REUTERS NEWS SCHEDULE AT 10 p.m. GMT/6 a.m. SGT
VENEZUELA-POLITICS-TRANSITION/ As Maduro holds on, Venezuela opposition eyes negotiated transition
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela’s opposition is trying to convince ruling Socialist Party officials to join a transition government, shifting focus as it seeks to unseat President Nicolas Maduro, who has clung to power in the face of growing international pressure and U.S. sanctions. U.S.
USA-COURT-FINES/ Constitution's 'excessive fines' ban bolstered by U.S. high court
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a decision that may curb the rise of financial penalties and property seizures in the U.S. criminal justice system, the Supreme Court on Wednesday for the first time ruled that the U.S. Constitution’s ban on “excess fines” applies to states as well as the federal government. USA-WEATHER/
Snow, sleet threaten U.S. East Coast, hinder hundreds of flights NEW YORK (Reuters) - A winter storm bore down on the U.S. East Coast on Wednesday, threatening to snarl New York City’s evening commute after hindering air travel along the East Coast and prompting the shutdown of federal offices in Washington.
BUSINESS USA-FED-MINUTES/
Fed flags end to balance sheet runoff, patience on rates The Federal Reserve on Wednesday signaled they will soon lay out a plan to stop letting go of $4 trillion in bonds and other assets, but policymakers are still debating how long their newly adopted “patient” stance on U.S. rates policy will last.
EU-COPYRIGHT/ EU countries back copyright reforms aimed at Google, Facebook
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union countries on Wednesday endorsed an overhaul of the bloc’s copyright rules which would force Google and Facebook Inc to pay publishers for news snippets and filter out copyright-protected content on YouTube or Instagram. ENTERTAINMENT
AWARDS-OSCARS-SHOW/ No host? No problem. Queen, Lady Gaga bring Grammys vibe to Oscars
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - There will not be a host and Sunday’s Oscars ceremony will not open with the traditional monologue in which celebrities and politicians are skewered. PEOPLE-JUSSIE-SMOLLETT/
Fox says Smollett remains in 'Empire' cast, counters media report Jussie Smollett remains a cast member in the televised drama “Empire,” Fox Entertainment said on Wednesday, in a show of support for the actor after a report said he had staged an attack on himself because he was being written off the show.
SPORTS GOLF-MEXICOCITY/
Tiger ready to take on new challenge in Mexico Tiger Woods will compete in Mexico for the first time at this week's World Golf Championships event and said on Wednesday he was not fretting about the new surroundings or losing sleep over the challenges of playing at a high altitude.
SOCCER-EUROPA-SEV-LAZ/ Sevilla power past Lazio as both sides see red
SEVILLE, Spain, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Five-times Europa League winners Sevilla advanced to the last 16 of the competition with a 2-0 home win over Lazio on Wednesday, with a goal in each half sealing a 3-0 aggregate victory as both sides finished the game with 10 men. UPCOMING
POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS CZECH-NUCLEAR/
Czech PM to present plans for building and financing new nuclear power plant Prime Minister Andrej Babis is expected to reveal the latest government thinking on financing new nuclear power stations. The government is trying to push the process ahead despite protests by minority shareholders at state-controlled CEZ, which may be tasked to build the plant.
21 Feb 04:00 ET / 09:00 GMT 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.
21 Feb NIGERIA-ELECTION/ (PIX)
Nigeria's main parties hold last day of campaigning ahead of delayed vote Nigeria's main political parties enter the last day of campaigning ahead of a presidential election that was delayed by a week. The vote, which the electoral commission said was postponed due to logistical problems, will take place on Saturday.
21 Feb 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.
21 Feb 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.
21 Feb 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.
21 Feb CUBA-CONSTITUTION/EXPLAINER
What is old and new in Cuba's proposed new constitution Cubans go to the polls Sunday to ratify a Communist Party-proposed overhaul of the island's 1976 Magna Carta. The proposal was amply debated by the population last year, resulting in some secondary changes, before approval by the National assembly in December for a referendum.
21 Feb 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.
21 Feb HUNGARY-BABYBOOM/ (PIX) (TV)
With tax cuts and subsidies, Hungary hopes to ignite baby boom Hungarian PM Orban hopes his family subsidy programme will ignite a new baby boom and solve the country's labour shortages without the need for immigration. The programme – big incentives in taxes, mortgages, car purchases, general loans and even nannies – changes family planning for many young people in the country.
21 Feb CUBA-CONSTITUTION/ (TV)
More controversy than usual as Cuban constitutional referendum looms Cubans prepare to go to the polls Sunday to ratify a new constitution in a vote that for the first time since the 1959 Revolution may prove less than monolithic.
21 Feb UKRAINE-ELECTION/ECONOMY
Ukraine's Poroshenko trails as reforms leave voters cold Landing pitched story on how President Petro Poroshenko's reforms could cost him the election in March, paving the way for populist challengers to take power.
21 Feb BRITAIN-EU/PARLIAMENT
Breaking point? Brexit defections show British political system on the brink Brexit has torn the fabric of Britain's political system, say a group of 11 lawmakers behind a dramatic series of defections that have sent shockwaves through one of the world's oldest and most stable parliaments.
21 Feb 08:00 ET / 13:00 GMT EU-BRITAIN/SLOVENIA
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt visits Slovenia British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt visits Slovenia, meets with his counterpart Miro Cerar. Hunt and Cerar will hold a joint news conference after the meeting.
