

UPCOMING

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

CLIMATE-CHANGE/GERMANY-PROTEST (PIX) (TV)

German police continue with evicting climate change activists from entrance to village of Luetzerath Hundreds of German police officers continue efforts to remove climate change activists from the road leading to long deserted village of Luetzerath near the Garzweiler open cast mine to tear down the empty houses and make way for lignite mining. Protesters have said they will not give way.

11 Jan 06:00 ET / 06:00 GMT

TAIWAN-DIPLOMACY/GERMANY (PIX) (TV)

German parliamentarian delegation visiting Taiwan holds news conference

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, head of the German parliamentary defence committee, and Johannes Vogel of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) hold a news conference before ending their four-day visit to Taiwan.

11 Jan 07:00 ET / 07:00 GMT

TURKEY-RIGHTS/WOMEN

Turkish court holds hearing in trial of campaigners seeking to halt femicide

Turkish court to hold third hearing of case in which prosecutors seek to close down an association campaigning to prevent the killing of women on charges of harming the family structure and carrying out activities contrary to morality and the law.

11 Jan 08:00 ET / 08:00 GMT

USA-LABOR/CLEANENERGY (PIX) (GRAPHIC)

Biden's climate agenda has a problem: Not enough workers Solar, wind and EV battery companies scrambling to ensure they can take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act’s decade worth of incentives are now trying to attract workers with offers of free food, generous benefits and new training programs, while they are also studying how to get more done with fewer people.

11 Jan 09:00 ET / 09:00 GMT

UKRAINE-CRISIS/TURKEY

Erdogan makes speech at ombudsman conference in Ankara

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech at an international ombudsman conference in Ankara (1130 GMT).

11 Jan 11:30 ET / 11:30 GMT

BRITAIN-POLITICS/PMQS (PIX) (TV)

PM takes questions in parliament

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak takes questions in parliament.

11 Jan 12:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/WHO (PIX) (TV)

WHO holds a press conference on COVID-19

World Health Organization director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other experts brief media on COVID-19 pandemic.

11 Jan 14:00 ET / 14:00 GMT

BRAZIL-OAS/

Hemispheric forum OAS to debate anti-democratic riots in Brazil

The permanent council of the Organziation of American States will discuss Sunday's anti-democratic riots in the Brazilian capital where thousands of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro went on a rampage and vandalized government buildings..

11 Jan 16:00 ET / 16:00 GMT

USA-MUTUALFUNDS/ICI (PIX) (TV)

ICI reports weekly fund flows

The Investment Company Institute reports weekly flows into mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

11 Jan 17:00 ET / 17:00 GMT

CONFLICTS / WAR / PEACE

TURKEY-SECURITY/TRIAL (PIX)

Turkish court holds third hearing in trial of medical assn head on "terrorist propaganda" charge Turkish court to hold a hearing in trial of the Turkish Medical Association head Sebnem Korur Fincanci, who is accused of "spreading terrorist group propaganda" and insulting Turkish institutions for her comments on the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Turkish armed forces.

11 Jan 07:00 ET / 07:00 GMT

CONGO-BEER/ (PIX) (TV)

Congo beer factory a beacon in region rocked by rebels

Bottles of beer zip along a conveyor belt in a Brasimba factory which has weathered two deadly Ebola outbreaks and waves of fighting linked to rebel militias active in the nearby forests. The plant in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Beni "has become the hope of this battered region," said Thomas Wybauw, sales manager of Brasimba, which has been controlled by France's Castel Group since 1995.

11 Jan 08:00 ET / 08:00 GMT

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS

ARES-FUNDRAISING/

Ares Management raises $5 bln for infrastructure debt investing

Ares Management Corp said on Wednesday it raised about $5 billion for an infrastructure debt fund that invests in the debt of infrastructure assets such as data centers, telecommunication towers, ports and utilities.

11 Jan 08:30 ET / 08:30 GMT

LIBERIA-SWISS/ (PIX)

Ex-Liberian rebel appeals against Swiss conviction for war crimes, cannibalism

Appeals trial begins for a Liberian rebel commander who was sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2021 for rape, killings and an act of cannibalism, in one of the first ever convictions over the West African country's civil war. The case was also Switzerland's first war crimes trial in a civilian court. It involved Alieu Kosiah who went by the nom de guerre "bluff boy" in the rebel faction ULIMO that fought former President Charles Taylor's army in the 1990s.

11 Jan 09:15 ET / 09:15 GMT

GERMANY-AUTOS/

Germany's car association holds annual presser

Germany's car association holds annual presser

11 Jan 10:00 ET / 10:00 GMT

MEXICO-PEMEX/FLARING

Reuters reports exclusive details on problems at Mexico's Pemex

Mexican state oil company Pemex illegally destroyed vast amounts of hydrocarbon resources at two of its most important fields, non-public documents seen by Reuters show.

11 Jan 12:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

FINTECH-CRYPTO/FTX-BANKRUPTCY

FTX seeks court approval for customer privacy, asset sales

Failed crypto exchange FTX will ask a U.S. bankruptcy judge for a series of orders that would allow it to begin selling off parts of its business and continue keeping its customer names secret for at least six more months. The Miami Heat and League of Legends will also ask the judge to let them cancel FTX sponsorship agreements.

11 Jan 14:00 ET / 14:00 GMT

USA-TREASURY/AUCTION

Treasury Dept. sells 17-week bills

Treasury Dept. sells 17-week bills

11 Jan 16:30 ET / 16:30 GMT

USA-AAR/LOADINGS

AAR issues weekly traffic of major railroads

Association of American Railroads issues its weekly traffic of major railroads data.

11 Jan 17:00 ET / 17:00 GMT

TESLA-MUSK/TRIAL

Tesla investors argue Musk can receive fair 'funding secured' trial in San Francisco

A lawsuit alleging Elon Musk manipulated Tesla Inc's stock in 2018 should go to trial next week and he will be able to find unbiased jurors in San Francisco, despite local animosity, shareholders who are suing him for billions of dollars are expected to argue.

11 Jan 23:00 ET / 23:00 GMT

RELIGION

BENIN-VOODOO/ (PIX) (TV)

Benin celebrates its annual voodoo festival

Benin celebrates its annual voodoo festival, bringing followers of the traditional religion and tourists from around the world to the small town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade.

11 Jan 11:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT

AWARDS-SCREEN ACTORS GUILD/NOMINATIONS

Nominations for the Screen Actors Guild awards are announced

Nominations are announced for Hollywood's Screen Actors Guild awards, a major indicator of who might win Oscars

11 Jan 15:00 ET / 15:00 GMT

SPORTS

SOCCER-SPAIN-VAL-MAD/REPORT (PIX) (TV)

Soccer - Spanish Super Cup - Valencia v Real Madrid

Valencia play Real Madrid in the first Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Riyadh.

11 Jan 17:00 ET / 17:00 GMT