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

Here are the top stories and upcoming coverage plans for Reuters text service as of 10 a.m. GMT/6 a.m. ET. For a full schedule of news and events, go to our editorial calendar on Reuters Connect https://www.reutersconnect.com/planning or on Media Express http://mediaexpress.reuters.com/planning-tools/calendar. TOP STORIES

GLOBAL HONGKONG-PROTESTS/

Hong Kong protesters aim their anger at Cathay Pacific 'white terror' Organizers of a Hong Kong rally planned for outside the airport offices of Cathay Pacific on Wednesday moved the protest downtown after police withheld permission and the airline warned against an illegal demonstration.

USA-AFGHANISTAN-TALKS/ Taliban say near agreement on U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

The Taliban said on Wednesday they were close to an agreement with U.S. officials on a deal that would see U.S. forces withdraw from Afghanistan in exchange for a Taliban promise the country would not become a haven for international militants. The U.S.

STORM-DORIAN/ Puerto Rico braces for storm Dorian, one of the first tests since 2017

Puerto Rico braced on Wednesday for the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian, one of the island's first major tests since devastating hurricanes struck in 2017. PEOPLE-JEFFREY-EPSTEIN/

'Eats away at my soul': Epstein accusers testify weeks after his suicide A succession of women who said Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused them at a young age voiced anger and defiance in a packed New York courtroom on Tuesday, some lamenting that the financier's suicide deprived them of the opportunity to obtain justice.

BUSINESS GOLD-SWISS-FAKES-EXCLUSIVE/

Exclusive: Fake-branded bars slip dirty gold into world markets A forgery crisis is quietly roiling the world's gold industry.

BOEING-CEO-EXCLUSIVE/ Exclusive: Financial hit from 737 MAX will not slow appetite for services deals - Boeing CEO

Boeing Co's chief executive said on Tuesday that the financial fallout from the grounding of its 737 MAX jetliner would not slow the world's largest planemaker's appetite for deals in the higher-margin aircraft services sector. ENTERTAINMENT

FILM FESTIVAL-VENICE-PREVIEW/ Venice film festival pulls the stars but gender disparity casts a shadow

The world's oldest film festival kicks off in Venice on Wednesday with plenty of Hollywood stars and top filmmakers expected but a lack of female directors and the inclusion of controversial names has drawn criticism. NETFLIX-IRISHMAN/

Scorsese's 'The Irishman' to get 26-day run in theaters before Netflix Martin Scorsese's highly-anticipated new mob drama "The Irishman" may turn into a case of 'catch it if you can' as far as traditional moviegoers are concerned.

SPORTS TENNIS-USOPEN/

Tennis: Mass exodus opens up the bottom half of men's draw The bottom half of the U.S. Open men's draw, where three-times champion Rafa Nadal resides, was blown wide open on Tuesday after four of the top-10 seeds crashed out at the first hurdle of the year's final Grand Slam.

SPORTS-INVESTIGATION-DENTSU-PARTNER-E/ Exclusive: French investigators focus on Dentsu partner in sports corruption probe

French authorities investigating corruption in international sports believe a Swiss partner of Japanese advertising giant Dentsu Inc played a "central and essential role" in deals used to embezzle sponsorship money and have asked Switzerland to raid its office and seize evidence, according to a person with knowledge of the probe and documents related to the case reviewed by Reuters. UPCOMING

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS COLOMBIA-USA/HEALTH

Interview with U.S. Health Secretary on response to Venezuelan crisis We'll conduct a phone interview with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar following his visit to Colombia's border with Venezuela and ask if the region can expect further aid funding to help it grapple with migrant health challenges.

28 Aug 15:30 ET / 19:30 GMT ITALY-POLITICS/ (PIX) (TV) (GRAPHIC)

Italian President meets leaders of 5-Star and PD to discuss ongoing government crisis Italian President Sergio Mattarella meets the leaders of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party (PD) to discuss the ongoing government crisis.

28 Aug 07:00 ET / 11:00 GMT BRITAIN-EU/IRELAND (TV)

Irish foreign minister addresses French business forum Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney is to address an annual end-of-summer business forum organized by France's MEDEF employers federation. Brexit in focus.

