EU HOUSE CLEARS DEAL, UK SET TO EXIT TOMORROWBritain's departure from the European Union was backed by European lawmakersWednesday, after a debate that mixed warm words of love with hard-headedwarnings to the country not to seek too many concessions during upcomingtrade talks on a future relationship.The European Parliament overwhelmingly approved Britain's departure termsfrom the EU - the final major decision in the four-year Brexit saga. Thevote was 621 to 49 in favor of the Brexit deal that British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson negotiated with the other 27 EU leaders in the fall of lastyear.While backing Britain's departure in the wake of the country's vote to leavein a referendum in June 2016, EU countries are already preparing for thepossibility that talks on a new trade deal with Britain could collapse bythe end of the year, and no-deal contingency planning for a chaotic end tothe transition period is necessary.After Britain's departure on Friday, the U.K. will remain within the EU'seconomic arrangements until the end of the year though it won't have a sayin policy as it will not be a member of the EU anymore. "We will always loveyou and you will never be far," said EU Commission President Ursula von derLeyen on a day when some legislators were moved to tears.Britain is the first country to leave the EU and for many in Europe itsofficial departure at 11 p.m. London time on Friday, Jan. 31 is a moment ofenormous sadness and reduces the number in the bloc to 27. The parliament'schief Brexit official, Guy Verhofstadt, said that "this vote is not anadieu."UN: WILL HELP PALESTINE, ISRAEL RESOLVE CONFLICTUN chief Antonio Guterres said the global body remains committed tosupporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis ofUN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements, a day after USPresident Donald Trump unveiled his Middle East peace plan aimed at settlingone of the world's longest disputes.Flanked by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House on Tuesday,Trump proposed a two-state solution and said no Israelis or Palestinianswould be uprooted from their homes under his plan."The position of the UN on the two-State solution has been defined,throughout the years, by relevant Security Council and General Assemblyresolutions by which the Secretariat is bound," a statement issued by UNSecretary-General Guterres' spokesman said here on Tuesday.While Iran said the peace plan was doomed to fall, the Turkey PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan said the step was "absolutely unacceptable". "Jerusalemis sacred for Muslims. The plan to give Jerusalem to Israel is absolutelyunacceptable. This plan ignores Palestinians' rights and is aimed atlegitimising Israel's occupation," Erdogan said.XI ASKS MILITARY TO ASSIST AS VIRUS TOLL HITS 132 IN CHINAChinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday ordered the military to "shoulderresponsibility" to contain the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 132people, infected 6,000 others with six foreigners contracting the diseasefor the first time in China and spread to 17 countries.President Xi, who heads the People's Liberation Army, told the military tokeep their mission firmly in mind and shoulder responsibility to makecontribution to winning the battle against the novel coronavirus, which hehas described as a "demon", state-run Xinhua news agency reported.Already the military is pressing thousands of its medical personnel intoWuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, to assist the doctors. Xi's callto the military came as the number of confirmed cases of the rapidlyspreading virus infection in mainland China reached 6,078 with 70 casesabroad, surpassing the cases witnessed during the SARS or severe acuterespiratory syndrome outbreak, which had caused havoc in China in 2002-03.Over 800 people, mostly in China, died during the SARS epidemic.Meanwhile, foreign airlines began suspending flights to and from China onWednesday as global fears mounted over a coronavirus epidemic.US HOUSE PASSES BILL ON SANCTIONS AGAINST CHINESE OFFICIALS FOR MEDDLING INDALAI LAMA'S SUCCESSIONThe US House of Representatives has passed a bill that authorises financialand travel sanctions against Chinese officials who interfere in the processof selecting the successor to the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader ofTibet.Introduced by Congressman James P. McGovern, Chairman of the House RulesCommittee and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, the bill waspassed by a overwhelming vote of 392 to 22 on Tuesday.The bill, if passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President, willalso prohibit China from opening any new consulate in the US until Beijingallows Washington to open its diplomatic station in Lhasa, the Tibetancapital.According to the bill, the succession or reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhistleaders, including a future 15th Dalai Lama, is an exclusively religiousmatter that should be decided solely by the Tibetan Buddhist community.Under the draft legislation, Washington