REUTERS NEWS SCHEDULE AT 6 a.m. GMT/2 p.m. SGT

Here are the top stories and upcoming coverage plans for Reuters text service as of 6 a.m. GMT/2 p.m. SGT. 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

Embattled Hong Kong leader unveils measures to ease housing crunch Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced measures aimed at easing a housing shortage on Wednesday as she battles to restore confidence in her administration and address widespread discontent after four months of anti-government protests.

USA-IRAN-MILITARY-CYBER-EXCLUSIVE Exclusive: U.S. carried out secret cyber strike on Iran in wake of Saudi oil attack, officials say

The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the Sept. 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two U.S. officials have told Reuters. U.S.

USA-ELECTION-DEBATE Warren comes under attack on healthcare, taxes at U.S. Democratic presidential debate

Surging U.S. Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren came under repeated attack on her healthcare and tax policies in a debate on Tuesday, as moderate rivals pushed her to explain how she would pay for ambitious proposals including her Medicare for All plan. USA-ELECTION-SANDERS-AOC

White House hopeful Sanders gets endorsements from star progressives High-profile progressives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar threw their support behind Bernie Sanders’ campaign for president as the U.S. Senator held his own on Tuesday during a three-hour debate just weeks after suffering a heart attack.

BUSINESS MGM-RESORTS-DIVESTITURE-BLACKSTONE

MGM to sell Bellagio, Circus Circus resorts for about $5 billion MGM Resorts International said on Tuesday it would sell its Bellagio and Circus Circus resorts in Las Vegas in separate deals valued at about $5 billion, as the U.S. casino operator seeks to monetize its real estate assets and bolster its balance sheet.

USA-TECHNOLOGY-CONGRESS Google, Reddit defend tech legal protections ahead of Congress hearing

A 23-year-old law giving technology companies legal protection from lawsuits over user-generated content remains critical to the internet’s future, Alphabet Inc’s Google unit and social media site Reddit Inc said in testimony released on Tuesday. ENTERTAINMENT

PEOPLE-CUBA-GOODING-JR Actor Cuba Gooding Jr pleads not guilty to pinching woman's buttocks in club

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to pinching a woman’s buttocks in a nightclub last October, four months after he was charged with groping a woman in a separate incident. USA-EDUCATION-CHEATING

Actress Felicity Huffman reports to prison for part in U.S. college scandal “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman reported to a federal prison in California on Tuesday to begin serving a 14-day sentence for her role in a vast U.S. college admissions cheating scandal.

SPORTS USA-SOCCER-RAPINOE

Rapinoe hoping for settlement but holding ground in discrimination suit U.S. women’s national team standout Megan Rapinoe said she’s “optimistic” that she and her fellow players can reach an agreement in their gender discrimination suit against U.S. Soccer, but that they’re also ready for a fight.

TENNIS-ANTWERP Murray overcomes determined Coppejans in Antwerp opener

Former world number one Andy Murray began his European Open campaign with a battling 6-4 7-6(4) victory over unseeded Belgian Kimmer Coppejans in Antwerp on Tuesday. UPCOMING

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS GERMANY-POLITICS/KRAMP-KARRENBAUER (PIX)

Doubts grow over Merkel's heir-apparent as German chancellor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer's path to succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's chancellor seemed clear when she replaced her as leader of the governing Christian Democrats (CDU) last December. Ten months later, members of her own party are asking whether she is the right person to lead the European Union's most influential country.

16 Oct 03:00 ET / 07:00 GMT USA-IMMIGRATION/MEXICO-MATAMOROS (PIX)

Asylum seekers cling to hope, safety in camp at U.S.-Mexico border Even after he was kidnapped and robbed just feet from a makeshift migrant camp where he had slept for two weeks, Luis Osorto decided his only chance for asylum in the United States was to stay put at the border in Mexico.

16 Oct 07:00 ET / 11:00 GMT HUNGARY-POLITICS/BUDAPEST (PIX) (TV)

Newly elected Budapest mayor holds news conference New Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony host a news conference after Hungary's opposition ousted ruling-party incumbent Mayor Istvan Tarlos, exposing cracks in the system of premier Viktor Orban.

16 Oct 07:30 ET / 11:30 GMT LATVIA-UKRAINE/ (PIX) (TV)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to visit Latvia President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits Latvia and meets with the Latvian President Egils Levits, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and the Speaker of the parliament, Inara Murniece. They are to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries, European Union issues and the Three Seas Initiative.

