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

Beijing supports more bold measures to tackle the roots of unrest that has rocked Hong Kong for months, a senior Chinese official said on Wednesday, just hours after a knife-wielding man attacked a pro-Beijing lawmaker in the financial hub.

CHINA-FRANCE-MACRON/ China and France sign deals worth $15 billion during Macron's visit

BEIJING (Reuters) - China and France signed contracts totaling $15 billion during a visit by President Emmanuel Macron, a Chinese government official told a news briefing on Wednesday. U.S.

USA-ELECTION/ Democrats claim victory over Trump-backed Kentucky governor, seize Virginia legislature

U.S. Democrats claimed an upset win in Kentucky on Tuesday over a Republican governor backed by President Donald Trump and seized control of the state legislature in Virginia, where anti-Trump sentiment in the suburbs remained a potent force. USA-ELECTION-SEATTLE/

Seattle council race stays tight despite Amazon's hefty donations LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Seattle’s city council race was a toss-up between a pro-business and a progressive council on Tuesday night, despite record election campaign donations from big donors, including tech giant Amazon.com.

BUSINESS TESLA-CHINA/

Tesla plans after-sales network expansion in China as Shanghai factory spins up SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) plans to double the number of repair and maintenance shops, add about 100 charging stations and revamp showrooms in China as the electric vehicle maker gears up to open its Shanghai plant.

SOFTBANK-GROUP-RESULTS/ SoftBank's Son humbled after Vision Fund's $8.9 billion loss

TOKYO (Reuters) - SoftBank reported its first quarterly loss in 14 years on Wednesday, whiplashed by an $8.9 billion hit at its giant Vision Fund and marking a rare, humbling moment for CEO Masayoshi Son over his backing of troubled startup WeWork. ENTERTAINMENT

MUSIC-GEORGEMICHAEL/ Late pop idol George Michael returns with new song

LONDON (Reuters) - A new track recorded by George Michael in his last studio sessions before his 2016 death was released on Wednesday, in which the late British pop idol sings about social ills. FRANCE-CINEMA-DENEUVE-HOSPITAL/

French movie icon Catherine Deneuve admitted to hospital: Le Parisien PARIS (Reuters) - French actress Catherine Deneuve, 76, was admitted to hospital in Paris after falling ill overnight, French newspaper Le Parisien reported on Wednesday.

SPORTS SOCCER-AUSTRALIA-PAY/

'Unique agreement' closes pay gap in Australia: FFA Australian soccer’s governing body said on Wednesday it has reached agreement with the players’ union on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that “closes the pay gap” between the men’s and women’s national teams.

BASKETBALL-NBA-CHI-LAL/ LeBron's triple-double rallies Lakers past Bulls

LeBron James registered a triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers stormed back from a 19-point second-half deficit for a 118-112 win over the host Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. UPCOMING

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS UGANDA-RAILWAYS/ (PIX) (TV)

Interview with chief executive of Uganda Railways Corporation Interview with the chief executive of state-run Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) on plans to rehabilitate the country's century-old meter-gauge line, funding for that and whether revamping of the old line means plans for a Chinese-funded standard gauge railway project have been abandoned.

6 Nov 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT USA-SEC/PUBLICCOMPANIES (PIX)

Investors left exposed as Trump's SEC fortifies America Inc The United States' top market cop is slowly taking the shackles off corporations.

6 Nov 07:00 ET / 12:00 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 o current economic conditions or monetary policy before the C. Peter McColough Series on International Economics, in New York.

6 Nov 08:00 ET / 13:00 GMT CVS HEALTH-RESULTS/ (PIX)

CVS Health Corp reports third-quarter earnings CVS Health Corp is expected to report on Wednesday third-quarter profit driven by increased U.S. prescription drug prices fueling rebates to its pharmacy benefits business.

6 Nov 08:30 ET / 13:30 GMT MEXICO-AUTOS/

Mexican statistics agency publishes auto production data Mexican statistics agency publishes auto production and export data for November.

6 Nov 09:00 ET / 14:00 GMT USA-FED/WILLIAMS (PIX)

John Williams at New York Event NY Fed president John Williams speaks at a WSJ future of work event.

6 Nov 09:30 ET / 14:30 GMT USA-FED/HARKER

Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank President Harker speaks on "rethinking workforce investments" Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker speaks on "Rethinking Workforce Investments" before event, "Business Innovations for the Future of Work," in Philadelphia, Pa.

6 Nov 15:15 ET / 20:15 GMT USA-FED/WILLIAMS

New York Federal Reserve Bank issues text of President Williams's remarks Federal Reserve Bank of New York releases text of President John Williams's welcome remarks before the closed New York Fed - GARP Global Risk Forum, in New York.

