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

Here are the top stories and upcoming coverage plans for Reuters text service as of 6 a.m. GMT/2 p.m.SGT. For a full schedule of news and events, go to our editorial calendar on Reuters Connect https://www.reutersconnect.com/planning.

TOP STORIES

GLOBAL

HONGKONG-SECURITY/JIMMYLAI

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai in custody after fraud charge

HONG KONG, (Reuters) - Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was denied bail on Thursday on a charge of fraud related to the lease of a building that houses his Apple Daily, an anti-government tabloid.

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/SOUTHKOREA-EXAM

S.Korea students sit college exam behind plastic barriers and in hospitals due to COVID-19

SEOUL, (Reuters) - Nearly half a million South Korean students nervously began a hyper-competitive university entrance exam on Thursday, with COVID-19 students taking the exam in hospital and others separated by transparent barriers.

U.S.

USA-BIDEN/

Biden promises help to U.S. workers hit by pandemic, Trump hints at 2024 run

WILMINGTON, Del./WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday promised a group of workers hit by the raging COVID-19 pandemic that more aid would be on the way, while President Donald Trump hinted he may be ready to begin planning another run for the White House in 2024.

USA-TRUMP/INAUGURATION

Ivanka Trump questioned under oath in lawsuit over use of inauguration funds

Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and adviser, was questioned under oath this week as part of a civil lawsuit alleging misuse of nonprofit funds for Donald Trump's inauguration four years ago.

BUSINESS

CHINA-ECONOMY/PMI

Growth in China's services sector soars on stronger consumer demand - Caixin PMI

BEIJING, (Reuters) - Growth in China's services sector accelerated in November as new business rose at the fastest pace in over a decade, a private survey showed on Thursday, pointing to a further recovery in consumer demand after the country curbed its coronavirus outbreak.

JAPAN-ECONOMY/BOJ

BOJ's Suzuki says c.bank should allow yield curve to steepen more

TOKYO, (Reuters) - Bank of Japan (BOJ) board member Hitoshi Suzuki said on Thursday the central bank should allow super-long bond yields to rise moderately as part of efforts to make its stimulus programme sustainable.

ENTERTAINMENT

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/JAPAN-LGBT

Battered but unbowed by coronavirus, Tokyo's gay district forges stronger ties

TOKYO, Dec 3 (Reuters) - When Toshitsune Tamashiro was young and closeted in 1980s Japan, Tokyo's Shinjuku Ni-chome gay district was a haven. Now he runs a bar there, and has fought to keep the district going during the coronavirus pandemic.

TWITTER-CONTENT/HATE

Twitter expands hate speech rules to include race, ethnicity

Twitter Inc on Wednesday expanded its policy barring hateful speech to include "language that dehumanizes people on the basis of race, ethnicity and national origin," it said in a statement.

SPORTS

SOCCER-CHAMPIONS-MUN-PSG/REPORT

Neymar strikes twice as PSG win at Old Trafford

MANCHESTER, England, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Brazilian Neymar scored twice and his compatriot Fred was sent off as Paris St Germain beat 10-man Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford on Wednesday to throw Champions League Group H wide open.

RUGBY-UNION-CHAMPIONSHIP-ARG-AUS/

O'Connor back at flyhalf for Australia's Tri-Nations finale

SYDNEY, Dec 3 (Reuters) - James O'Connor will bring some welcome experience to the playmaker role after being named as starting flyhalf for Australia's final Tri-Nations test against Argentina at Western Sydney Stadium this weekend.

UPCOMING

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/VACCINES-CYBER (PIX)

US sounds alarm over hackers targeting COVID vaccine supply chain

The United States is sounding the alarm over hackers targeting companies critical to the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, suggesting that digital spies are turning their attention to the complex logistical work involved in inoculating the world against the novel coronavirus.

3 Dec 01:00 ET / 06:00 GMT

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/AFRICA (PIX)

WHO, Africa CDC to provide updates on COVID-19 pandemic

Experts from the World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention will hold online media briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.

3 Dec 03:00 ET / 08:00 GMT

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

Official German health institute holds news conference on COVID-19 situation

Germany's Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases holds a news conference on the COVID-19 situation in the EU's most populous country, which is struggling to bring down case numbers.

