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 here GLOBAL CHINA-HEALTH/ Washington pledges $1 billion for coronavirus vaccine as pandemic risks grow BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump will seek $2.5 billion from Congress to fight the coronavirus epidemic and U.S. and South Korean militaries are considering scaling back joint training as the virus spreads in Europe and the Middle East. MALAYSIA-POLITICS/ Malaysia’s Mahathir returns as interim PM amid political uncertainty KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad went back to work on Tuesday with the new title of interim prime minister, a day after he resigned the leadership in a shock move that plunged the country into political turmoil. U.S. USA-ABORTION-RULING/ Trump ‘gag rule’ on abortion referral can be enforced, U.S. appeals court rules A sharply divided federal appeals court on Monday said the Trump administration may enforce a rule labeled by critics as a “gag rule” that could deprive abortion providers of federal funding for family planning. USA-GUNS-VIRGINIA/ Gun control legislation advances in Virginia’s legislature Seven of eight gun control measures being pushed by Virginia’s Democratic Governor Ralph Northam made it out of a state Senate committee on Monday, moving just one step away from becoming law. BUSINESS USA-FED/ Markets bet Fed is pushed to cut rates in coronavirus response Financial markets on Monday ratcheted up bets the U.S. Federal Reserve will be pressed to cut interest rates to cushion a feared hit to economic growth from the spread of the coronavirus, although one official cautioned against expecting the central bank to over-react to short-term market moves MALLINCKRODT-BANKRUPTCY/ Mallinckrodt proposes $1.6 billion opioid deal, Chapter 11 for generics unit: WSJ Mallinckrodt Plc is finalizing a settlement proposal of at least $1.6 billion that would place its U.S. generic drug business into bankruptcy to address the debt maturities and liabilities arising out of the opioid crisis, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. ENTERTAINMENT PEOPLE-HARVEY-WEINSTEIN/ Weinstein found guilty of sexual assault, rape, in victory for #MeToo movement NEW YORK (Reuters) – Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein was convicted of sexual assault and rape in a New York court on Monday and taken off to jail in handcuffs, a victory for the #MeToo movement that inspired women to publicly accuse powerful men of misconduct. CHINA-HEALTH-MISSION-IMPOSSIBLE/ ‘Mission: Impossible’ Italy movie shoot delayed by coronavirus A planned three-week shoot in Italy for Tom Cruise’s new “Mission: Impossible” film has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, movie studio Paramount Pictures said on Monday. SPORTS PEOPLE-KOBE-BRYANT/ ‘He was my everything’: NBA’s Kobe Bryant mourned at emotional Los Angeles tribute LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A gallery of basketball legends joined thousands of Kobe Bryant fans in Los Angeles on Monday to pay tribute to the transcendent NBA star, his daughter and seven others who died in a helicopter crash last month that shocked the world of sports and beyond. OLYMPICS-2020-SWIMMING-TITMUS/ Ledecky still 400 free favorite for Tokyo, says Titmus MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia’s Ariarne Titmus says Katie Ledecky is “100% still favorite” to win the 400 meters freestyle gold at the Tokyo Olympics despite upsetting the American world record holder at Gwangju last year. BUSINESS / ECONOMICS DEERE-HELLOTRACTOR/AFRICA (PIX) (TV) FOCUS-Deere taps tractor-hailing tech in bid to break ground in Africa It’s ride-hailing, farm style. Deere & Co. is teaming up with the “Uber of tractors” in Africa and betting on a future where farmers summon machines with the touch of a button. 25 Feb 02:00 ET / 07:00 GMT SWEDEN-CENBANK/JANSSON Swedish c.bank’s Jansson to give speech about current monetary policy in London Deputy Governor Per Jansson will talk about the economic situation and current monetary policy at Goldman Sachs during a visit to London. 25 Feb 04:30 ET / 09:30 GMT JP MORGAN-INVESTOR DAY/ JPMorgan Chase to hold investor day JPMorgan Chase executives will host shareholders and analysts at its annual investor day on Tuesday. The largest U.S. bank by assets is expected to provide updates on financial targets and other topics that affect earnings or the broader economy. 