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

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it was "a bit too early" to declare a new coronavirus a global health emergency as China put millions of people on lockdown amid an outbreak that has killed 18 people in the country and infected around 650 globally

IRAN-USA-SANCTIONS/ U.S. imposes fresh Iran-related sanctions on two people, six companies

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday said it blacklisted two companies based in Hong Kong, one in Shanghai and one in Dubai for helping Iran's state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) export millions of dollars of goods in violation of U.S. sanctions. U.S.

USA-TRUMP/IMPEACHMENT Democrats use words of Trump allies against him in impeachment trial

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats on Thursday pressed their case at U.S. President Donald Trump's Senate trial for removing him from office by using the words of his own allies against him to make the point that his actions constituted impeachment offenses, but his fellow Republicans showed no signs of turning against him. USA-IMMIGRATION/TRUMP

Trump administration steps up scrutiny of pregnant visa applicants WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration rolled out a new rule on Thursday that aims to limit "birth tourism" by women who enter the United States on tourist visas with the intention of obtaining citizenship for their babies born on American soil.

BUSINESS TESLA-STOCKS-GRAPHIC/

Tesla overtakes Volkswagen as world's second most valuable carmaker Tesla Inc has overtaken Germany's Volkswagen as the world's second most valuable carmaker behind Japan's Toyota (7203.T), as the meteoric rise in the U.S. electric vehicle maker's shares reshuffles the global market.

USA-ECONOMY/ U.S. weekly jobless claims rise modestly; labor market tight

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits increased less than expected last week, suggesting the labor market continues to tighten even as job growth is slowing. ENTERTAINMENT

PEOPLE-HARVEY-WEINSTEIN/ Weinstein defense grills actress Annabella Sciorra about alleged rape

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actress Annabella Sciorra testified on Thursday that Harvey Weinstein pinned her hands behind her head and violently raped her more than 25 years ago, becoming the first accuser to take the stand against the former Hollywood producer in his sexual assault trial. BRITAIN-ROYALS/CANADA-VICTORIA

Tea rooms and double-decker buses: Prince Harry may find home in Canada's royal city VICTORIA, British Columbia,(Reuters) - Prince Harry and wife Meghan have settled, for now, into a seaside home near the most royal of Canadian cities - Victoria, British Columbia (B.C.)- named after a queen who reigned until 1901, during a great expansion of the British Empire.

SPORTS TENNIS-AUSOPEN/

Sealed with a kiss, Nadal eases into third round in Melbourne MELBOURNE,(Reuters) - Rafa Nadal passed up a good few chances for an earlier finish to his night before muscling his way into the third round of the Australian Open with a commanding 6-3 7-6(4) 6-1 victory over Argentine Federico Delbonis on Thursday.

ICEHOCKEY-NHL-OTT-DAL-METHOT/ Former D Methot: 'I'm probably done playing hockey'

Former NHL defenseman Marc Methot told TSN Radio Ottawa 1200 on Thursday that he is unlikely to play again in the NHL. UPCOMING

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS USA-TRUMP/IMPEACHMENT-REPUBLICANS

Trump impeachment case wins grudging respect from some Republicans but may not change minds Two days into U.S. House Democrats' impeachment trial, there was little sign on Thursday that their arguments had changed any minds among the Republican senators who hold a majority in the chamber and President Donald Trump's fate in their hands.

23 Jan 17:00 ET / 22:00 GMT USA-TRUMP/IMPEACHMENT-RESTLESSNESS

How long can the U.S. Senate sit still? Twenty minutes The 100 U.S. senators who will determine whether to remove President Donald Trump from office at the end of his impeachment trial managed to stay seated and listen to the Democratic case against him for about 20 minutes on Thursday.

23 Jan 18:00 ET / 23:00 GMT USA-ELECTION/TECH (PIX)

FACTBOX-Where U.S. presidential candidates stand on the breakup of Big Tech In the run-up to the November 2020 U.S. election, big tech companies face challenges from across the political spectrum, over issues from antitrust concerns to political ad policies to their role in ensuring the security of the election. We look at where President Donald Trump and his major Democratic challengers stand on breaking up and regulating Big Tech.

Jan 24 PERU-POLITICS/

Preview: Peruvians to vote for new lawmakers after Vizcarra dissolved Congress Peruvians gear up to vote in a new Congress after President Martin Vizcarra dissolved lawmakers when they shelved popular anti-corruption measures in the politically polarised nation.

Jan 24 CHINA-HEALTH/VIRUS Latest on coronavirus spreading in China and beyond - a rolling snapshot A rolling snapshot of the latest developments in the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China

Jan 24 DAVOS-MEETING/ (PIX) (TV)

2020 World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos The World Economic Forum hosts its annual meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. Jan 24

USA-TRUMP/IMPEACHMENT-WHATNEXT FACTBOX-Developments to expect in Trump's impeachment trial Running factbox on what developments to expect in U.S. President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in U.S. Senate.

