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The United States will no longer be prohibited from having ground-launched intermediate-range missiles once it pulls out of an arms control treaty with Russia on Friday, but funds to test and develop the missiles may soon run out, officials say. HONGKONG-PROTESTS/ Thousands of Hong Kong civil servants to rally, wave of protests planned HONG KONG (Reuters) - Thousands of Hong Kong civil servants are planning to rally on Friday night in support of protesters and to urge authorities to rebuild confidence in the government as escalating protests rock the Asian financial hub. U.S. USA-CONGRESS-PELOSI-BALTIMORE/ Pelosi defends Baltimore, her childhood home, against Trump's attacks WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday defended Baltimore, the city where she grew up, against repeated verbal attacks by President Donald Trump, and she charged that the president’s own son-in-law was a “slumlord” there. USA-ELECTION-DEBATE-DECIDERS/ Lurching left in toss-up Wisconsin, a Democrat weighs her choices MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. (Reuters) - Kim Mahoney listened from her reclining living room couch as Democratic presidential candidates debated economic, trade and environmental policies this week, needing only to look to her backyard to see how lofty political pledges can really play out. BUSINESS USA-TRADE-CHINA/ Trump hits China with more tariffs, sharply escalating trade dispute WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to impose a 10% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese imports from Sept. 1, sharply escalating a bruising trade war between the world’s largest economies and jolting financial markets. USA-RESULTS-CONSUMER/ Free-spending consumers lift company profits, but Trump tariffs now loom CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to slap new tariffs on Chinese imports comes on the heels of unexpectedly strong second-quarter results for automakers, consumer products companies and restaurant chains, boosted by spending on high-end products ENTERTAINMENT PEOPLE-KATY-PERRY-COPYRIGHT/ Katy Perry and record label hit with $2.7 million copyright judgment LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Christian rapper was awarded $2.7 million on Thursday by a Los Angeles jury that found that Katy Perry’s 2013 hit “Dark Horse” contained a musical passage from one of his songs. USA-SWEDEN-RAPPER/ A$AP Rocky's assault trial enters final scheduled day STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The trial of U.S. rapper A$AP Rocky on a charge of assault will go into what could be its final day on Friday with the 30-year-old and two of his entourage facing up to two years in prison if they are found guilty. SPORTS SPORTS-WAGNER/ Ashley Wagner says Coughlin sexually assaulted her in 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and three-time U.S. figure skating champion Ashley Wagner said she was sexually assaulted by former figure skater John Coughlin in June 2008. TENNIS-WASHINGTONDC/ Kyrgios, Tsitsipas advance to quarter-finals at Citi Open Australian Nick Kyrgios blasted 15 aces to blow past Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2 7-5 on Thursday and reach the quarterfinals at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. UPCOMING BUSINESS / ECONOMICS USA-FED/INVESTORS Powell's Fed leaves no clues for investors, traders One of Wall Street’s oldest playbooks appears to be broken. Investors and traders have long followed the adage “Don’t fight the Fed,” taking their cues from the central bank’s decisions on short-term interest rates to either revive or cool the economy. Yet for the first time since the financial crisis, the U.S. central bank appears to be fighting itself. 2 Aug 02:00 ET / 06:00 GMT RBS-RESULTS/ Royal Bank of Scotland publishes half-year results State-backed lender Royal Bank of Scotland publishes half-year results, with the bank's ongoing search for a new CEO to replace outgoing boss Ross McEwan and preparations for a potentially disruptive no deal Brexit likely to be in focus. 2 Aug 03:00 ET / 07:00 GMT EXXON MOBIL-RESULTS/ (PIX) Exxon reports results for turbulent second quarter Exxon Mobil's quarterly profit expected to slip below year-earlier levels on weaker results in its refining, natural gas and chemicals operations based on financial disclosures. 2 Aug 07:30 ET / 11:30 GMT SPRINT CORP-RESULTS/ Sprint quarterly results Sprint is expected to report first-quarter results. 2 Aug 08:00 ET / 12:00 GMT CHEVRON-RESULTS/ (PIX) Chevron posts first earnings after abandoning bid for Anadarko Chevron delivers second quarter results that will be first since abandoning a $33 billion bid for rival Anadarko Petroleum. 2 Aug 08:30 ET / 12:30 GMT PES-BANKRUPTCY/ACID (PIX) Shut Philadelphia refinery begins rare job of removing toxic chemical Workers at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery this week took the first steps towards ridding the plant of roughly 30,000 barrels of modified hydrofluoric acid, a%u00a0risky undertaking that has rarely, if ever, been performed under similar circumstances. 2 Aug 10:00 ET / 14:00 GMT POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ASEAN-THAILAND/ARF (PIX) (TV) 26th ASEAN Regional Forum ASEAN foreign ministers join the 26th ASEAN Regional Forum with their counterparts from 10 dialogue partners including Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, U.S., the European Union, and Canada. The ministerial meeting will also be joined by Bangladesh, North Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste. 2 Aug 03:00 ET / 07:00 GMT USA-SWEDEN/RAPPER (TV) Last day of U.S. rapper A$AP Rocky's assault trial The third and last day of U.S. rapper A$AP Rocky's trial in Sweden over his alleged involvement in a street brawl in central Stockholm in June. Plaintiff and Rocky due to give testimony. Trial could end on Thurs or go into Friday or longer, though verdict likely at a later date. 2 Aug 03:30 ET / 07:30 GMT ASEAN-THAILAND/NEWSER (PIX) (TV) News Conference by Thai foreign minister to conclude ASEAN regional meetings Thai foreign minister Don Pramudwinai holds a news conference after the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok concludes. 2 Aug 07:30 ET / 11:30 GMT ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT BRITAIN-ROYALS/ (PIX) (TV) British Vogue, edited by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on sale The September issue of British Vogue edited by Meghan, wife of Britain's Prince Harry, hits shelves. The Duchess of Sussex has chosen to feature 15 women she considers "Forces for change" on the cover. 2 Aug 08:00 ET / 12:00 GMT PEOPLE-RKELLY/ (PIX) (TV) Hearing in criminal case against singer R. Kelly A status hearing is scheduled in the racketeering and sex trafficking case against singer R. Kelly in Brooklyn federal court. 2 Aug 10:30 ET / 14:30 GMT