3 Dec 04:00 ET / 09:00 GMT

GLOBAL-POY/COVID (PIX)

WIDER IMAGE - Pictures of the year - Covid

Covid-19 pictures of the year

3 Dec 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/WHO-EUROPE (TV)

WHO European office brfg on plans for COVID-19 vaccine deployment across continent

World Health Organization (WHO) European office holds briefing its regional director Hans Kluge on planned deployment of COVID-19 vaccines across the continent and outbreaks.

3 Dec 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

GHANA-ELECTION/CANDIDATES

FACTBOX - The main contenders in Ghana's presidential election

Details on the two main contenders in Ghana's Dec. 7 presidential election: incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo and the leader of the main opposition party, former president John Mahama.

3 Dec 02:00 ET / 07:00 GMT

GHANA-ELECTION/ (PIX) (TV)

Eyes on female VP candidate as Ghana heads to the polls

With two old rivals facing off in Ghana's presidential election on Dec. 7 amid familiar economic woes, many voters are paying more attention to a new element in the political mix - the first ever female vice-presidential candidate for a major party.

3 Dec 02:00 ET / 07:00 GMT

PHILIPPINES-DRUGS/

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to witness destruction of illegal drugs

President Duterte to deliver speech before the ceremonial destruction of dangerous drugs

3 Dec 04:00 ET / 09:00 GMT

USA-ELECTION/TRUMP-PARDON (PIX)

EXPLAINER-Can Trump preemptively pardon his family — or himself?

U.S. President Donald Trump's pardoning of his former adviser Michael Flynn has fueled speculation over whether the president could pardon other associates, and even members of his family, during his final weeks in office.

3 Dec 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

USA-BIDEN/ZIENTS

Biden's potential COVID-19 'czar' Zients would oversee daunting pandemic response

When technical problems marred the much ballyhooed launch of the Affordable Care Act's website, President Barack Obama turned to Jeff Zients, an economic adviser touted for his managerial skills, to repair Obama's signature policy rollout. Seven years later, Obama's vice president, President-elect Joe Biden, is considering tapping Zients to tackle a far more daunting problem as the incoming administration's coronavirus "czar," according to a Biden ally briefed on his thinking.

3 Dec 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

SAFRICA-POLITICS/

South Africa's Ramaphosa faces no-confidence vote in parliament

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa faces a no-confidence vote in parliament. The motion has little chance of succeeding as it was requested by an opposition party with only two seats in the 400-member lower house, compared to the governing party's 230 seats.

3 Dec 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

PORTUGAL-FINANCE/

Portugal's Finance Minister Joao Leao meets French counterpart Bruno Le Maire

Portuguese State and Finance Minister Joao Leao meets French counterpart Bruno Le Maire.On the meeting's agenda, ministers will discuss the priorities of the Portuguese presidency of the European Union and the deadlock on the economic recovery plan and the EU budget.

3 Dec 09:00 ET / 14:00 GMT

BRITAIN-EU/IRELAND

Irish PM speaks at Brexit webinar

Micheal Martin speaks at 'Ireland, the EU and the UK: Next Steps' event as negotiators seek to hammer out a last minute Brexit trade deal.

3 Dec 09:30 ET / 14:30 GMT

NATO-DIPLOMACY/FUTURE

NATO secretary general and "wise persons group" speak about new report on alliance's future

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg gives the keynote address at an event to launch the NATO 2030 reform report written by a "wise persons group" as the alliance struggles to adapt to global threats. Stoltenberg will open the event with a keynote address. His speech will be followed by a panel discussion among the group's co-chairs Thomas de Maizière and Wess Mitchell.

3 Dec 09:30 ET / 14:30 GMT

PEOPLE-JEFFREY EPSTEIN/APPEAL

U.S. appeals court to consider undoing Jeffrey Epstein's controversial nonprosecution agreement

The 11th U.S .Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta will hear arguments on whether to undo a 2007 nonprosecution agreement that prevented victims of the financier Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuses from suing him and his alleged co-conspirators for damages. A divided three-judge panel of the court had ruled in April that prosecutors did not violate a federal victims rights law by keeping victims in the dark about the controversial agreement, even though the majority sharply criticized prosecutors for their conduct.