28 Aug 08:30 ET / 12:30 GMT GERMANY-ELECTIONS/ (PIX) (TV)

Far-right to deal blow to shaky Merkel coalition in eastern votes German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and her Social Democrat (SPD) partners are set to bleed support to the far-right in elections in the former Communist East on Sunday which could hasten the end of her federal coalition.

28 Aug 06:00 ET / 10:00 GMT CHICAGO-EDUCATION/

Chicago Public Schools' budget up for a vote as teachers threaten to strike The Chicago Board of Education will vote on a $7.7 billion fiscal 2020 budget as the nation's third-largest public school system continues to negotiate a new contract with its teachers' union, which is eyeing a possible strike as soon as Sept. 25.

28 Aug 11:30 ET / 15:30 GMT VENEZUELA-FIREWOOD/ (PIX) (TV)

Venezuela's trees suffer as firewood replaces scarce cooking gas Endy Perez was for years accustomed to starting her day by turning on the stove of the small house in the Venezuelan city of Maracay. These days, her breakfast routine begins by searching for firewood in a national park just behind her house.

29 Aug NORTH KOREA-ASSEMBLY

North Korea holds a session of its rubber-stamp legislature North Korea holds a session of its rubber-stamp legislature, the Supreme People's Assembly.

29 Aug IRAN-NUCLEAR/EU

EU foreign ministers discuss tensions with Iran after G7 summit EU foreign ministers meet in Helsinki to discuss tensions with Iran after G7 leaders last weekend sought to bring Washington and Tehran closer to ending an escalating confrontation over a 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and the Islamic republic. The wider Middle East and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz also on the agenda.

29 Aug MYANMAR-POLITICS/

Judge delivers verdict in Myanmar human rights filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi's case Myanmar judge will deliver verdict in filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi's case. The human rights filmmaker was detained four months ago with a complaint from an officer that listed 10 of his Facebook posts critical of the military's political role and its drafted constitution.

29 Aug 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.

29 Aug BRITAIN-EU/RAAB

UK foreign minister Raab attends talks with EU peers Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab attends talks with his EU peers in Helsinki.

29 Aug MALAYSIA-IRAN/ (PIX) (TV)

Iran's foreign minister speaks at Kuala Lumpur forum Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to address a forum on security in the Islamic world during a one-day visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

29 Aug 21:00 ET / 01:00 GMT IRAN-NUCLEAR/EU

EU foreign ministers discuss tensions with Iran after G7 summit EU foreign ministers meet in Helsinki to discuss tensions with Iran after G7 leaders last weekend sought to bring Washington and Tehran closer to ending an escalating confrontation over a 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and the Islamic republic.

29 Aug CONFLICTS / WAR / PEACE

INDIA-KASHMIR/ (PIX) (TV) Monitoring developments in India's Kashmir amid tight security after New Delhi revoked special status of the region

Monitoring developments in Kashmir amid tensions over India's decision this month to revoke the special status of its portion of the majority Muslim region that both countries claim. 29 Aug

CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE SOUTHKOREA-CORRUPTION/

FACTBOX-S.Korea's top court ruling on Samsung heir and ex-president South Korea's Supreme Court delivers a ruling on Thursday on the bribery conviction of Samsung Group heir Jay Y. Lee in a corruption scandal that led to the ouster of the country's then-president in 2017. This Factbox story lays out the facts of the case, how Samsung is involved and what the ruling might mean for the conglomerate.

29 Aug 19:00 ET / 23:00 GMT BUSINESS / ECONOMICS

BRITAIN-ECONOMY/AUTOS UK car production figures published

Britain's car industry released car production data. Output has been hit by consumers shunning diesel, Brexit and emission rule changes, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has said. 29 Aug 19:00 ET / 23:00 GMT

USA-FED/DALY San Francisco Fed's Daly speaks in New Zealand

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Mary Daly, who supported the Fed's latest interest-rate cut, speaks about inflation targeting at Reserve Bank of New Zealand and International Monetary Fund Conference, 2019. 29 Aug 17:30 ET / 21:30 GMT

