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

Five boats believed to belong to Iranian Revolutionary Guards approached a British oil tanker in the Gulf on Wednesday and asked it to stop in Iranian waters close by, but withdrew after a British warship warned them, U.S. officials said.

SYRIA-SECURITY-NORTHWEST-ANALYSIS/ Assad hits a wall in Syrian war as front lines harden

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad’s assault in the northwest has been met with a painful rebel counterpunch that underlines Turkish resolve to keep the area out of his hands and shows why he will struggle to take back more of Syria by force. U.S.

STORM-GULFMEXICO-NEW-ORLEANS/ Heavy rains flood New Orleans streets in taste of storm ahead

New Orleans was hit with widespread flooding on Wednesday from heavy rain spawned from a weather system that forecasters warned could grow into a hurricane capable of causing severe inundation of the low-lying U.S. city. LOCKHEED-PLANT/

Lockheed Martin to keep Pennsylvania plant open at Trump's request Lockheed Martin Corp has decided to keep the Sikorsky helicopter plant in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, open after U.S. President Donald Trump pressed its chief executive to continue operations, the company said on Twitter on Wednesday.

BUSINESS USA-FED/

Powell testimony, Fed meeting highlight case for 'insurance' WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A confidence shock driven partly by the U.S. trade war is at the center of an increasingly persuasive argument for Federal Reserve policymakers seriously considering cutting rates for the first time in a decade.

USA-TRADE-CHINA-ANALYSIS/ Risks aside, Trump's team sees China trade stance as strength in 2020

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As trade talks resume between China and the United States, President Donald Trump’s advisers are confident he can portray his stance against Beijing as a strength in the 2020 election, despite making concessions and having no deal in sight. ENTERTAINMENT

PEOPLE-CELEBRITY100/ Taylor Swift shakes off Kardashian clan as highest-paid celebrity

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Taylor Swift was named the world’s highest-paid entertainer on Wednesday but was closely followed by two members of the wider Kardashian clan - reality star turned cosmetics queen Kylie Jenner and rapper Kanye West. SPORTS

PEOPLE-JIM-BOUTON Former big-leaguer Jim Bouton, author of groundbreaking 'Ball Four,' dies at 80

Former New York Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton, whose irreverent, raunchy baseball memoir, “Ball Four,” attracted both hostility and acclaim, died on Wednesday at his home in Massachusetts, according to media reports. He was 80. WORLDCUP-USA-PARADE/

New York showers confetti, love on U.S. women's soccer team NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amid confetti and chants of “equal pay,” New York honored the U.S. women’s soccer team on Wednesday with a ticker-tape parade up the “Canyon of Heroes,” celebrating its World Cup triumph and hailing the players’ emergence as icons of women’s rights.

UPCOMING POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

JAPAN-USA/ (PIX) (TV) U.S. Assistant Secretary David Stilwell arrives in Japan

David Stilwell, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, arrives in Japan on the first leg of a visit to Asia. Stilwell is expected to give a statement upon his arrival in Tokyo. 11 Jul 01:45 ET / 05:45 GMT

USA-ELECTION/BIDEN (PIX) (TV) Democratic presidential candidate Biden to lay out foreign policy vision

Former Vice President Joe Biden will lay out his foreign policy vision in a speech at the City University of New York. 11 Jul 06:00 ET / 10:00 GMT

USA-IMMIGRATION/SEPARATIONS (PIX) When the U.S. puts a border between migrant kids and their caretakers

On June 12, Gerardo, a 41-year-old indigenous bricklayer from Guatemala appeared before a U.S. immigration judge in El Paso, Texas. Since crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally two months earlier with his 14-year-old son, he had been separated from the boy and forced to wait in Mexico for his hearing. Now, he had only one question for the judge: “Can you help me get my son back?” 11 Jul 06:00 ET / 10:00 GMT

GERMANY-DENMARK/ (PIX) (TV) Merkel receives Denmark's new Social Democratic PM Mette Frederiksen