3 Dec 10:00 ET / 15:00 GMT

FRANCE-MACRON/ (TV)

France's Macron gives interview to 'Brut'

French President Emmanuel Macron gives an interview to Brut. In focus: police violence, secularism, and Islamism, climate policy, the 'COVID generation'

3 Dec 10:00 ET / 15:00 GMT

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/PORTUGAL-VACCINE (TV)

Portugal to announce coronavirus vaccination plan

Portugal is to announce its plan for rolling out a coronavirus vaccine, which health minister Marta Temido has previously said could arrive from January.

3 Dec 10:30 ET / 15:30 GMT

IMF-ECONOMY/

IMF spokesman holds regular briefing

International Monetary Fund spokesman Gerry Rice holds a regular briefing, with questions expected on the impact of vaccines on the global economy and perspectives on U.S. economic team announced by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden.

3 Dec 10:30 ET / 15:30 GMT

MYANMAR-MONK/SNAKES (PIX) (TV)

Myanmar monk offers sanctuary for snakes to thwart blackmarket sales

A Buddhist monk in Myanmar has turned his Yangon monastery into a sanctuary of sorts - for big snakes - to prevent them from harming people and to keep them off the black market. U WilLatha, 69, takes in snakes captured in homes and streets in the city, often by firefighters, and gives them shelter until they're ready to be released safely to the wild.

4 Dec 13:30 ET / 18:30 GMT

CONFLICTS / WAR / PEACE

ETHIOPIA-CONFLICT/ (PIX) (TV)

Ethiopia's war-hit Tigray region awaits aid after pact

Ethiopia's Tigray region awaits desperately-needed humanitarian aid after a month of war. The government and the United Nations reached an agreement on Wednesday to channel aid to the northern region where 600,000 people already depended on food aid before the conflict began on Nov. 4.

3 Dec 03:00 ET / 08:00 GMT

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS

GLOBAL-ECONOMY/FOOD

U.N. agency FAO releases its latest food price index and updated cereal outlook

U.N. food agency FAO releases its latest monthly global food price index and its updated cereal supply outlook.

3 Dec 04:00 ET / 09:00 GMT

WORLD-WORK/ETHEREDGE (PIX)

A silver lining to 2020? Building genuine virtual relationships

Like many executives, Jimmy Etheredge, CEO of North America for Accenture, has seen his work life change completely in the last nine months. He's tried to focus on the silver linings, however. For starters, a different mode of communicating with his clients.

3 Dec 05:00 ET / 10:00 GMT

USA-AGRICULTURE/CLIMATECHANGE (PIX)

FOCUS-Consumers, looming regulations drive nascent green farm push in North America

Beer made from rice grown with less water, rye planted in the off-season and the sale of carbon credits to tech firms are just a few of the latest developments in the North American agriculture and food industry's drive to go green.

3 Dec 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

BRAZIL-INDIGENOUS/YANOMAMI (PIX)

Brazil's Yanomami ask Congress to evict gold miners from reservation

Yanomami tribe leaders hand in a petition with almost half a million signatures asking Congress to act to evict illegal gold miners from Brazil's largest indigenous reservation in the Amazon to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

3 Dec 09:00 ET / 14:00 GMT

INVESTMENT-SUMMIT/INDIA-FINANCEMINISTER

Nirmala Sitharaman, India Finance Minister interview

REUTERS SUMMIT - 2021 Investment Outlook, speakers - Nov 30-Dec 4

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will speak with Reuters on Dec.3

3 Dec 10:00 ET / 15:00 GMT

ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT

FILM-MANK/ (PIX) (TV)

Netflix film 'Mank' looks at Hollywood's 1930s heydey

Netflix movie "Mank" tells the story of the writer of "Citizen Kane" and provides a behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood in the 1930s

3 Dec 06:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE

MEXICO-CHINA/CARTELS (PIX)

SPECIAL REPORT - Burner phones and banking apps: Meet the Chinese 'brokers' laundering Mexican drug money

Chinese "money brokers" have become key cogs in the multi-billion-dollar drug empires run by Latin American cartels. These money launderers are quickly displacing the Mexican and Colombian money men that have long dominated the trade, and are bedeviling the efforts of U.S. law enforcement to follow the cash.

3 Dec 07:00 ET / 12:00 GMT