6 Nov 18:30 ET / 23:30 GMT CANADA-QUEBEC/BUDGET

Canadian province of Quebec gives budget update The Canadian province of Quebec will update its budget for 2019-2020, which is running a surplus.

7 Nov EUROPE-GAS/

European Annual Gas Conference The for this year's conference is Emerging Pathways for Gas & LNG in the Decarbonizing European Energy Landscape. Speakers include gas executives from Gazprom, Total, Shell, ENI etc.

7 Nov ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT

FILM-LASTCHRISTMAS/INTERVIEW (TV) George Michael's music the soundtrack for movie 'Last Christmas'

Reuters speak to the producer of the film "Last Christmas" ahead of its release on November 8. The romantic comedy which features George Michael and Wham!'s music, stars Emelia Clarke, Henry Golding and was co-written by Emma Thompson. 6 Nov 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

VALENTINO-CHINA/ Valentino holds a couture show

Valentino brings one of their Haute Couture shows to Beijing. 7 Nov

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS SPAIN-ELECTION/

SCENARIOS: Will Spain get a prime minister? How could that even work? Scenarios piece on what could happen in Spain's after Sunday's parliamentary election, which opinion polls show will likely deliver no easy majority for any party of group or parties. Who will swallow their pride for the greater prize of being in government or the greater good of avoiding yet another repeat election?

6 Nov 09:00 ET / 14:00 GMT USA-TRUMP/RUSSIA-STONE

Jury selection to resume in trial of Trump adviser Stone Jury selection in the trial of President Donald Trump's adviser Roger Stone will resume for a second day on Wednesday, in a case that may renew attention on efforts by Trump’s 2016 campaign to obtain embarrassing emails that U.S. intelligence officials say were stolen by Russia to embarrass Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

6 Nov 09:30 ET / 14:30 GMT USA-CHINA/FENTANYL (PIX) (TV)

China, U.S. holds joint presser on fentanyl smuggling case The presser will be held by China's National Narcotics Control commission and drug law enforcement officers from the U.S. and will detail a case of a fentanyl smuggling. The U.S. has long accused of China not cracking down on the fentanyl supply, which China has denied.

7 Nov 21:00 ET / 02:00 GMT SOUTHKOREA-USA/

Top U.S. diplomat for Asia to visit S.Korea David Stilwell, the U.S. State Department's assistant secretary for East Asia and the Pacific, is set to visit South Korea amid stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea, a deepening history and trade row between Seoul and Tokyo, and ongoing negotiations on the costs for keeping 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea.

7 Nov SPAIN-ELECTION/CATALONIA

The Catalonia headache: what awaits Spain's next prime minister? Catalan separatism has been the number one topic of Spain's parliamentary election campaign yet again and could well influence its outcome, but one thing is certain, no matter who wins, trying to find a solution for the restive region will be a major challenge, both to avoid more unrest and make sure it does not become a frozen conflict.

7 Nov SPORTS

SOCCER-USA/MORGAN (PIX) INTERVIEW-USWNT striker Morgan discusses future of the sport

U.S. Women's National Team striker Alex Morgan, who recently announced she is expecting her first child, discusses the team's World Cup triumph and the future of women's soccer at the unveiling of a playing field in Gardena. 6 Nov 22:00 ET / 03:00 GMT

CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE PEOPLE-HARVEY WEINSTEIN/ (PIX) (TV)

Judge to rule on Harvey Weinstein's motion to dismiss indictment New York Supreme Court Justice James Burke in Manhattan is expected to rule on producer Harvey Weinstein's motion to dismiss the indictment against him ahead of his scheduled January sexual assault trial.

7 Nov BRITAIN-CRIME/TATE (TV)

Teenager accused of throwing boy from Tate in court British teenager accused of throwing a French boy from viewing platform of Tate Gallery due to enter plea in court

7 Nov EXXON MOBIL-LAWSUIT/

Exxon to wrap up defense in climate change fraud trial Lawyers for Exxon Mobil Corp are expected to rest their defense on Thursday in this lawsuit brought by New York's attorney general accusing the company of misleading investors about the risks climate change regulation posed to its business. The case is before Justice Barry Ostrager in Manhattan Supreme Court.

7 Nov SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY

HEALTH-VAPING/CDC U.S. CDC weekly update on lung illnesses related to e-cigarettes

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates the number of confirmed and probable cases and deaths every Thursday as the investigation into what has caused the mysterious illness deepens 7 Nov