REUTERS NEWS SCHEDULE AT 10 p.m. GMT /6:00 a.m. SGT

Iran’s supreme leader threw his support behind the elite Revolutionary Guards in a rare sermon on Friday after their belated admission that they had accidentally downed an airliner triggered days of protests on the streets.

IRAN-CRASH/ Canada says black boxes from Iran crash should be sent to France

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday urged Iran to send the black boxes from the passenger plane shot down by its forces to France for analysis and said the first remains of victims should soon arrive back in Canada. U.S.

USA-TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT-POMPEO/ U.S. will work to determine if ex-ambassdor Yovanovitch was under threat - Pompeo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department will do everything necessary to determine whether former U.S. ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was under threat in Ukraine, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. USA-ELECTION-TRUMP-IOWA/

Despite lack of primary threat, Trump 'going big' in Iowa DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s campaign plans to blanket Iowa with representatives and events ahead of the state’s Feb. 3 caucuses, hoping to use the first-in-the-nation primary to show evidence of his strength in rural America, sources tell Reuters.

BUSINESS USA-ECONOMY/

U.S. housing starts at 13-year high, factory output gains WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. homebuilding surged to a 13-year high in December as activity increased across the board, suggesting the housing market recovery was back on track amid low mortgage rates, and could help support the longest economic expansion on record.

USA-FED-BULLARD/ The yield curve's still weird. Fed's Bullard is okay with that

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - It was more than a year ago when St. Louis Federal Reserve bank President James Bullard started raising the alarm about a U.S. bond market where interest rates seemed to show investors losing faith in the economy, a risky environment for the Fed to carry out planned rate increases. ENTERTAINMENT

USA-ENTERTAINMENT-RECORDINGACADEMY-DU/ Days before Grammys, academy shakes up leadership over 'allegation of misconduct'

The organizers of the Grammy Awards have placed their president and chief executive, Deborah Dugan, on leave because of an “allegation of misconduct” they said in a statement, noting that the Jan. 26 show would go on as planned with an interim head. FRANCE-NETFLIX/

Netflix opens Paris office, plans new French-language series PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. television streaming company Netflix has opened a new Paris office and plans to develop more than 20 original French-language productions in 2020, it said on Friday.

SPORTS BASKETBALL-NBA-CHA-BIYOMBO/

NBA's investment in Africa to produce more stars: Biyombo PARIS (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association’s investment in Africa will result in more star players from the continent shining in the NBA, Charlotte Hornets center Bismack Biyombo said.

SOCCER-LAG-HERNANDEZ/ Chicharito signs with Galaxy to become highest-paid MLS star: report

Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy have signed Mexican goal machine Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez from Spanish side Sevilla, the Los Angeles Times reported here on Friday. UPCOMING

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS TECH-ANTITRUST/ (PIX)

Break up big tech's 'monopoly', smaller rivals tell Congress hearing Four companies testified at the latest hearing of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee in Colorado on Friday. The smaller companies are seeking to urge Congress to look at how big tech use their considerable clout to hurt rivals.

17 Jan 17:00 ET / 22:00 GMT DISASTERS / ACCIDENTS

PHILIPPINES-VOLCANO/ (PIX) (TV) Philippines on edge as restive volcano rumbles

Residents of town near Philippine volcano Taal were on edge as activity from the restive volcano appears to be waning. 18 Jan 22:00 ET / 03:00 GMT

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS GERMANY-EU/

German Chancellor Merkel meets EU Commission head German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meet at the chancellery in Berlin.

Jan 18 MYANMAR-CHINA/XI (PIX) (TV)

China's Xi meets Suu Kyi in Myanmar, to sign agreements Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the second day of his visit to Myanmar and the leaders will witness signing of memoranda of understanding. Xi's visit marks 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Jan 18 USA-ELECTION/EDUCATION

Democratic presidential candidates attend Iowa education forum Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, and Pete Buttigieg will speak on Saturday in West Des Moines at a conference hosted by the Iowa State Education Association.

Jan 18 USA-ELECTION/SANDERS

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders campaigns in New Hampshire ahead of Democratic primary White House hopeful Bernie Sanders will travel to New Hampshire to campaign ahead of the Feb. 11 Democratic primary election, in which he is among the front-runners in a crowded field of Democrats competing to take on Republican President Donald Trump in a November general election.Saturday sees Sanders in Exeter for a town hall event and holding a rally in Manchester.

Jan 18 ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT

SPAIN-TOURISM/ (TV) Binge no more: Spain's Balearic Islands crack down on booze-fueled tourism

The government of Spain's Balearic Islands approves a landmark law cracking down on the binge-drinking that bedevils parts of Ibiza and Mallorca, in what officials described as a "European first". Jan 18