Here are the top stories and upcoming coverage plans for Reuters text service as of XX GMT/XX 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
UKRAINE-CRISIS/
Leaders of Ukraine, U.N. seek to secure Russian-held nuclear plant
The U.N. chief and the presidents of Turkey and Ukraine have discussed ways to end the war started by Russia and secure Europe's largest nuclear power station, as Russia and Ukraine traded accusations of new shelling near the plant.
GERMANY-POLITICS/SCHOLZ-FRAUD
Germany's Scholz to testify over handling of multibillion-euro tax fraud
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is set to testify in front of lawmakers on Friday over his role as Hamburg mayor in tackling a multibillion-euro tax fraud in a case that threatens to tarnish him even as he battles crises on multiple fronts.
U.S.
USA-TRUMP/DOCUMENTS
U.S. judge says he leans toward releasing some evidence for Trump search
A U.S. judge on Thursday said he is leaning toward releasing some of the evidence presented by the U.S. Justice Department to justify its search of Donald Trump's Florida home last week, in a case pitting news organizations against federal prosecutors.
USA-TRUMP/NEW YORK
Longtime Trump executive Weisselberg pleads guilty, becomes prosecution witness
A longtime senior executive at Donald Trump's family business pleaded guilty on Thursday to helping the company engineer a 15-year tax fraud, in an agreement that will require him to testify about its business practices at an upcoming trial.
BUSINESS
CHINA-ECONOMY/LPR
China set to lower lending benchmarks to revive wobbly economy
China is widely expected to lower its benchmark lending rates on Monday, a Reuters survey showed, with a vast majority of participants predicting a deeper cut to the mortgage reference to lift the ailing property sector and the overall economy.
USA-STOCKS/BED BATH & BEYOND
Meme stock Bed Bath & Beyond sinks after investor Cohen's exit
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc shares tumbled 35% after the bell on Thursday as billionaire investor Ryan Cohen exited the struggling home goods retailer by selling his stake following a stunning rally in the meme stock this month.
ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC-BLACKPINK/
K-pop's BLACKPINK to release new song ahead of 9-month world tour
South Korean K-pop girl group BLACKPINK is set to reveal their new song "Pink Venom" later on Friday, their first single in nearly two years, ahead of a planned nine-month world tour.
TELEVISION-BAD SISTERS/
New TV series 'Bad Sisters' tells dark tale through comedy
Actor, comedian and filmmaker Sharon Horgan says her new dark comedy thriller "Bad Sisters" is a celebration of family ties.
SPORTS
FOOTBALL-NFL/WATSON
Browns' Watson to serve 11-game suspension
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will be suspended 11 games without pay and fined $5 million for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, the league said on Thursday, a harsher punishment than the six-game ban previously recommended.
TENNIS-CINCINNATI/
Swiatek, Raducanu, Kontaveit ousted in Cincinnati
World number one Iga Swiatek and reigning U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu were both knocked out of the Cincinnati Open on Thursday, while second seed Anett Kontaveit also had her preparations for Flushing Meadows cut short in the round of 16.
UPCOMING
POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
ANGOLA-ELECTION/
Unequal and divided, Angola braces for tense election
Angolans head to the polls next week in what is likely to be a tense standoff between a ruling party in power for nearly five decades and an opposition with growing appeal to a frustrated, impoverished youth.
19 Aug 06:00 ET / 06:00 GMT
GERMANY-POLITICS/SCHOLZ-FRAUD (PIX) (TV)
Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz to answer parliamentarians' questions on Cum-Ex affair
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expected to answer Hamburg parliamentarians' questions on the Cum-Ex dividends affair.
19 Aug 12:00 ET / 12:00 GMT
CONFLICTS / WAR / PEACE
USA-DEFENCE/AIRFORCE
Teleconference with Secretary of the United States Air Force Frank Kendal
Teleconference with Secretary of the United States Air Force Frank Kendal near the beginning of an 11-day trip in the Indo-Pacific.
19 Aug 07:00 ET / 07:00 GMT
BRITAIN-USA/SECURITY (PIX) (TV)
Islamic State 'Beatle' to be sentenced in U.S. for beheading hostages
A former British citizen faces sentencing on Friday for his role in a notorious Islamic State hostage-taking plot that led to the beheading of American journalists and aid workers. U.S. prosecutors agreed not to seek the death sentence for El Shafee Elsheikh, who was found guilty on charges including lethal hostage-taking and conspiracy to commit murder and could face a sentence of life in prison.
19 Aug 13:00 ET / 13:00 GMT
BUSINESS / ECONOMICS
TAIWAN-ENERGY/VANILLAFARM (PIX) (TV)
Taiwanese vanilla bean farm fights to go solar
At a row of greenhouses around 50 km (30 miles) from Taiwan's capital Taipei, vanilla farmer Tseng Tien-fu is installing dozens of solar panels, part of the island's plan to meet its renewable energy goals without sacrificing scarce farmland.
19 Aug 09:00 ET / 09:00 GMT
USA-STOCKS/BED BATH & BEYOND - COHEN
Ryan Cohen's $60 mln Bed Bath u-turn triggers meme stock investor ire
Investors flooded social media platforms such as Reddit on Friday with criticism of Ryan Cohen's sale of his stake in Bed Bath & Beyond Inc, blaming him for helping fuel a meme stock rally only to then walk away with a $60 million profit.
19 Aug 09:00 ET / 09:00 GMT
USA-TAX/IRS
U.S. IRS hiring to offset attrition, improve service, technology, Treasury says
New U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) hires over the next decade will mainly replace retiring Baby Boomers, answer taxpayer questions and program new computers, U.S. Treasury officials and tax experts say, responding to Republicans claims that the IRS will recruit 87,000 new agents to harass Americans on their taxes.
19 Aug 10:00 ET / 10:00 GMT
BELGIUM-ENERGY/ (TV)
Energy crunch drives spike in demand for Belgian cooperatives
A look at Belgian energy cooperatives, which have seen a spike in demand from people looking for cheap and stable supplies of electricity and heating, investment in renewables and advise on insulating their homes amid an acute energry crunch combined with intensifying signs of climate change.
19 Aug 11:00 ET / 11:00 GMT
USA-FED/BARKIN
Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Barkin speaks on economy
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin speaks on the economy before the Maryland Association of Counties 2022 Summer Conference, in Ocean City, Md.
19 Aug 13:00 ET / 13:00 GMT
USA-RIGS/BAKERHUGHES (GRAPHIC)
U.S. weekly oil and gas rig count data released by Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes releases weekly data detailing the number of oil and gas rigs deployed in the United States & Canada.
19 Aug 17:00 ET / 17:00 GMT
SPORTS
BOXING-HEAVYWEIGHT-USYK-JOSHUA/ (PIX) (TV)
Boxing - Oleksandr Usyk v Anthony Joshua - WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight world title - Weigh-in
Unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine and Briton Anthony Joshua tip the scales ahead of their WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight world title rematch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
19 Aug 10:00 ET / 10:00 GMT
ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT
PEOPLE-SALMAN RUSHDIE/READING (PIX) (TV)
Reading of Salman Rushdie’s work to show solidarity for free expression
A week after Salman Rushdie was stabbed on stage, writers come together at the New York Public Library to read his works, offering support for the injured colleague amid tighter security and concerns in the community about the harassment and calls for violence authors face from people offended by their work.
19 Aug 15:00 ET / 15:00 GMT
