REUTERS NEWS SCHEDULE AT 11 a.m. GMT/6 a.m. ET

Islamic State faced final territorial defeat on Saturday as the U.S.-backed Syrian force battling the jihadists said it was closing in on their last bastion near the Iraqi border, capping four years of efforts to roll back the group.

INDIA-KASHMIR-PAKISTAN Pakistan and India step back from the brink, tensions simmer

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan/SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - A flare up between arch-foes India and Pakistan appeared to be easing on Saturday after Islamabad handed back a captured Indian pilot, but tensions continued to simmer amid efforts by global powers to prevent a war between the nuclear-armed neighbors. BRITAIN-EU-BARNIER

EU ready to give Britain more guarantees 'backstop' is temporary - Barnier BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union is ready to give Britain more guarantees that the Irish “backstop” is only intended to be temporary, the bloc’s chief Brexit negotiator said on Friday.

NOBEL-RUSSIA-ALFEROV-DEATH Russian Nobel Prize winner for physics Alferov dies aged 88

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Zhores Alferov, the 2000 Nobel prize winner in physics and a member of Russia’s parliament, has died aged 88 in St Petersburg, the Russian Communist party said on Saturday. U.S.

USA-TRUMP-KUSHNER House panel demands Kushner clearance details from White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Democratic-led congressional panel on Friday demanded that the White House comply with requests for documents and witnesses for a probe into alleged security clearance abuses involving President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and others. SPACE-SPACEX

SpaceX rocket with unmanned U.S. capsule blasts off for space station CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - A SpaceX rocket with an unmanned crew capsule blasted off on Saturday for the International Space Station, in a key milestone for Elon Musk’s space company and NASA’s long-delayed goal to resume human spaceflight from U.S. soil later this year.

COLORADO-LION-ATTACK Mountain lion strangled by Colorado man was orphaned cougar cub

DENVER (Reuters) - The mountain lion strangled by a Colorado man after it attacked him on a jogging trail last month was a young cub, weighing no more than 40 pounds (18 kg) and likely orphaned but not starving, state wildlife officials said on Friday. BUSINESS

USA-CHINA-HUAWEI-TECH Canada approves Huawei extradition proceedings, China seethes

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government, as expected, on Friday approved extradition proceedings against the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, prompting a furious reaction from China. USA-TRADE-CHINA

U.S. says rejects WTO's 'straitjacket' of trade obligations WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration filed another salvo at the World Trade Organization on Friday, saying U.S. trade policy was not going to be dictated by the international body and defending its use of tariffs to pressure China and other trade partners. TESLA-CRASH

U.S. safety agencies to investigate fatal Tesla crash in Florida WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said they are sending teams to investigate a fatal crash in Florida on Friday involving a Tesla Inc car and a semi-trailer.

ENTERTAINMENT KATHERINE-HELMOND

Actress Katherine Helmond of TV's 'Soap,' 'Who's the Boss?' dies at 89 Actress Katherine Helmond, a seven-time Emmy Award nominee who played lusty matriarchs on the hit television sitcoms “Soap” and “Who’s the Boss” from the 1970s into the 1990s, died last month at the age of 89, her talent agency said on Friday.

FILM-THEDIRT-MOTLEY-CRUE Motley Crue rock biopic: a tale of success, excess and ants

LONDON (Reuters) - Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll: a new movie about the antics of 1980s metal hellraisers Motley Crue, a band known as much for their hedonism as their music, has it all. SPORTS

BASKETBALL-NBA-MIL-BLEDSOE Report: Bucks agree to four-year, $70 million extension with Bledsoe

The Milwaukee Bucks and point guard Eric Bledsoe have agreed to a four-year, $70 million extension, ESPN reported Friday. BASKETBALL-NBA-ROUNDUP

NBA roundup: Bulls outlast Hawks in 4-OT thriller Lauri Markkanen was perfect on a three-shot foul in the fourth overtime to put Chicago ahead to stay and help the visiting Bulls earn a 168-161 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday in the third-highest-scoring game in NBA history.

TENNIS-ACAPULCO Tennis: Kyrgios beats Isner to set up Acapulco final against Zverev

Nick Kyrgios scripted his third major victory of the week on Friday when he defeated John Isner 7-5 5-7 7-6(7) to set up a showdown against Alexander Zverev in the final of the Acapulco International in Mexico. UPCOMING

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS USA-IMMIGRATION/ASYLUM (PIX)

RPT-Trepidation in Mexican migrant shelters as US ramps up divisive asylum program Migrant shelters and local officials warn they risk being overwhelmed as the United States prepares to ramp up an experimental policy that sends Central American asylum seekers back into Mexico to await U.S. court dates.RPT OF FRIDAY STORY

2 Mar 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT USA-TRUMP/RUSSIA-COLLUSION (PIX)

EXPLAINER: In Trump-Russia probe, when does collusion become a crime? As Special Counsel Robert Mueller has pursued his investigation into Moscow's role in the 2016 U.S. election, legal experts have debated what sort of contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia may have violated U.S. criminal law.

2 Mar 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT USA-POLITICS/CONSERVATIVES-TRUMP (PIX) (TV)

Trump speaks at Conservative Political Action Conference U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the he Conservative

Political Action Conference annual meeting at National Harbor near Washington DC. 2 Mar 11:30 ET / 16:30 GMT

USA-ELECTION/SANDERS (PIX) U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders returns to Brooklyn to campaign

U.S. Presidential Candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders to Returns to Brooklyn to campaign 2 Mar 11:30 ET / 16:30 GMT

ITALY-POLITICS/PD Italy's opposition PD holds vote to elect new leader

Italy's opposition Democratic Party (PD), still regrouping after its heavy defeat in the 2018 national election, holds a primary vote to pick a new leader. 3 Mar

ESTONIA-ELECTION/ (PIX) (TV) Estonian parliamentary election

Estonia elects 101 members of the Riigikogu, the country's unicameral parliament by proportional representation in twelve multi-member constituencies. Expect overnighter Sunday morning GMT, updated as results come in after polls close at 1800 GMT.

3 Mar ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT

FASHION-PARIS/VALENTINO (PIX) (TV) Valentino show in Paris Fashion Week

Valentino show in Paris Ready-to-Wear Fashion Week, which runs from Feb. 25th to March 5th. 3 Mar 19:00 ET / 00:00 GMT

SPORTS SOCCER-USA-LAG/BECKHAM (TV)

Soccer - United States - LA Galaxy to unveil Beckham statue ahead of season opener The LA Galaxy unveil a statue of former star David Beckham prior to the team's season opener against the Chicago Fire at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson.

2 Mar 17:45 ET / 22:45 GMT