USA-FED/BARKIN Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin speaks in West Virginia

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Tom Barkin speaks on "Fostering Entrepreneurship" to West Virginia Chamber of Commerce in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. 28 Aug 12:20 ET / 16:20 GMT

COLOMBIA-CENBANK/ POLL-Analysts on the outlook for Colombia inflation, growth after favorable 3% second-quarter growth figures

We'll publish a poll of analysts with their outlook on inflation, economic growth, and the interest rate after Colombia achieved favorable second-quarter growth of 3% amid a fall in the value of the peso against the dollar. 29 Aug

MTN NIGERIA-BANKING/MOBILE MONEY (PIX) MTN Nigeria targets unbanked with mobile money service launch

The Nigerian unit of South African telecoms giant MTN is to officially launch a mobile money service, weeks after the central bank awarded a license enabling it to provide financial services. Telecoms firms aim to provide access to mobile money services to millions of Nigerians without bank accounts. 29 Aug

AUSTRALIA-ECONOMY/CAPEX Australia Business capex for Q2

ABS data on business investment for Q2 will include the latest forecasts for spending on 2019/20. 29 Aug 21:30 ET / 01:30 GMT

MAKS-AIRSHOW/ Moscow hosts International Air Show MAKS 2019

Moscow International Air Show MAKS 2019takes place in Moscow region with the participation of Russian and international companies and guests. 29 Aug

EGYPT-ECONOMY/ (PIX) (TV) Despite rosy economic data, Egyptians complain of harder living

Despite Egypt showing positive economic indicators across the board, Egyptians have continued to complain about higher costs of living as a three-year IMF-backed reform program draws to a close. 29 Aug

EU-TRADE/BRAZIL-MERCOSUR EU foreign ministers discuss Amazon fires after Paris and Dublin call to stall the bloc's trade deal with South America over Bolsonaro's response

The EU's initial response is split on the Mercosur trade deal, with Germany and the European Commission saying it should be preserved as an avenue of dialogue with Brasilia. The ministers may also discuss the reported rejection by President Jair Bolsonaro of a G7 offer to donate $20 million to help fight the fires in the rainforest. 29 Aug

MEXICO-ECONOMY/MINUTES Mexico central bank issues minutes of the 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. 29 Aug

INSURERS-DISASTERS/ (PIX) (GRAPHIC) Leave room for the firetruck: Insurers help design mansions to tame disaster losses

Bruce Gendelman wanted a mountainside retreat, not a tinderbox, when he bought 12 acres in Aspen, Colorado. But forest fires that have torched huge expanses of nearby land in recent years left him concerned. So, he sought advice from his insurer, one of a growing number that is getting involved in the design and construction of homes. 29 Aug

EU-TRADE/BRAZIL-MERCOSUR EU foreign ministers discuss Amazon fires after Paris and Dublin call to stall the bloc's trade deal with South America over Bolsonaro's response

The EU's initial response is split on the Mercosur trade deal, with Germany and the European Commission saying it should be preserved as an avenue of dialogue with Brasilia. The ministers may also discuss the reported rejection by President Jair Bolsonaro of a G7 offer to donate $20 million to help fight the fires in the rainforest. 29 Aug

JAPAN-TICAD/ African leaders and international organizations meet for TICAD7 in Japan

Leaders of African nations and representatives of international organizations meet for the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Japan. 29 Aug

ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT FILMFESTIVAL-VENICE/THE TRUTH PRESSER (TV)

Japan's Hirokazu Kore-Eda presents new starry France-set film in Venice Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda attends a Venice news conference to present his new France-set movie 'The Truth' ("La Verite") starring Ethan Hawke, Catherine Deneuve, and Juliette Binoche. The film screens in competition and opens the 76th edition of the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday.

28 Aug 08:00 ET / 12:00 GMT SPORTS

TENNIS-USOPEN/ (PIX) (TV) Tennis - U.S. Open

Action from round two of the U.S. Open - the fourth and final grand slam of the year. 28 Aug 11:00 ET / 15:00 GMT

Also Read: Japanese, S.Korean foreign ministers to meet in Beijing on Wednesday