21 Feb 09:00 ET / 14:00 GMT GERMANY-RUSSIA/ (TV)
Economy ministers of Germany and Russia speak at conference in Berlin Germany's Economy Minister Peter Altmaier and his Russian counterpart, Maxim Oreshkin, attend German Commerce Chamber's Russia conference in Berlin, alongside senior lobbyists and industry executives.
21 Feb 04:00 ET / 09:00 GMT CONFLICTS / WAR / PEACE
LIBYA-SECURITY/ (PIX) Where Libya's revolution began, many now yearn for a strong state
Sitting in his cafe near the spot where the protests against Muammar Gaddafi touched off the Libyan revolution eight years ago, Miftah Atluba is not sorry the dictator has gone. 21 Feb
CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE KENYA-LGBT/ (TV)
Kenyans hope and fear court ruling that could decriminalise gay sex Phelix Kasanda - affectionately called Mama G by his friends - spends most days in hiding, frightened his work as a high-profile gay activist means he could be attacked again. But if Kenya overturns a ban on gay sex this Friday, he says he's going clubbing to celebrate - with the full protection of the law.
21 Feb 01:00 ET / 06:00 GMT BUSINESS / ECONOMICS
COLUMN-MILLER/SCHLESINGER (PIX) How personal finance guru Jill Schlesinger got smart about money
Jill Schlesinger got her start on Wall Street, and that is where she learned a lot of what she knows about the financial world. But she has built a career dishing out personal finance advice by pulling back the curtain on myths about investing, and showing how average people can make a solid plan for retirement. 21 Feb 07:00 ET / 12:00 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
BRITAIN-EU/AUTOS (PIX) (TV) INSIGHT- Remain or leave? Automakers confront hard Brexit choices
In three cavernous former Royal Air Force aircraft hangars at an airbase in Wales, luxury car maker Aston Martin Lagonda is forging ahead with construction of a new vehicle assembly plant. The paint shop is in, assembly robots are being unpacked, and production of the company’s critical new SUV is on track to start later this year – Brexit or not. 21 Feb
USA-FED/BOSTIC Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Bostic discusses economy and monetary policy
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic speaks on the economic outlook and monetary policy before the Terry Third Thursday, in Atlanta, Ga. 21 Feb 07:50 ET / 12:50 GMT
BAE-RESULTS/ (PIX) BAE Systems publishes 2018 results
Britain's biggest defence company BAE Systems announces 2018 results, forecast to be flat. 21 Feb 02:00 ET / 07:00 GMT
MEXICO-OIL/REFINERY (PIX) (TV) WIDER IMAGE - 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. 21 Feb
HUAWEI TECH-CANADA/ Huawei Chairman, President speak in Canada
Huawei Chairman Liang Hua and President Eric Li speak in Toronto about the company's future plans in Canada including future R&D investment. The Huawei executives may face questions about Canada's arrest of Meng Wanzhou, daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, last December, and whether the development affects the company's commitment to its Canadian operations. 21 Feb 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT
BARCLAYS-RESULTS/ (PIX) Barclays publishes annual results for 2018
Britain's Barclays publishes its annual results for 2018, amid a long-running tussle with an activist investor who wants to see the bank cut back its underperforming investment bank. 21 Feb 02:00 ET / 07:00 GMT
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. 21 Feb
SWEDEN-ECONOMY/IMF IMF assessment of Swedish economy
Craig Beaumont of the International Monetary Fund holds a press conference as the IMF completes its annual visit to Sweden, a so-called Article IV consultation. Presser 1300 21 Feb 04:00 ET / 09:00 GMT
EUROPE-ELECTRICITY/PRICES (PIX) (GRAPHIC) Little governments can do as power prices soar
Regulated retail electricity tariffs paid by over 28 million customers to French utility EDF are set to rise by 5.9 percent on March 1 or June 1, the biggest rate of increase since 2010, unless the government intervenes. There are slim chances of that. 21 Feb
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. 21 Feb
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. 21 Feb
USA-TRADE/CHINA-MINISTRY (TV) China's Commerce Ministry holds news conference
China's Commerce Ministry holds a regular news conference as trade talks between the U.S. and China resume this week in Washington with time running short to ease their bruising trade war. 21 Feb 02:00 ET / 07:00 GMT
CANADA-CENOVUS/RAILWAYS Canada's Cenovus bets on rail and return of oil glut Canadian oil producer Cenovus Energy's decision to press ahead with an aggressive increase in rail shipments, bucking an industry slowdown, is a bet that Alberta's glut of crude will return.
21 Feb SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY
SPACE-SPACEX/BOEING (PIX) Safety risks threaten new delays for U.S. human spaceflight program
NASA has identified nearly three dozen safety risks in the astronaut capsule and launch systems designed by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Boeing Co, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter, which could jeopardize the relaunch the U.S. space program later this year. 21 Feb 01:00 ET / 06:00 GMT
ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT FASHION-MILAN/FENDI (PIX) (TV)
Fendi presents Lagerfeld's last line at Milan Fashion Week Italian fashion house Fendi unveils the last line Karl Lagerfeld designed for the luxury label before his death earlier this week.
21 Feb 10:00 ET / 15:00 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.
21 Feb 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
21 Feb FASHION-MILAN/EMPORIOARMANI (PIX) (TV)
Emporio Armani showcases at Milan Fashion Week Italian designer Giorgio Armani presents his latest creations for his Emporio Armani label in Milan.
21 Feb 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 RELIGION
POPE-ABUSE/SUMMIT-BRIEFING (TV) Daily Vatican briefing on sexual abuse summit
Daily Vatican briefing on sexual abuse summit 21 Feb 08:30 ET / 13:30 GMT
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