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

The coronavirus spread further on Friday, with cases reported for the first time in at least six countries across four continents, battering markets and leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise its impact risk alert to “very high.” TWITTER-ELLIOTT

Elliott targets Twitter, seeking CEO Dorsey's removal - sources (Reuters)- Hedge fund Elliott Management Corp has amassed a stake in Twitter Inc and is pushing for changes, including removal of the social media company's chief executive, Jack Dorsey, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS-CESARS

Polanski wins best director at Cesars, prompting walkout protest PARIS (Reuters)- Roman Polanski cast a shadow over France's Cesar Awards on Friday even as he won best directing for his film "An Officer and a Spy," with several women in the audience walking out in protest at honouring a man facing rape accusations.

CHINA-HEALTH-NETFLIX Coronavirus sends Netflix looking outside Italy for part of Dwayne Johnson's 'Red Notice' shoot

CHINA-HEALTH-NETFLIX- Filming of Netflix Inc's big-budget Dwayne Johnson movie "Red Notice" had been scheduled to move to Italy in the coming weeks, but producers now are exploring other locations due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country, a source close to the production told Reuters on Friday. SPORTS

BASKETBALL-NBA-ROUNDUP NBA roundup: Thunder's streak ends in blowout loss to Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 133-86 home blowout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. ICEHOCKEY-NHL-ROUNDUP

NHL roundup: Knights keep rolling in Lehner's debut Robin Lehner made 32 saves in his Vegas debut, and Reilly Smith scored two goals as the Golden Knights tied a franchise record with their eighth consecutive victory with a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night in Las Vegas.

UPCOMING SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY

CHINA-HEALTH/ITALY (PIX) (TV) Italian regional chief sorry for saying Chinese eat 'live mice'

The governor of Veneto, one of the regions worst hit by an outbreak in Italy of coronavirus, apologises for criticising China over the contagion and saying Chinese people "eat live mice" 29 Feb 08:00 ET / 13:00 GMT

CHINA-HEALTH/JAPAN-SPORTS (PIX) (TV) Empty stadiums, empty streets, a prelude to what virus-thinned Olympics

Empty stadiums, empty streets – this is what Tokyo 2020 Olympics would look like if organizers forge ahead and hold events without spectators, as professional sports events are doing this weekend. The Yomiuri Giants – the Yankees of Japanese baseball – are playing this weekend in front of an empty stadium. The Tokyo Marathon, which last year saw more than 100,000 in the streets of Japan’s capital, will be reduced to a few hundred professional runners on a course that authorities have asked to keep clear of onlookers. Mar 1

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS PERU-INFLATION/

Peru releases inflation data for February Peru's government shares data on consumer prices for the month of February.

1 Mar 19:00 ET / 00:00 GMT POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

TAIWAN-USA/ Senior US diplomat visits Taiwan

James Moriarty, the US-based head of the American Institute in Taiwan, the top US diplomat in charge of Washington's unofficial ties with Taipei, visits the island and meets senior officials. Mar 1