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

Here are the top stories and upcoming coverage plans for Reuters text service as of 11 a.m.GMT/6 a.m.ET. For a full schedule of news and events, go to our editorial calendar on Reuters Connect https://www.reutersconnect.com/planning.

TOP STORIES

GLOBAL

USA-TRUMP/CHINA

U.S. bolsters support for Taiwan and Tibet, angering China

China expressed anger on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law measures to further bolster support for Taiwan and Tibet, which had been included in a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package.

ETHIOPIA-ARREST/

Ethiopian police arrest Reuters cameraman

A Reuters cameraman, Kumerra Gemechu, was arrested in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Thursday and will be kept in custody for at least two weeks, his family said. He has not been charged.

U.S.

USA-TRUMP/

After Trump backs down on stimulus bill, Democrats aim for higher relief checks

Democrats in the U.S. Congress on Monday will try to push through expanded $2,000 pandemic relief payments for Americans after President Donald Trump backed down from a fight with lawmakers that could have shut down the federal government.

TENNESSEE-BLAST/

Nashville blast suspect died in explosion, police say

The 63-year-old suspect in the bombing that rocked Nashville on Christmas morning was killed in the blast that destroyed his motor home and damaged more than 40 businesses, authorities said on Sunday.

BUSINESS

BRITAIN-EU/PREPARATIONS

With just days to go, Britain urges business to prepare for end of Brexit transition

Britain on Monday urged businesses to prepare for Brexit, just days before a transition period designed to smooth the UK's departure from the European Union comes to an end.

ALIBABA-BUYBACK/

Alibaba's $10 bln buyback plan fails to halt stock slide as regulatory concerns mount

Alibaba shares slumped 9% to their lowest since June on Monday, as the firm's upsized $10 billion buyback programme failed to ease concerns about a regulatory crackdown on co-founder Jack Ma's e-commerce and financial empire.

ENTERTAINMENT

FILM-WONDER WOMAN/

'Wonder Woman' box office hits a pandemic high in cinema, streaming showdown

"Wonder Woman 1984" pulled in $36.1 million at worldwide theaters over the Christmas holiday weekend and boosted streaming viewership on HBO Max, Warner Bros. said on Sunday as it confirmed plans for a third film in the superhero franchise.

CHRISTMAS-SEASON/COLOMBIA

Colombian taxi driver and canine co-pilot spread Christmas cheer

People looking for a bit of Christmas merriment in the Colombian capital might find it in an unexpected place: the front seat of a taxi, in the form of a costumed canine co-pilot.

SPORTS

ATHLETICS-DUPLANTIS/

After eclipsing 'mythological' Bubka, Duplantis eyes Tokyo gold

Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis said his desire to better Sergey Bubka's outdoor mark kept him motivated in the 2020 season and after clearing 6.15m to eclipse the Ukrainian great in September the 21-year-old is aiming to go higher next year.

TENNIS-AUSOPEN/FEDERER

Federer out of Australian Open: agent

Six-times champion Roger Federer has withdrawn from the Australian Open as he continues to work his way back to fitness from two knee operations earlier this year, his agent said.

UPCOMING

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/TURKEY-ERDOGAN

Turkey's Erdogan chairs cabinet meeting likely to focus on coronavirus

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan chairs a cabinet meeting, with topics on the agenda likely to include the response to the coronavirus pandemic and vaccination efforts, relations with the European Union, and U.S. sanctions. He is expected to hold a news conference afterwards.

28 Dec 06:30 ET / 11:30 GMT

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/WHO BRIEFING (TV)

WHO regular press briefing with DG on coronavirus pandemic

Top officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), including director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, give a press conference on the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. Focus on scientific advances with guest speakers including David Heymann, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Dan Barouch, Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, United States; Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Associate Scientific Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research, South Africa and Marion Koopmans, DVM PhD, Head department of Viroscience, The Netherlands.

28 Dec 11:00 ET / 16:00 GMT

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

USA-IPOS/DIRECTLISTINGS (ANALYSIS)

ANALYSIS-U.S. firms can snow nub IPO underwriters, yet many of them won't

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's long-waited approval on capital raising through direct listings will be seized on by many start-ups, yet most companies will still opt for initial public offerings (IPOs), capital market insiders say.

28 Dec 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

USA-BIDEN/

President-elect Biden speaks after briefing on the national security transition

President-elect Joe Biden will give remarks on Monday after being briefed by his members of his national security and foreign policy agency review teams on their findings and key challenges that the Biden-Harris administration will inherit, according to the Biden transition.

28 Dec 15:30 ET / 20:30 GMT

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS

USA-BANKS/MORTGAGES-YEAREND

As pandemic shock continues, choppy outlook for U.S. bank mortgage portfolios - YEAR END

U.S. mortgage portfolios are continuing to show signs of stress heading into the end of the year, even as other consumer credit products have improved. The number of mortgages for which homeowners are seeking payment holidays jumped the first week of December for the first time in 25 weeks. This could spell trouble for banks, which are struggling to get a clear view on borrowers' financial stability.

29 Dec 19:00 ET / 00:00 GMT

USA-ECONOMY/SMALLBUSINESS-MATTRESS (PIX)

Illinois mattress-maker's supplies dry up as COVID surges again in the U.S.

Lauren Taylor's small mattress factory in northern Indiana has managed to survive the coronavirus pandemic so far, thanks to local labor and a surge in sales to cocooning customers. But as COVID infections worsen again in the United States, her inability to get American-made parts like bed springs and latex foam means customers must wait months for their new bed. "We are losing business as a result," said Holder Mattress is one of several small businesses Reuters has tracked through this downturn and the now-wobbling recovery. Here's how they're doing as 2020 draws to a close.

29 Dec

VIETNAM-BRITAIN/TRADE

Vietnam, Britain sign bilateral free trade deal

Vietnam and Britain sign a bilateral trade agreement, which the two sides concluded talks in mid-December.

29 Dec

CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE

TURKEY-SECURITY/KAVALA

Turkey's top court announces verdict on detention of philanthropist Kavala

Turkey's Constitutional Court announces verdict on whether philanthropist Osman Kavala's three-year-long detention without a conviction amounted to a violation of his right to liberty.

29 Dec