Here are the top stories and upcoming coverage plans for Reuters
text service as of 6 a.m. GMT/2 a.m. ET. For a full schedule of
news and events, go to our editorial calendar on Reuters
Connect.

TOP STORIES

GLOBAL

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/CHINA

China’s cities battle first wave of COVID surge as wider
spread looms

BEIJING, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Streets in major Chinese cities
were eerily quiet on Sunday as people stayed home to protect
themselves from a surge in COVID-19 cases that has hit urban
centres from north to south.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/SALAH HAMOURI

Israel deports Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri to France
over security, interior ministry says

JERUSALEM, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Israel deported
French-Palestinian human rights lawyer Salah Hamouri on Sunday,
accusing him of security offences against the state of Israel,
the Israeli interior ministry said in a statement.

U.S.

USA-MIGRANTS/EL PASO

El Paso mayor declares state of emergency over influx of
migrants from Mexico border

The mayor of the Texas border city of El Paso declared a
state of emergency on Saturday, citing the hundreds of migrants
sleeping on the streets in cold temperatures and the thousands
being apprehended every day.

PIPELINE-SPILL/TC ENERGY-LAND

Keystone cleanup turns remote Kansas valley into a small
town

WASHINGTON, Kan., Dec 18 (Reuters) – Farmer Bill Pannbacker
got a call earlier this month from a representative from TC
Energy Corp, telling him that its Keystone Pipeline, which runs
through his farmland in rural Kansas, had suffered an oil leak.

BUSINESS

FINTECH-CRYPTO/FTX-EXTRADITION

Sam Bankman-Fried to reverse decision on contesting
extradition -source

Former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried is expected to
appear in court in the Bahamas on Monday to reverse his decision
to contest extradition to the United States, where he faces
fraud charges, a person familiar with the matter said on
Saturday.

AMERICAN AIRLINES-MESA/

Mesa says it will halt American Airlines flights, finalizing
deal with United

WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Mesa Airlines said late
Saturday it is finalizing an agreement to operate regional
flights for United Airlines after an announcement it will wind
down flights for American Airlines early next year.

SPORTS

SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG-FRA/PREVIEW

SOCCER-Stage set for clash of titans as Argentina take on
France in World Cup final

DOHA, Dec 17 (Reuters) – After 63 matches, the World Cup in
Qatar comes to a close on Sunday when reigning champions France
take on Argentina in a showpiece final at Lusail Stadium with
both teams looking to add a third star to their crest.

FOOTBALL-NFL-MIN-IND/

NFL-Vikings complete biggest comeback in NFL history, beat
Colts in overtime

The Minnesota Vikings pulled off the biggest comeback in
National Football League history on Saturday when they rallied
from a 33-0 halftime deficit to beat the visiting Indianapolis
Colts 39-36 in overtime.

UPCOMING

SPORTS

SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ARG-FRA/REPORT (PIX) (TV)

Soccer – Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup – Argentina v France

The Lusail Stadium hosts the World Cup final between
Argentina and France on Dec. 18 which is Qatar’s National Day.

18 Dec 10:00 ET / 15:00 GMT

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS

MEXICO-ECONOMY/GDP

Mexico’s INEGI stats agency publishes preliminary economic
activity data

Dec 19

GLOBAL-MARKETS/PRIVATEEQUITY

Funds rush to offload private-equity investments in
secondary market

Private equity holdings are being sold hard and fast in an
opaque secondary market, investors say, as fund managers cash
out illiquid assets at deep discounts in order to cover losses
elsewhere, and overhaul their exposures as public markets drop.

Dec 19

TRADE-WTO/

WTO General Council meeting

World Trade Organization meeting where key decisions could
be taken on the next ministerial conference timing and location
as well as leadership roles over negotiations on fisheries and
agriculture.

Dec 19

UNIPER-STAKE/

Uniper EGM to seek approval for rescue plan

Uniper holds an extraordinary general meeting to ask
shareholders to approve a rescue plan that will see Germany take
over the gas importer.

Dec 19

EU-CROPS/

EU crop monitor monthly update

The EU’s crop monitoring service MARS issues its monthly
update. Focus on growing conditions for winter grains as Europe
faces freezing weather.

Dec 19

GHANA-ECONOMY/BONDS

Ghana deadline for domestic bond restructuring exchange
programme

Ghana is supposed to complete a domestic bond exchange
programme worth about $10.5 billion as part of a debt
restructuring plan needed to secure an IMF loan programme.

Dec 19

BRITAIN-ECONOMY/WARM BANK (TV)

Britons turn to ‘warm banks’ as winter sets in during the
cost of living crisis

As temperatures plunge across the UK, Britons most in need
turn to warm spaces for heat and comfort as energy and food
costs soar in the cost of living crisis.

Dec 19

CONFLICTS / WAR / PEACE

UKRAINE-CRISIS/LATVIA-JEF (PIX) (TV)

Baltic, Dutch, Nordic and UK leaders meet in Riga

Leaders of Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) countries,
including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, meet in Riga. JEF
is high readiness forces configured to respond rapidly to crises
in the High North and Northern Europe; Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway,
Sweden and the United Kingdom are members.

Dec 19

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

GLOBAL-ENVIRONMENT/SUMMIT

UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15)

UN Biodiversity Conference (COP-15) held in Montreal Canada
from 7 to 19 December 2022.

Dec 19

USA-IMMIGRATION/VENEZUELA (PIX) (TV)

Back home, Venezuelan migrants’ dreams shattered by new U.S
policy

Venezuelans who have returned to their country after their
dreams of emigrating to the U.S. were dashed by a new expulsion
policy describe how they are trying to rebuild their lives, with
some still contemplating another attempt at migration.

Dec 19

SAFRICA-POLITICS/ (PIX) (TV)

South Africa’s ANC holds conference to elect new leadership

South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC)
will meet from Dec. 16 to Dec. 20 to review its policies and
elect its next leader. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is facing
the worst scandal of his presidency, remains the frontrunner.
Whoever wins will represent the ANC in the next election in
2024.

Dec 19

USA-CONGRESS/FUNDING

U.S. Congress aims to pack additional goodies into
government funding bill

The U.S. Congress faces a tricky task this week as lawmakers
try to use a $1.7 trillion government funding bill to carry
other priorities, including tweaks to election rules, reforms to
drug sentencing and a ban on TikTok from government-owned
devices.

Dec 19

CRIME / LAW / JUSTICE

FINTECH-CRYPTO/FTX-EXTRADITION (PIX) (TV)

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried in Bahamas court

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is expected to appear in
court in the Bahamas on Monday to reverse his decision to
contest extradition to the United States, where he faces fraud
charges, a person familiar with the matter said on Saturday.

Dec 19

BRITAIN-IMMIGRATION/RWANDA-COURT (TV)

UK High Court to make ruling over legal challenge against
government’s Rwanda deportation plan

Judges at the High Court in London will make a ruling on
Monday over a legal challenge against the government’s policy to
deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda.

Dec 19

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