TRUMP ACQUITTED BY SENATE IN IMPEACHMENT TRIALU.S. President Donald Trump, impeached by the House of Representatives , wasacquitted by the Senate late afternoon on Wednesday, bringing to a close abitter process that lasted close to five months. Senators voted 52 to 48 toacquit Mr. Trump on the abuse of office charge, with Republican Mitt Romneyvoting alongside all 47 Democrats. They voted 53-47 as per party lines toacquit the president of the charge of obstruction of Congress."The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust," Mr. Romneysaid before the vote. "Corrupting an election to keep one's self in officeis perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath ofoffice that I can imagine."Mr. Romney is the first senator in U.S. history to vote to convict apresident from his own party. There was speculation earlier on Wednesdaythat some Democrat senators - such as Krysten Sinema (Arizona) and JoeManchin(West Virginia) would vote with Republicans to acquit the President,but they did not do so.Shortly after the vote Mr. Trump tweeted a video of election signs startingwith 'Trump 2024' and culminating in 'Trump 4EVA' (i.e., 'Trump forever').Mr. Trump has repeatedly joked that he might serve more than theconstitutionally mandated limit of two terms."Today, the sham impeachment attempt concocted by the Democrats ended in thefull vindication and exoneration of President Donald J. Trump," White HousePress Secretary Stephanie Grisham said via a statement.Senate Democrats could not get enough GOP votes to summon fresh witnessesand evidence during the impeachment trial. Among the possible materialwitnesses Democrats wanted to hear from was former National Security AdvisorJohn Bolton.House Democrats are "likely " to subpoena Mr. Bolton, House JudiciaryCommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler told reporters on Wednesday.CHINA VIRUS TOLL NEARS 500; CRUISE SHIPS, HONG KONG FLIGHTS HITThe death toll from a coronavirus outbreak in China passed 490 on Wednesday,as two US airlines suspended flights to Hong Kong following the firstfatality there and 10 cases were confirmed on a cruise ship quarantined inJapan.China's National Health Commission said another 65 deaths were reported onTuesday, a new daily record bringing the toll on the mainland to 490, mostlyin and around the locked-down central city of Wuhan where the virus emergedlate last year.There have been two deaths outside mainland China. A 39-year-old man in HongKong with an underlying illness who had visited Wuhan city died on Tuesday.A man died in the Philippines last week after visiting Wuhan, the firstvirus-related overseas fatality.Across mainland China, there were 3,887 new confirmed infections, bringingthe total accumulated number to 24,324.Ten people on a cruise liner under quarantine at the Japanese port ofYokohama tested positive for coronavirus, Japan's health minister said, afigure that could rise as medical screening of thousands of patients andcrew continued.The 10 infected people will be transported to a medical facility, while theremaining around 3,700 people will be quarantined on board the Carnival Corpship Diamond Princess for 14 days. There are now 33 cases in Japan.Carnival on Tuesday cancelled cruises scheduled to depart the Japanese portsof Yokohama and Kobe this week because of delays related to the coronaviruschecks.Another cruise ship, the World Dream operated by Dream Cruises, docked inHong Kong on Wednesday after being denied entry to Taiwan, with allpassengers and crew undergoing health checks, Hong Kong's Cable TV reported.Nearly 230 cases have been reported in 27 other countries and regionsoutside mainland China, according to a Reuters tally based on officialstatements from the authorities involved."We have the ability and confidence to finally win this war of containment,"China's state councillor Wang Yi told Thailand's foreign minister during acall on Tuesday, according to China's foreign ministry.TURKEY PLANE: ONE DEAD, 150 HURT AS JET SKIDS OFF RUNWAY IN ISTANBULA passenger plane landing at an airport in Istanbul has skidded off therunway and broken into three parts, killing one person and injuring morethan 150, officials say.The Pegasus Airlines jet was carrying 171 passengers and six crew membersfrom Izmir province in the west when it crashed at Sabiha Gokcen airport.The Boeing 737 was trying to land in heavy tailwinds and rain.The airport was closed and flights diverted after the accident.Turkish media said the majority of people on board were Turkish but therewere also about 20 foreign nationals.Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said: "Unfortunately, the Pegasus Airlinesplane couldn't hold on the runway due to poor weather conditions and skiddedfor around 50-60m [164-196ft]."He said the plane then fell between 30 and 40 metres off the end of therunway.Health Minister Fahrettin Koca confirmed a Turkish citizen had died and 157other people had been injured. He said none of the wounded people were in acritical condition.Video footage showed passengers climbing through one of the large cracks toescape via one of the wings, and dozens of rescuers working around the jet.Other footage on social media showed a blaze inside the aircraft, which waslater put out by firefighters.Transport Minister Mehmet Cahit Turhan said authorities had not yet beenable to speak to the pilots, a Turkish national and a South Korean, who werebelieved to have been injured in the accident.Istanbul's public prosecutor has launched an inquiry.HUNDREDS EVACUATE HOMES IN NEW ZEALAND TO ESCAPE FLOODINGHundreds of people evacuated their homes and farms Wednesday to escapeflooding in southern New Zealand.Authorities told many residents in the towns of Gore, Mataura and Wyndhamthey should leave immediately as rivers continued to rise following heavyrainfall.Several hundred tourists were being evacuated from Milford Sound aftergetting stuck there earlier this week when flooding and mudslides cut offcar access. Many of the tourists were evacuated by helicopter.Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the South land region.Weather conditions were improving Wednesday. Some rainfall is forecast overthe coming days, but not the heavy rain that has caused the flooding.US IS 'THRIVING' AND 'HIGHLY RESPECTED AGAIN', SAYS TRUMP IN STATE OF UNIONADDRESSMaking a strong pitch for his re-election amid the impeachment trial,President Donald Trump said that America has made a great comeback and thecountry is "thriving and highly respected again" as he boasted about theeconomic growth under his regime.Delivering his 3rd State of the Union Address, Trump said on Tuesday that injust 3 short years, his administration has shattered the mentality ofAmerican decline and rejected the downsizing of the country's destiny."We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short timeago, and we are never going back," Trump said during his over one houraddress.The US President said that under his leadership, jobs are booming, incomesare soaring, poverty is plummeting, crime is falling, confidence is surging,and "our country is thriving and highly respected again.""Three years ago, we launched the great American comeback. America's enemiesare on the run, America's fortunes are on the rise and America's future isblazing bright," he added.Trump underlined the country's economic gains under his leadership,asserting that "the American Dream is back" and is "stronger than everbefore"."The years of economic decay are over...Gone too are the broken promises,jobless recoveries, tired platitudes, and constant excuses for the depletionof American wealth, power and prestige," Trump said on the eve of his likelyacquittal by the Senate in the impeachment trial.The president asserted his country's economy is the best it has ever been.Trump said that the US administration is strongly defending the nationalsecurity and "as we defend American lives, we are working to end America'swars in the Middle East." Stressing that his administration hasundertaken unprecedented effort to secure the southern border of the US withMexico, Trump said that the country "should be a sanctuary for law-abidingAmericans - not criminal aliens."He said that whosoever coming illegally to the US would be promptly removed.Trump showered praise on the US military for for carrying out a "flawlessprecision strike" that killed Iran's military commander Qasem Soleimani andterminated his "evil reign of terror forever."Trump said that the peace talks with the Taliban are underway and vowed tobring the US troops back from war-torn Afghanistan.Speaking about the US-China relationship, he said for decades, China hastaken advantage of the US, "now we have changed that, but, at the same time,we have perhaps the best relationship we have ever had with China, includingwith Chinese President Xi Jinping.UN SECRETARY GENERAL SAYS LIBYA SITUATION A 'SCANDAL'U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called the situation inLibya a "scandal" even as his envoy cited a "genuine will" by rival militaryfactions as they planned their first meeting to secure a lasting ceasefire."I am deeply frustrated with what's happening in Libya," Guterres said in apress conference in which he was critical of countries that last month metin Berlin to push for progress in Libya peace talks."They committed not to interfere in the Libyan process and they committednot to send weapons or participate in any way in the fighting," Guterressaid at the United Nations headquarters in New York. "The truth is that theSecurity Council (arms) embargo remains violated."He called the mediation efforts of U.N. envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame "theonly good news" there.Salame told reporters earlier Tuesday that there was a "genuine will tostart negotiating" between opposite sides, though he added that an armsembargo was being violated by both sides and that new mercenaries and armswere still arriving "by air and by sea" in Libya. Forces loyal to easternbased commander Khalifa Haftar have been trying to take the capital,Tripoli, for the past 10 months.The talks bring together five senior military officers from Haftar's LibyanNational Army and five from forces aligned with the internationallyrecognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.Fighting has continued on the ground despite a call for a truce by Russiaand Turkey starting on Jan. 12 and the international summit on Libya inBerlin on Jan. 19 aimed at reducing international interference. Haftar hashad material support from countries including the United Arab Emirates,Egypt, Jordan, and Russia, U.N. experts and diplomats say, while the GNA isbacked militarily by Turkey.Salame deplored the presence of more than "20 million pieces of weaponry" inthe country and said he had asked the U.N. Security Council to pass aresolution to reaffirm an existing arms embargo and pass measures to ensureit is respected.EU SLAMS DONALD TRUMP'S MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLANThe European Union Tuesday slammed US President Donald Trump's Middle Eastpeace plan, arguing that it "departs from" international agreements on theIsrael-Palestine conflict.Last week, US President Donald Trump presented a proposal to address theconflict. The plan, which Trump dubbed the "deal of the century," would giveIsrael control over Jewish settlements on the West Bank and Jordan Valley,while also calling for a Palestinian state. It was rejected by Palestinianleadership both prior to and after its unveiling.In a statement, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the plandoes not adhere to "internationally agreed parameters.""To build a just and lasting peace, the unresolved final status issues mustbe decided through direct negotiations between both parties," he said,urging both sides to "re-engage and to refrain from any unilateral actionscontrary to international law."On settlements, "steps towards