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

Here are the top stories and upcoming coverage plans for Reuters text service as of 10 p.m. GMT/6 a.m. SGT. For a full schedule of news and events, go to our editorial calendar on Reuters Connect here.

TOP STORIES

GLOBAL

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-VACCINE-EMA/

Europe set to approve COVID-19 vaccine in Christmas week

BERLIN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europeans are set to start getting coronavirus vaccines before the new year after the regional drug regulator accelerated its approval process following the launch of immunisation campaigns in the United States and Britain.

IRAN-CRASH-CANADA/

Iran’s probe into downing of airliner has major flaws: Canada report

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Iran is not conducting its investigation into the downing of a civilian airliner in January properly and many questions remain unanswered, an independent Canadian report into the tragedy said on Tuesday.

U.S.

USA-ELECTION-GEORGIA/

Biden and McConnell talk after top Senate Republican acknowledges Democrat’s election win

ATLANTA (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Joe Biden spoke with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday and said that the two agreed to meet soon, after the lawmaker ended his silence on the results of the presidential election held six weeks ago.

USA-BIDEN-INTERIOR-EXCLUSIVE/

New Mexico’s Deb Haaland emerges as Biden’s top choice to lead U.S. Interior -sources

WILMINGTON, Del./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Deb Haaland of New Mexico appears to be President-elect Joe Biden’s top choice to head the Interior Department, three informed sources said, a pick that would make her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency.

BUSINESS

GLOBAL-CYBER-SOLARWINDS/

Hackers at center of sprawling spy campaign turned SolarWinds’ dominance against it

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On an earnings call two months ago, SolarWinds Chief Executive Kevin Thompson touted how far the company had gone during his 11 years at the helm.

USA-CYBER-PRIVATE-EQUITY/

Russian hacks weigh on private equity’s software investments

Some of the world’s biggest private equity firms, including Blackstone Group Inc, Silver Lake Partners LP and Thoma Bravo LP, own major stakes in the software firms whose shares dived on news that they were breached by suspected Russian hackers.

ENTERTAINMENT

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/BRITAINTHEATRE

Dismay as London’s theatres forced to close their doors again

London’s theatres will shut again on Wednesday as the British capital moves into the toughest level of coronavirus restrictions, with some forced to close Christmas shows just days after they opened, in a hammer blow for the industry.

CANADA-TATTOO-DAD/

Like son, like father: Alberta dad gets tattoo to match son’s birthmark

A Canadian father endured painful hours under a tattoo needle to help his “self-conscious” son accept a birthmark on his torso.

SPORTS

TENNIS-TENNIS-FEDERER/

Federer not sure he’ll be ready for australian open

Roger Federer said his right knee is still not 100 percent, casting doubt on his availability for the Australian Open.

BASKETBALL-NBA-MIL-ANTETOKOUNMPO/

‘This is my home’: Antetokounmpo signs extension with Bucks

Reigning National Basketball Association (NBA) MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has signed a five-year contract extension to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks, the 26-year-old said on Tuesday.

UPCOMING

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS

USA-BIDEN/TREASURY-MARKETS

ANALYSIS - After COVID shock, U.S. Treasury market set for new scrutiny - YEAR END

The functioning of the U.S. treasury market is expected to come under intense scrutiny by President-elect Joe Biden’s administration, after the $18 trillion market wobbled during the pandemic in March and nearly brought down the global financial system, investors, regulators and industry sources said. A review of major structural changes to improve the resilience of the market is likely to be one of the first major regulatory project for Janet Yellen’s Treasury Department and Biden’s other regulators, the sources said.

16 Dec 20:00 ET / 01:00 GMT

CZECH-BUDGET/

Czech parliament votes on 2021 budget, rifts over taxes, defence makes result uncertain

Dec 16

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/GERMANY BARS (PIX) (TV)

End of the party: Berlin bartenders reflect on life in lockdown

Famous the world over for their vibe, Berlin’s bars have been empty since Germany entered a second lockdown in November. Shortly after Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a lockdown extension that is likely to last until deep into next year, barmen reflect on the prolonged silence.

16 Dec 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

USA-FED/TRUMP

Federal Reserve “boneheads” emerge from Trump era (mostly) unscathed “Boneheads.” “Pathetic.” An “enemy” of the United States. President Donald Trump was often vicious in his critique of the U.S. Federal Reserve, bashing the central bank governors’ monetary policy decisions with tweets and verbal barbs, while trying to stack its Washington-based board with cronies.

16 Dec 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

SLOVAKIA-ECONOMY/CURRENT ACCOUNT

Slovakia-Current account

16 Dec 08:00 ET / 13:00 GMT

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

BRITAIN-POLITICS/JOHNSON (PIX) (TV)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes questions in parliament

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes questions in parliament.

Dec 16

PAPUA-POLITICS/ (TV)

PNG leader faces leadership threat after parliament recalled

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape faces a threat to his leadership after opponents were able to get parliament recalled, where Marape could face a vote of no confidence.

Dec 16

VENEZUELA-WAGES/ (PIX) (TV)

Empty desks litter Venezuelan state offices in low-pay exodus

Venezuelan tax offices stand deserted, classrooms lack teachers, and utility bills go uncollected, as meager civil servant salaries drive chronic absenteeism and resignations in the hundreds of thousands.

Dec 16

BRITAIN-AIRPORTS/HEATHROW

UK Supreme Court decision in Heathrow expansion case

Britain’s Supreme Court will hand down its decision on Heathrow Airport’s appeal to overturn a block on its expansion plans

16 Dec 04:30 ET / 09:30 GMT

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/GERMANY-MERKEL (PIX) (TV)

Merkel holds Q&A session in parliament

German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds a Q&A session in parliament, which will likely center around measures to contain the spread of the pandemic.

16 Dec 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

SPORTS

SPAIN-FLUIDRA/

Fluidra sees further sales growth in 2021 after boom year for pools

After a boom year for the swimming pool industry, Spain’s Fluidra expects sales in 2021 to grow slightly less, but above 5%, as it believes the stay-at-home cocooning effect prompted by the pandemic will not drain away quickly.

Dec 16

CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE

PEOPLE-GHISLAINE MAXWELL/

U.S. expected to file opposition to Ghislaine Maxwell’s renewed bail application

U.S. prosecutors are expected to file their opposition to the renewed bail application by Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite facing criminal charges she helped late financier Jeffrey Epstein procure girls for him to sexually abuse.. Maxwell has proposed a $28.5 million bail package that includes home confinement,electronic monitoring and round-the-clock security.

Dec 16

FRANCE-CHARLIEHEBDO/TRIAL (TV)

Verdict expected in the trial of the alleged accomplices of Charlie Hebdo attackers

The Court will at the same time say if it found guilty the 14 alleged accomplices of Islamist gunmen who targeted French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket in January 2015, killing 17 people, and sentence them.

16 Dec 10:00 ET / 15:00 GMT

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/VACCINE MARKETING (TV)

FOCUS-Vaccine and marketing groups take up challenge of promoting shots to pandemic’s hardest-hit

As the United States prepares for the enormous task of distributing the coronavirus vaccine, federal health agencies, nonprofits, and marketers are crafting public service campaigns for television, websites and social media to promote vaccination to all Americans, with emphasis on addressing longstanding, historically justifiable, distrust among racial minorities hardest hit by the virus, people working on these plans told Reuters.

16 Dec 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/VACCINE-ECUADOR

Interview with Ecuador’s health minister about vaccination plans

An interview with Ecuadorean Health Minister Juan Carlos Zevallos about the country’s plan to obtain coronavirus vaccines.

16 Dec 08:00 ET / 13:00 GMT