REUTERS NEWS SCHEDULE AT 10 a.m. GMT/6 a.m. ET

Ethiopian Airlines pilots followed proper procedures when their Boeing MAX 8 airplane repeatedly nosedived before a March 10 crash that killed 157 people, Ethiopia’s minister of transport said on Thursday as she delivered the first official report on the disaster.

SOUTHCHINASEA-PHILIPPINES/ Philippines says Chinese vessels in disputed waters illegal

MANILA (Reuters) - The presence of more than 200 Chinese fishing boats near an island occupied by Manila in the disputed South China Sea is illegal and a clear violation of Philippine sovereignty, the country’s foreign ministry said on Thursday. U.S.

USA-TRUMP-TAX/ U.S. House committee seeks Trump tax returns from IRS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic head of a powerful U.S. House committee asked the Internal Revenue Service for six years of President Donald Trump’s personal and business tax returns on Wednesday, in a long-awaited move widely expected to lead to a long court battle with the White House. UGANDA-USA-KIDNAPPING/

Uganda says kidnapped American tourist did not take armed guard KAMPALA (Reuters) - An American woman who was kidnapped with her driver at Uganda’s most popular wildlife park by gunmen had failed to take an armed ranger as required by the park’s regulations, a spokesman for the country’s wildlife authority said on Thursday.

BUSINESS COMMERZBANK-M-A-UNICREDIT/

UniCredit eyes bid for Commerzbank if Deutsche talks fail: sources FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank came under increased pressure on Thursday to move forward on a tie-up with Commerzbank after Italy’s UniCredit was named as a potential alternative bidder for the German lender.

USA-HUAWEI-TECH-ZTE/ Elite U.S. school MIT cuts ties with Chinese tech firms Huawei, ZTE

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has severed ties with Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp as U.S. authorities investigate the Chinese firms for alleged sanctions violations, it said on Wednesday. ENTERTAINMENT

TELEVISION-GAME-OF-THRONES-PREMIERE/ Souvenirs and secrets as 'Game of Thrones' cast walk last red carpet

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The cast and creators of “Game of Thrones” walked their last red carpet together on Wednesday, recalling memories of their years working on the international hit television series. PEOPLE-CELINE-DION/

Celine Dion announces 'Courage' world tour and new album LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer Celine Dion on Wednesday announced a world tour and a new album called “Courage” that she said was inspired by life after the death of her husband.

SPORTS MMA-MCGREGOR/

'Retired' Conor McGregor hints at return Conor McGregor has hinted his “retirement” from mixed martial arts may be over already after the Irishman said in a post on Twitter: “ ... see you in the Octagon”.

TENNIS-CHARLESTON/ Tennis: Sevastova stunned, seeds struggle at Charleston Open

DATELINE IN CAPS - Lede or nutgrafFourth seed Anastasija Sevastova was stunned by world No. 81 Jessica Pegula 6-4 6-2 in the second round of the Charleston Open on Wednesday as several seeds struggled in South Carolina. UPCOMING

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BRITAIN-EU/IRELAND-GERMANY (PIX) (TV)

German Chancellor visits Irish PM in Dublin to take stock on Brexit Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Dublin, where the two leaders are also to talk to press about the latest Brexit developments.

4 Apr 09:30 ET / 13:30 GMT KENYA-POLITICS/ (PIX)

President Uhuru Kenyatta to give state of the nation address in parliament The address will come at a time when the police are investigating the loss of billions of shillings meant to be used to build two dams whose construction is yet to start. The investigations have fractured the ruling Jubilee Party and seen three ministers, including the one in charge of finance, questioned by detectives.

4 Apr 07:30 ET / 11:30 GMT USA-CONGRESS/FBI (PIX) (TV)

FBI director Wray to testify before US House panel FBI Director Chris Wray testifies on the FBI's budget before a House Appropriations committee.

4 Apr 09:30 ET / 13:30 GMT CANADA-POLITICS/

Canada's Trudeau speaks to media as political crisis rages Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to speak to the media as critics attack his decision to expel two former Cabinet ministers who had questioned his leadership.

4 Apr 16:00 ET / 20:00 GMT USA-TRUMP/RUSSIA-DEMONSTRATIONS (PIX) (TV)

Protesters to rally in New York, Washington to demand release of Mueller report U.S. liberal protesters organized by Move On hold a series of rallies across the country, including in front of the White House, to call on Attorney General William Barr to release the full text of the Mueller report on the special counsel's investigation into alleged dealings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia during the 2016 elections.

4 Apr 17:00 ET / 21:00 GMT FINLAND-ELECTION/WELFARE (PIX) (TV)

Greying Finland swings left in fear of ageing in wet diapers Ahead of Finland's general election on April 14, Finns across the country have been shocked by a series of scandals over abuse in private elderly care facilities.