Jan 24 USA-TRUMP/IMPEACHMENT-QUOTES

FACTBOX-Best quotes from impeachment trial of Trump Running factbox on best quotes from trial. Jan 24

CLIMATE-CHANGE/NORWAY (PIX) (TV) No snow in winter? Norwegians make it instead

On a recent Sunday afternoon in a forest outside Oslo, close to a hundred children learn how to cross-country ski thanks to six canons blasting artificial snow, while metres away, weekend walkers stroll on paths bare of any ice. Jan 24

USA-TRUMP/IMPEACHMENT (PIX) (TV) Trump stands trial in U.S. Senate

U.S. President Donald Trump stands trial in U.S. Senate, charged with abuse of office and obstruction of Congress, only third U.S. president in history to go on trial in the chamber. Jan 24

USA-HUAWEI TECH/CANADA (PIX) (TV) Huawei CFO's extradition hearing begins in Canadian courtroom

Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou's extradition hearing will begin at a Canadian court in Vancouver. Meng was arrested in December 2018 at the request of the United States on charges of bank fraud, and accused of misleading the bank HSBC about a Huawei-owned company's dealings with Iran. 24 Jan 03:00 ET / 08:00 GMT

FRANCE-PROTESTS/PENSIONS-DEMO (PIX) (TV) French unions call for nationwide day of strike and protests against pensions reform.

French unions urge workers back out onto the streets for another day of nationwide strikes and street protests against pension reform. But after a six-week wave of strikes failed to force Macron into a wholesale retreat, it is not likely they will deliver a decisive blow in Friday's protest. 24 Jan 05:00 ET / 10:00 GMT

BRITAIN-BODIES/IRELAND Ruling on Irish extradition over UK truck death

Ireland's High Court will decide whether to approve the extradition of a Northern Irish man to Britain to face charges of manslaughter over the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people found in the back of a truck near London in October. 24 Jan 05:30 ET / 10:30 GMT

MALAWI-RASTAFARIANS/ (PIX) (TV) Malawi's Rastas cheer ruling allowing dreadlocks in school

Malawian Rastas are cheering a court ruling that authorities must allow children to go to school with dreadlocks if they so wish.The court ruled that Rastafarianism is a religion just like any other and so banning dreadlocks -- adopted by Rastas as a religious symbol -- was unconstitutional. 24 Jan 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

TURKEY-GERMANY/ (PIX) (TV) Germany's Merkel meets Turkish President Erdogan in Istanbul

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits the Turkish city of Istanbul to meet President Tayyip Erdogan and discuss international and bilateral issues. A joint news conference is due at 1315 GMT. 24 Jan 08:15 ET / 13:15 GMT

DISASTERS / ACCIDENTS AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES/AIRCRAFT (PIX) (TV)

Australian authorities investigate crash of Canadian waterbombing plane Australian authorities continue their investigation into the cause of the crash of a Canadian waterbombing plane, which killed all three of its crew.

Jan 24 CHINA-HEALTH/

WHO says 'bit too early' to declare coronavirus a global emergency The World Health Organisation said on Thursday it was "a bit too early" to declare a new coronavirus a global health emergency as China put millions of people on lockdown amid an outbreak that has killed 18 people and infected more than 630.

Jan 24 CONFLICTS / WAR / PEACE

POLAND-WW2/PLANE (TV) Remains of soldiers found at crash site of WW2-era Soviet plane

Excavators discovered wreckage and the remains of several crew members of a Soviet American-made bomber from World War II near the town of Bierun in southern Poland. According to an eyewitness account, the plane was shot down by the Germans on January 19, 1945, one week before the Red Army liberated the nearby Auschwitz death camp. Jan 24

YEMEN-SECURITY/HEALTH-DENGUE (PIX) (TV) Dengue outbreak in Yemen accelerates

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group says cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever are increasing in their territory amid the country's almost five-year-old war. Jan 24

ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT NEW YORK-WOMAN BREWER/ (PIX) (TV)

Harlem brewer taps her African-American roots for flavor Celeste Beatty, who claims to be the first African-American woman brewer in the United States, sees craft beer making as a way to reconnect with her roots. Jan 24

BULGARIA-PAINTER/ (PIX) (TV) Blind painter restores icons and murals in Bulgarian churches

Stamen Karamfilov, who had been working as a painter-restorer in Bulgarian churches and monasteries, recovering icons, murals and ancient paintings, lost his eye sight in 2015. But despite his disability he continues creating beautiful paintings, relying entirely on his intuition for colour as he paints. 24 Jan 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS COLOMBIA-CENBANK/

POLL-Colombia central bank set to hold interest rate steady Colombia's central bank is set to hold the benchmark interest rate at 4.25% at its meeting next week, analysts said in a Reuters poll on Friday. Jan 24

PHILIPPINES-CENBANK/ Philippine central bank hosts annual reception for the banking community

Philippine central bank Governor Benjamin Diokno and members of the policy-making Monetary Board hold annual reception for the banking community. 24 Jan 03:00 ET / 08:00 GMT

NIGERIA-RATES/ Nigeria's central bank to set benchmark interest rate Nigeria's central bank will set its benchmark interest rate. The bank's monetary policy committee has held its main lending rate at 13.5% since cutting it from 14% last March in a surprise move aimed at signalling a new direction.

24 Jan 09:00 ET / 14:00 GMT CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE

PEOPLE-HARVEY WEINSTEIN/ (PIX) (TV) Trial continues in Weinstein rape case The rape trial of movie producer Harvey Weinstein continues.

24 Jan 09:30 ET / 14:30 GMT PEOPLE-HARVEY WEINSTEIN/ (PIX) (TV)

Trial continues in Weinstein rape case The rape trial of movie producer Harvey Weinstein continues. 24 Jan 09:30 ET / 14:30 GMT

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