16 Oct 08:00 ET / 12:00 GMT MOZAMBIQUE-USA/TRIAL

Opening statements in U.S. trial linked to Mozambique loan scandal Opening statements are expected in the U.S. fraud trial of Jean Boustani, an executive of Privinvest, a company at the center of the scandal over Mozambique's secret loan guarantees. The case is before U.S. District Judge William Kuntz in Brooklyn.

16 Oct 09:30 ET / 13:30 GMT IMF-WORLDBANK/CARNEY

Mark Carney speaks at IMF event on Fintech panel Mark Carney speaks at IMF event on Fintech panel also featuring Facebook Libra's David Marcus. Will report on merit.

16 Oct 10:00 ET / 14:00 GMT BRAZIL-POLITICS/

Dispute deepens between Brazil's Bolsonaro and his PSL party The dispute between President Jair Bolsonaro and his PSL party deepens amid flying insults and an investigation into alleged electoral fraud, threatening a split that could weaken the right-wing firebrand by leaving him and his sons outside the party and with no access to its considerable campaign war chest ahead of local elections next year.

16 Oct 14:00 ET / 18:00 GMT CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE

NETHERLANDS-FAMILY/ (PIX) Dutch police discover five siblings locked away for years on farm

Five siblings and a man believed to be their father were receiving medical treatment after Dutch police acting on a tip discovered them locked away in a secret room at an isolated farm, officials in the Netherlands said on Tuesday. 6 Oct 03:30 ET / 07:30 GMT

USA-CRIME/EXPLOITATION U.S. Justice Department announces dismantlement of online child pornography marketplace

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom and Republic of Korea will hold a press conference on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. ET, to announce the results of coordinated law enforcement actions in worldwide dismantlement of a child sexual exploitation marketplace operating on the dark web. 16 Oct 06:00 ET / 10:00 GMT

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS AUSTRIA-WINE/ (PIX) (TV)

Warming climate puts Austria's most famous wine at risk One of Austria's foremost wine-growing regions, which helped place the environmentalist Greens on the threshold of power in elections last month, has one demand for the new government: save the country's most famous drop. A rapidly heating climate threatens Austria's most famous wine, the Gruener Veltliner, which helped put the Alpine country back on the map after a scandal over products adulterated with antifreeze nearly ruined the industry three decades ago.

16 Oct 05:00 ET / 09:00 GMT MEXICO-STARTUPS/ (PIX) (TV) (GRAPHIC)

INSIGHT-Undercover entrepreneurs: fearful Mexican tech startups shun spotlight In Mexico's burgeoning startup scene, publicity is the last thing many entrepreneurs want. Unlike their P.R.-hungry Silicon Valley counterparts, the Mexican businessmen often decline media interviews, avoid public announcements and suppress details of financial success.

16 Oct 09:00 ET / 13:00 GMT USA-FED/EVANS

Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Evans participates in moderated Q&A Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans participates in a moderated question-and-answer session before a Greater Peoria Economic Development Council event, in Peoria, Ill.

16 Oct 10:45 ET / 14:45 GMT USA-FED/KAPLAN

Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Kaplan participates in moderated Q&A Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan participates in a moderated question-and-answer session before a Headliners Club Austin Inside Track Lunch, in Austin, Texas.

16 Oct 13:00 ET / 17:00 GMT ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT

USA-METOO/INTIMACY (PIX) (TV) Wanted: Intimacy coordinator. Hollywood's fastest growing job

Two years after a sexual harassment scandal roiled Hollywood, one of the fastest growing job in the entertainment industry is that of the intimacy director. Fueled by the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, demand is soaring for the services of intimacy directors or coordinators who help choreograph TV and movie scenes involving sex or nudity and ensure that actors are not exploited or made to feel uncomfortable. 16 Oct 08:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

AWARDS-Q/ (TV) Q Awards handed out in London

Music magazine Q hands out their annual awards. 16 Oct 12:00 ET / 16:00 GMT

CONFLICTS / WAR / PEACE SYRIA-SECURITY/TURKEY-UN

U.N. Security Council to meet on latest developments in Syria The United Nations Security Council will meet behind closed-doors on Wednesday to discuss latest developments in Syria. The meeting requested by the body's five European members - Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and Poland.

16 Oct 11:30 ET / 15:30 GMT