5 Apr CLIMATE-GREENFUND/

Replenishment meeting for the global Green Climate Fund Meeting held in Norway to replenish the global Green Climate Fund, a fund set up to help developing countries mitigate the effects of climate change.

5 Apr USA-IMMIGRATION/BORDER (PIX) (TV)

U.S. President Trump visits Southern U.S. border. U.S. President Donald Trump visits U.S.-Mexico border.

5 Apr DISASTERS / ACCIDENTS

HAWAII-VOLCANO/RETURN (PIX) Hawaii residents return to new normal after epic volcano eruption

For weeks on end last year, Daryl Clinton watched the Kilauea volcano from a front-row seat on the deck of his house in Kapoha on Hawaii's Big Island only leaving after a "lava bomb" from an erupting ground fissure flew onto the porch and nearly sliced his foot off. 4 Apr 06:00 ET / 10:00 GMT

CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE TESLA-MUSK/SEC (PIX) (TV)

Tesla's Musk squares off with SEC in contempt hearing Oral arguments are scheduled in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's lawsuit against Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk. The SEC is seeking to have Musk held in contempt. The case is before U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan.

4 Apr 14:00 ET / 18:00 GMT TESLA-MUSK/SEC-TWEETS

FACTBOX-Elon Musk, unabridged, on Twitter Tesla Inc Chief Elon Musk is a prolific tweeter, and on Thursday, a judge will decide whether a Feb. 19 tweet Musk sent violated a 2018 fraud settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

4 Apr 06:00 ET / 10:00 GMT TESLA-MUSK/SEC (PIX)

Tesla's Elon Musk to square off with SEC in court in contempt hearing Lawyers for Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk will try to convince a Manhattan federal judge on Thursday that he should not be held in contempt for violating a fraud settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the latest twist in a high-profile battle between the billionaire and the government.

4 Apr 06:00 ET / 10:00 GMT NEWZEALAND-SHOOTING/ (TV)

Court hearing for Australian charged with murder over mosque shootings Court hearing for Australian citizen Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, who has been charged with murder for carrying out New Zealand's worst mass shooting at two mosques.

5 Apr BUSINESS / ECONOMICS

INSYS-OPIOIDS/ (PIX) U.S. to wrap case against drug company executives tied to opioid crisis

Prosecutors on Thursday will present their closing arguments in the trial of the wealthy founder of pharmaceutical company Insys Therapeutics Inc and four colleagues accused of contributing to the U.S. opioid epidemic by bribing doctors to prescribe an addictive fentanyl spray. John Kapoor, who served as the Arizona-based drugmaker's chairman, and his co-defendants are the first executives of a painkiller manufacturer to face trial whose conduct that authorities say was tied to the deadly opioid crisis. 4 Apr 06:00 ET / 10:00 GMT

USA-FED/MESTER Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank President Loretta Mester speaks before bankers' day event

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Loretta Mester speaks on the economic outlook and cyber security before an Ohio Bankers Day event hosted by the Ohio Department of Commerce, in Columbus, Ohio. 4 Apr 13:00 ET / 17:00 GMT

USA-FED/HARKER Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank President Harker speaks on economic outlook

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker speaks on the economic outlook before the Monetary Policy Outlook hosted by the Philadelphia Council for Business Economics, in Philadelphia, Pa. 4 Apr 13:00 ET / 17:00 GMT

GLOBAL-ECONOMY/WEEKAHEAD Global Economy Weekahead

A weekly look at key economic events for the global economy in the coming seven days. 5 Apr

SEYCHELLES-INFLATION/ Seychelles releases inflation

5 Apr SERBIA-RATES/

Poll on Serbian central bank's benchmark rate Reuters is polling Serbian traders, dealers and economists about their expectations about future benchmark rate and ahead of upcoming central bank's rate-setting meeting.

5 Apr ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT

GREECE-PINBALL/ (PIX) (TV) At Athens pinball museum, arcade gamers go back in time

On a side street near the Acropolis, a new museum is exhibiting items a little different from the elegant white marble statues of ancient Greek antiquity. Here, there are flashing lights, loud pinging and popping noises. The Athens Pinball Museum is home to more than 100 fully functional pinball machines dating from the 1950s, where fans can go back in time and, in some cases, relive their youth. 4 Apr 06:00 ET / 10:00 GMT

BRITAIN-ROYALS/BABY-MEDIA (PIX) (TV) Meghan Markle versus the British media

Meghan Markle has been on the sharp end of British media coverage since her marriage to Prince Harry and during her pregnancy. A look at a year of tense relations between Meghan and the newspapers ahead of the arrival of her first child. 5 Apr 22:00 ET / 02:00 GMT