German Chancellor Angela Merkel receives Denmark's new Social Democratic PM Mette Frederiksen with military honours before they speak to reporters, one day after the chancellor was seen shaking during military honours for Finland's new prime minister. 11 Jul 06:30 ET / 10:30 GMT

CZECH-POLITICS/ Czech PM Babis meets president to discuss row threatening coalition

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis to meet President Milos Zeman amid a cabinet crisis. 11 Jul 11:00 ET / 15:00 GMT

BRITAIN-EU/LEADER-DEBATE (PIX) (TV) Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt take part in Conservative Party leadership hustings

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt take part in Conservative Party leadership hustings in race to become Prime Minister. This debate will take place in Maidstone. 11 Jul 14:00 ET / 18:00 GMT

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS CARG-RESULTS/

Cargill reports fiscal Q4 2019 earnings Cargill Inc will report its fiscal Q4 2019 earnings as the ongoing U.S.-China trade war continues to impact one of the world's largest global grain traders. The Minnesota-based firm has battled slumping revenues across all its business units - battered by factors as varied as swine fever in Asian hogs and slumping U.S. ethanol prices. We'll have an interview with the CFO.

11 Jul 04:00 ET / 08:00 GMT SERBIA-RATES/

Serbia's central bank annouces benchmark rate Serbia's central bank to annouce benchmark rate

11 Jul 06:00 ET / 10:00 GMT USA-FED/POWELL (PIX) (TV)

Federal Reserve Chairman Powell testifies on monetary policy before Senate Banking Committee Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivers Semiannnual Monetary Policy Report to Congress in testimony before the Senate Banking Committee, in Washington.

11 Jul 10:00 ET / 14:00 GMT USA-FED/BARKIN

Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Barkin speaks before economic summit Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin speaks on "Confidence, Expectations and Implications for Monetary Policy" before the Global Interdependence Center Eleventh Annual Rocky Mountain Economic Summit, in Victor, Idaho.

11 Jul 12:30 ET / 16:30 GMT SAFRICA-ECONOMY/ (PIX)

South Africa's finance minister Mboweni delivers budget vote to parliament South Africa's Finance Minister Tito Mboweni delivers the National Treasury budget vote speech to parliament, setting out priorities for the department.

11 Jul 12:30 ET / 16:30 GMT USA-FED/BOSTIC

Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Bostic speaks on monetary policy Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic speaks on monetary policy before the Volcker Alliance FY2020 State Fiscal Conference: "Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting – Looming Risks, Durable Solutions," in Atlanta, Ga.

11 Jul 13:00 ET / 17:00 GMT EGYPT-CENBANK/

Egypt's central bank announces interest rates The Central Bank of Egypt's monetary policy committee is due to meet and decide if Egypt's interest rates will change or remain the same.

11 Jul 13:00 ET / 17:00 GMT USA-FED/QUARLES

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Quarles participates in "financial regulation and monetary policy" discussion Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Quarles participates in "financial regulation and monetary policy" discussion before the Bipartisan Policy Center, in Washington.

11 Jul 13:30 ET / 17:30 GMT USA-FED/WILLIAMS

New York Federal Reserve Bank President Williams speaks at University of Albany-SUNY Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams speaks before event organized by the University of Albany-SUNY, in Albany, N.Y.

11 Jul 13:30 ET / 17:30 GMT NEWZEALAND-ECONOMY/HOMESALES

REINZ releases New Zealand house prices for June Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) releases house prices data for June. 12 Jul 17:00 ET / 21:00 GMT

ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT PEOPLE-HARVEY WEINSTEIN/ (PIX) (TV)

Hearing on Harvey Weinstein hiring new lawyers in rape case A hearing is scheduled on film producer Harvey Weinstein's hiring of new lawyers in his rape case. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting two women, and could face life in prison if convicted.

11 Jul 09:30 ET / 13:30 GMT