annexation, if implemented, could not passunchallenged," read the statement. "We are especially concerned bystatements on the prospect of annexation of the Jordan Valley and otherparts of the West Bank."The response, however, triggered an angry response from Israel, which backsthe plan."The fact that the High Rep of the EU, Josep Borrell, chose to usethreatening language towards Israel, so shortly after he assumed office andonly hours after his meetings in Iran, is regrettable &, to say the least,odd," tweeted Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat."Pursuing such policies and conduct is the best way to ensure that the EU'srole in any process will be minimized," Haiat wrote.The EU, which often issues slow responses due to the requirement forunanimity among its 27 member states, stated last week that it would studyTrump's plan before issuing an official verdict.RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN REMAINS COY ON HIS FUTURE POLITICAL PLANSRussian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that a nationwide vote onconstitutional changes he proposed wouldn't be used to extend his currentterm in office, but remained tight-lipped about his future political plans.Kremlin critics have seen Putin's amendments as part of his efforts to stayat the helm after his current presidential term expires in 2024. Theproposed changes, however, don't make it clear exactly how he could do that.Asked during a meeting with students and teachers if the vote could be usedto directly extend his term in office, Putin said it's not what he wants."I didn't propose that to extend my authority," Putin said. "The election ofthe head of state must be held on a competitive basis."Observers have speculated that once his term expires Putin could use theamendments to continue calling the shots as head of the State Council orprime minister. The former position, however, is yet to be defined and thelatter is clearly subordinate to the presidency, making it unlikely thatPutin would want it for himself.It has remained unclear why the Russian leader is rushing throughconstitutional changes four years before the end of his term.Putin, a 67-year-old former KGB officer, who has led Russia for more than 20years - the longest since Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Putin prefers to keephis plans secret until the final moment.CHURCH PROPOSAL DEMANDS RUSSIAN PRIESTS SHOULD STOP BLESSING NUKESRussian priests should refrain from the practice of blessing nuclear weaponsand other weapons of mass destruction that can inflict indiscriminate lossof life, according to new guidelines being discussed by the Russian OrthodoxChurch.During two decades in power, President Vladimir Putin has aligned himselfwith the Orthodox Church, which has also developed closer ties with theministry of defence.Russian priests have long appeared in images sprinkling holy water onsubmarines, ballistic missiles, Soyuz space rockets and other pieces ofhardware as part of rituals to bless them.But some of that is set to stop if the church approves a document drawn upby an Orthodox Church commission."The blessing of military weapons is not reflected in the tradition of theOrthodox Church and does not correspond to the content of the Rite," thedocument, on the Moscow patriarchate's website, says.Blessing or sanctifying weapons that can kill an "indefinite number ofpeople" must be excluded from pastoral practice, it says.The proposals will be discussed until June 1 and the public should also takepart in the debate, the church's Moscow branch said.In a striking symbol of close defence-church ties in Russia, the armedforces are building their own sprawling cathedral at a military themed parkoutside Moscow. It is set to be one of the tallest Orthodox churches in theworld.IN CHINA, INFANT TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS JUST 30 HOURS AFTER BIRTHA baby in China's epidemic-hit Wuhan city has been diagnosed with the novelcoronavirus just 30 hours after being born, Chinese state media reportedWednesday.The infant is the youngest person recorded as being infected by the virus,which has killed nearly 500 people since emerging late last year.CCTV quoted experts as saying it may be a case of "vertical transmission",referring to infections passed from mother to child during pregnancy,childbirth or immediately after.The mother had tested positive for the virus before she gave birth.The official Xinhua news agency reported Monday that a baby born last weekto an infected mother had tested negative.The disease is believed to have emerged in December in a Wuhan market thatsold wild animals, and spread rapidly as people travelled for the Lunar NewYear holiday in January.China's national health commission said on Tuesday that the oldest persondiagnosed with the virus is a 90-year-old, and that 80% of reported deathshave been of patients 60 years of age and older.FINLAND TO OFFER NEW FATHERS AS MUCH PAID LEAVE AS MOTHERSFinland's woman-led centre-left government plans to nearly double the lengthof paternity leave to give new fathers the same amount of paid time off workas new mothers, it announced on Wednesday.Paid paternity leave will be extended to nearly seven months, in line withmaternity leave. Around half can be given to the other parent.Pregnant women are also entitled to a month of pregnancy leave before theexpected date of birth.Minister of Health and Social Affairs Aino-Kaisa Pekonen said the aim of the"radical reform" was both to improve gender equality and to boost adeclining birth rate."This enables better equality between parents and diversity among families,"she said. She noted that other countries such as Sweden and Iceland had seenincreases in their birth rates after offering more leave for fathers.Finland's governing coalition is made up of five parties, all led by women,of whom four are under 35 years old.Increasing gender equality has been one of the government's aims since ittook office in December.