REUTERS NEWS SCHEDULE AT 6.30 a.m. GMT/1.30 a.m. ET

The United States killed Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force and spearhead of Iran’s spreading military influence in the Middle East, on Friday in an air strike at Baghdad airport, the Pentagon and Iran said.

NISSAN-GHOSN/ Security camera shows Ghosn leaving Tokyo home alone before his escape: NHK

TOKYO (Reuters) - A surveillance camera captured former Nissan Motor Co chairman Carlos Ghosn leaving his Tokyo residence alone shortly before his surprise escape from Japan, public broadcaster NHK said on Friday, citing investigative sources. U.S.

USA-ELECTION-FUNDRAISING/ Happy New Year for Sanders, Trump in campaign fundraising hauls

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bernie Sanders raised more than $34.5 million in the last quarter of 2019, the largest three-month haul for a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, while Republican President Donald Trump drew $46 million on the heels of his impeachment, their campaigns said on Thursday. USA-ELECTION-BIDEN-FUNDRAISING/

U.S. presidential hopeful Joe Biden has best fundraising quarter of his campaign NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden took in $22.7 million in the last three months of 2019, his campaign said in a statement on Thursday, a pickup in fundraising just weeks before voters kick off the party’s nominating process.

BUSINESS USA-TRADE-CHINA-AGRICULTURE-INSIGHT/

U.S. farmers see another bleak year despite Phase 1 trade deal CHICAGO/DIMMITT, Texas (Reuters) - Across snow-covered North Dakota, U.S. farmers are stuck with fields full of weather-damaged corn - a crop they planted after the U.S.-China trade war killed their soybean market. Many don’t know yet what crops they’ll plant next season among a host of dicey options.

TESLA-CHINA-DELIVERY/ Tesla says will start delivering China-made Model 3s to public on Jan. 7

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Tesla Inc will deliver its first China-made Model 3 sedans to the public on Jan. 7 at an event at its Shanghai plant, a representative for the firm told Reuters on Thursday. ENTERTAINMENT

PEOPLE-HARVEY-WEINSTEIN-JURY/ Motivated by #MeToo? Vetting jurors in Weinstein case will be a challenge, experts say

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein goes to trial on rape charges next week in Manhattan, lawyers will need to keep an eye out for jurors who want to use the case to make a statement about sexual abuse following the rise of the #MeToo movement, legal experts said. FILM-WOMEN/

Female directors reached record highs in 2019 Hollywood (Reuters) - The number of women behind the camera on Hollywood movies jumped to record levels in 2019, with 12 directing top-grossing films including “Frozen II,” “Captain Marvel” and “Hustlers,” two studies showed on Thursday.

SPORTS TENNIS-CLIJSTERS/

Kids first, tournaments second, says comeback queen Clijsters (Reuters) - Four-times Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters, due to make her professional comeback after a seven-year hiatus, said she will be selective in picking the tournaments she plays to give her time to focus on her children.

TENNIS-AUSTRALIA-KYRGIOS/ Kyrgios pledges money for victims of Australian bushfires

More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed by the fires fuelled by searing temperatures and high winds, with Kyrgios’ hometown of Canberra experiencing its worst air quality and residents have been told to stay indoors. UPCOMING

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS TURKEY-TRADE/

Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan holds press conference to evaluate Turkey's 2019 trade performance Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan holds press conference to evaluate Turkey's 2019 trade performance.

3 Jan 08:00 ET, 13:00 GMT SPAIN-ECONOMY/UNEMPLOYED

Spain Labour Ministry to publish registered unemployed level (December 2019). 3 Jan 08:00 ET, 13:00 GMT

USA-FED/BARKIN Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Barkin speaks before bankers' group in Baltimore, Md.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin speaks on "Is a Recession Around the Corner?" before the Maryland Bankers Association First Friday Economic Outlook Forum, in Baltimore, Md. 3 Jan 16:05 ET, 21:05 GMT

USA-FED/MINUTES (PIX) (TV) (GRAPHIC) FOMC minutes

Federal Open Market Committee issues minutes from its meeting of December 10-11, 2019. 3 Jan 19:00 ET

SPORTS SOCCER-ITALY-MIL/IBRAHIMOVIC (PIX) (TV)

Soccer-AC Milan's new striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic holds news conference Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic re-joins AC Milan and speaks to media.

3 Jan 09:00 ET, 14:00 GMT ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT

AWARDS-GOLDEN GLOBES/ (PIX) Wicked Ricky takes on Golden Globes in Trump, #MeToo era

The Golden Globes kick off the Hollywood awards season on Sunday but the most talked-about attraction at the boozy dinner in Beverly Hills may be the wicked tongue of host Ricky Gervais. Whether Hollywood's A-listers and American television audiences will still embrace him four years after his last stint remains to be seen. 3 Jan 10:30 ET, 15:30 GMT

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

A look at the rise and fall of the media mogul Highlights and low points of Harvey Weinstein's career.

3 Jan 11:00 ET, 16:00 GMT POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

USA-TRUMP/RUSSIA U.S. appeals court weighs House bid to force ex-White House lawyer to testify and bid to see secret Mueller probe material

A U.S. appeals court will hear arguments on a House of Representatives committee's bid to force former White House lawyer Don McGahn to testify about potential obstruction of justice by President Trump in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. In a second session at the same court, judges will hear arguments on the House’s effort to gain access to certain secret grand jury material from Mueller’s probe. 3 Jan 11:00 ET, 16:00 GMT

USA-ELECTION/TRUMP (TV) Trump meets evangelical leaders

U.S. Donald Trump meets Christian leaders in Miami to launch the 'Evangelicals for Trump' coalition. 3 Jan 20:00 ET

TAIWAN-ELECTION/FACTBOX Key facts on Taiwan-China relations ahead of Taiwan elections

Taiwan goes to the polls next Saturday to elect a new president and parliament. China, which considers Taiwan merely a Chinese province and part of its territory, will be watching the outcome closely. 4 Jan

TAIWAN-ELECTION/PROFILES Profiles of Taiwan's presidential candidates

Taiwan votes in presidential and parliamentary elections next Saturday, with three candidates standing for the position of president, including current leader Tsai Ing-wen who is up for re-election at the end of her first four-year term. 4 Jan

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY USA-POLLUTION/HOUSTON (PIX)

WIDER IMAGE - These Houston residents dream of moving to where the air is clear On the east side of Houston, the white plumes of the Texas oil and chemical refineries are a constant backdrop for residents of the Manchester neighbourhood. Some residents say the air has a chemical-based smell that they find hard to describe but disappears once they drive a few miles away from the homes that stretch along the Houston Ship Channel, a waterway connecting the plants to the ocean. They claim that the pollution is taking a toll on their health, although the scientific evidence does not prove that.

3 Jan 12:00 ET, 17:00 GMT

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)