25 Feb 08:00 ET / 13:00 GMT USA-FED/KAPLAN Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Kaplan speaks before real estate symposium Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan speaks before the University of Missouri – Kansas City Real Estate Trends Symposium, in Kansas City, Mo. 25 Feb 09:45 ET / 14:45 GMT RUSSIA-OFZ/AUCTION Russia’s FinMin announces OFZ bond auctions Russia’s Finance Ministry announces OFZ bond auctions for Wednesday 25 Feb 11:00 ET / 16:00 GMT BRITAIN-EU/TRADE-UN (TV) UN report on trade impact of Brexit Embargoed UNCTAD report expected to quantify Brexit impact on trade flows, taking as a no-deal baseline scenario with EU. Speakers: UNCTAD, Director, Division on International Trade and Commodities, Pamela Coke-Hamilton and UNCTAD, Chief, Trade Information Section, Division on International Trade and Commodities, Ralf Peter. 25 Feb 12:00 ET / 17:00 GMT USA-FED/CLARIDA Federal Reserve Vice Chair Clarida speaks before NABE event Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida speaks before the 36th Annual National Association for Business Economics Economic Policy Conference in Washington 25 Feb 15:00 ET / 20:00 GMT SMILE DIRECT-RESULTS/ Q4 2019 SmileDirectClub Inc Earnings Release SmileDirectClub Inc is expected to post fourth quarter loss on Tuesday due to higher expenses. 25 Feb 16:00 ET / 21:00 GMT POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS INDIA-USA/TRUMP-MELANIA U.S. First lady Melania Trump visits New Delhi school U.S. First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday visited a government school in New Delhi that teaches a special “happiness curriculum” rooted in meditation and plays. 25 Feb 03:00 ET / 08:00 GMT USA-ELECTION/CALIFORNIA (PIX) (TV) New voting machines, fewer polling places – will California’s primary see Iowa-style chaos? Some of California’s biggest counties – including Los Angeles and Orange – are introducing new voting procedures for the critical and widely watched March 3 California primary: touch screen voting machines, changed polling places and new, early voting times. It’s all meant to make voting easier and more secure. 25 Feb 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT POLAND-EU/ Polish Constitutional Tribunal to decide whether Supreme Court had a right to question the validity of judges appointed under the new government rules The ruling nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS) had asked the Constitutional Tribunal to investigate whether the Supreme Court had the right to rule on the legitimacy of judges appointed under the new rules. 25 Feb 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT USA-ELECTION/SANDERS-DEJA VU Deja vu all over again: Sanders surge has echoes of 2016 Republican race For some Republicans who worked to stop Donald Trump in the party’s 2016 presidential primary, the rise of Bernie Sanders has an all-too familiar feel. And moderate Democrats may be running out of time to stop him, say top strategists who worked with Republican candidates that lost to Trump in the 2016 nominating contest. 25 Feb 11:00 ET / 16:00 GMT IRELAND-POLITICS/SINNFEIN Sidelined by rivals, Ireland’s Sinn Fein holds public rally in Dublin Ireland’s Sinn Fein holds a public rally in Dublin’s Liberty Hall, part of a series around the country over the next two weeks following its shock election showing this month. The rallies have added to the war of words between the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army and main rivals Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who continue to sideline Sinn Fein in government formation talks. 25 Feb 14:30 ET / 19:30 GMT ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT FILMFESTIVAL-BERLIN/THE WOMAN WHO RAN (PIX) (TV) S.Korea’s The Woman Who Ran in competition at Berlinale Director Hong Sangsoo presents his 24th film “Domangchin Yeoja” (“The Woman Who Ran”) in Competition at the 70th Berlinale, portraying interactions between women in the South Korean capital Seoul. 25 Feb 04:15 ET / 09:15 GMT FILMFESTIVAL-BERLIN/HILLARY (PIX) (TV) Hillary Clinton discusses new documentary at the Berlinale Hillary Clinton and director Nantette Burstein expected at a news conference to present “Hillary”, a new documentary screening at the Berlinale film festival. 25 Feb 05:15 ET / 10:15 GMT DISASTERS / ACCIDENTS TESLA-CRASH/ NTSB board holds hearing into Tesla crash National Transportation Safety Board conducts public board meeting to determine cause of Tesla Model X electric vehicle crash on March 23, 2018. 25 Feb 13:00 ET / 18:00 GMT CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE USA-EDUCATION/CHEATING (PIX) Hot Pockets heiress faces sentencing in college admissions scandal A California woman whose family’s company developed the microwavable snack Hot Pockets is scheduled to be sentenced after admitting that she participated in a vast U.S. college admissions cheating and fraud scheme. 25 Feb 15:00 ET / 20:00 GMT
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