would freeze any American asset andban US travel of Chinese officials if they are found to be involved in"identifying or installing" a Dalai Lama approved by Beijing.Addressing the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the bill sends Beijing aclear signal that it will be held accountable for interfering in Tibet'sreligious and cultural affairs.Global Magnitsky ActThe proposed legislation, she said, makes it clear that "Chinese officialswho meddle in the process of recognising a new Dalai Lama will be subject totargeted sanctions, including those in the Global Magnitsky Act".The Global Magnitsky Act allows the US to sanction foreign governmentofficials implicated in human rights abuses anywhere in the world.NEW ZEALAND'S JACINDA ARDERN STARTS ELECTION YEAR WITH BIG INFRASTRUCTURESPENDING PLEDGENew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern kicked off her reelection campaignon Wednesday with a NZ$12 billion ($8 billion) infrastructure pledge, aninvestment aimed at dousing criticism of her handling of a housing crisis.Ardern, whose Labour Party's popularity has dropped in recent monthsalthough she remains the favourite leader candidate, announced on Tuesdaythat the Pacific nation would go to the polls on September 19.That has set up a lengthy election campaign against the backdrop of slowingeconomic growth, low business confidence, a failed state housing project andscandals within her coalition government."This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in New Zealand -modernising our infrastructure, preparing for climate change and helpgrowing the economy," Ardern said in a statement announcing theinfrastructure investment.The plans include NZ$2.2 billion for new roads in the country's biggestcity, Auckland, and NZ$1.1 billion for rail projects. Buses, walkways,bicycle lanes in major cities and healthcare facilities would also receivefunding.UAE ANNOUNCES FIRST CASE OF NEW CORONAVIRUSThe United Arab Emirates announced on Wednesday its first case of the newcoronavirus, in a family from Wuhan, in what is thought to be the firstconfirmed case in the Middle East."The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention announced a case of the newcoronavirus affecting people from one family coming from the city of Wuhanin China," the State news agency WAM reported, without saying how many wereinfected."The health condition of those affected was stable and under medicalmonitoring," it cited the ministry as saying.Gulf airports, including Dubai which is home to one of the world's biggestaviation hubs, said last week they would screen all passengers arriving fromChina amid the outbreak of the deadly virus.The disease has spread to more than 15 countries since it emerged out ofWuhan late last year, with the death toll soaring to 132 and confirmedinfections nearing 6,000.All confirmed fatalities have so far been in China. Confirmed cases havebeen reported across the Asia Pacific region and in North America andEurope, but the Wuhan family in the UAE appear to be the first in the MiddleEast.Dubai's government said on Thursday that some 989,000 Chinese touristsvisited the glitzy emirate last year -- a number expected to cross the onemillion mark in 2020.MAJOR QUAKE SHAKES MIAMI, CARIBBEAN REGION; TSUNAMI THREAT PASSESA powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the western Caribbean on Tuesday,triggering evacuations as buildings shook across the Cayman Islands, inJamaica, and in downtown Miami, but with no initial reports of significantdamage.The epicenter of the quake was in the sea between Jamaica, the CaymanIslands and Cuba, at a shallow depth of 10 km. The International TsunamiInformation Center said an earlier threat of a tsunami wave had largelypassed. Minor sea level fluctuations up to 30 cm were still possible, itsaid.In Miami, Florida, several buildings downtown had groups of people standingoutside who said they had been evacuated. The Miami-Dade Fire-Rescuedepartment said it responded to multiple calls about high rise buildingsswaying."As of now, there are no injuries or structural damages. Residents/visitorsare advised to stay calm," the department said on Twitter.Officials across the region had no initial reports of major damage, despitethe size of the quake.IRANIAN FACTORY MAKES U.S. AND ISRAELI FLAGS TO BURNBusiness is booming at Iran's largest flag factory which makes U.S., Britishand Israeli flags for Iranian protesters to burn.At the factory in the town of Khomein, southwest of the capital Tehran,young men and women print the flags by hand then hang them up to dry. Thefactory produces about 2,000 U.S. and Israeli flags a month in its busiestperiods, and more than 1.5 million square feet of flags a year.Tensions between the United States and Iran have reached the highest levelin decades after top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killedin a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3, prompting Iran to retaliatewith a missile attack against a U.S. base in Iraq days later.In state-sponsored rallies and protests in Iran, demonstrators regularlyburn the flags of Israel, U.S. and Britain.