DEATH OF DOCTOR WHO SOUNDED CORONAVIRUS ALARM SPARKS ANGER AT GOVERNMENTA Chinese doctor who was reprimanded for warning against a "SARS-like"coronavirus before it was officially recognised died of the virus on Friday,triggering a wave of mourning in China and rare online expressions of angertowards the government.The death of Li Wenliang, 34, came as Chinese President Xi Jinping assuredthe United States that China was doing all it could to contain the virus.Ophthalmologist Li was among eight people reprimanded by police in the cityof Wuhan, the epicentre of the flu-like contagion in central Hubei province,for spreading "illegal and false" information.Li's social media warnings of a new "SARS-like" coronavirus - a reference toSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which killed almost 800 people around theworld in 2002-2003 after originating in China - angered police.China was accused of trying to cover up SARS.Li was forced to sign a letter on Jan. 3, saying he had "severely disruptedsocial order" and was threatened with charges.A selfie of him lying on a hospital bed this week wearing an oxygenrespirator and holding up his Chinese identification card was shared widelyonline."We deeply mourn the death of Wuhan doctor Li Wenliang ...After all-effort rescue, Li passed away," the ruling Communist Party'sPeople's Daily said on Twitter.Social media users called Li a hero, accusing authorities of incompetence."Wuhan indeed owes Li Wenliang an apology," Hu Xijin, editor of thegovernment-backed Global Times tabloid, said on social media. "Wuhan andHubei officials also owe a solemn apology to the people of Hubei and thiscountry."Li's death was a "tragic reminder" of how China's preoccupation withmaintaining stability drives it to suppress vital information, NicholasBequelin, Southeast Asia regional director for Amnesty International said.JARED KUSHNER PRESENTS ISRAEL-BACKED MIDDLE EAST PLAN TO UNITED NATIONSUS President Donald Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with UNSecurity Council members on Thursday behind closed-doors to brief them onthe US peace plan for the Middle East.The initiative allows for Israel to retain sovereignty over all itssettlements and the strategic Jordan Valley. A newly created Palestine wouldremain a disjointed state under the highly criticized US plan.Having worked on the proposal for nearly three years, Kushner and the Trumpadministration set up the Mideast plan with the aim of ending theIsraeli-Palestinian conflict.While Trump hailed the plan as the "deal of the century," Palestinians havealready rejected it, saying they were never included in the talks in thefirst place. The European Union has also slammed the US plan, saying theproposal departs from established international agreements.Kushner told reporters after the briefing that he blamed PalestinianPresident Mohammed Abbas for a spike in violence in Israel in the days sinceTrump announced the plan."He calls for days of rage in response and he said that even before he sawthe plan," Kushner said.PAKISTAN PARLIAMENT PASSES RESOLUTION DEMANDING PUBLIC HANGING OF CHILDSEXUAL ABUSERSPakistan's Parliament on Friday passed a resolution demanding public hangingof those convicted of sexually abusing and murdering children amidincreasing incidents of crime against them.The resolution, which referred to the brutal killing and sexual assault ofan eight-year-old girl in Nowshera area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in2018, was passed with majority votes as it was supported by all lawmakersexcept those belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of former premierBenazir Bhutto.Former premier and PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf said that pubic hanging wasviolation of UN rules and punishment cannot mitigate crimes. "Ramping up theseverity of punishments does not result in a reduction in crime."Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan presented theresolution in the House which strongly condemned the incidents of childsexual abuse."This house demands that to stop these shameful and brutal killings ofchildren and give a strong deterrent effect, the killers and rapists shouldnot only be given death penalty by hanging but they should be hangedpublicly," it read.However, the resolution was condemned by two ministers who were not presentin the house at the time voting."Strongly condemn this resolution this is just another grave act in linewith brutal civilisation practices, societies act in a balanced waybarberiaism is not answer to crimes... this is another expression ofextremism," Minister for Science Fawad Chaudhry tweeted in reaction.CORONAVIRUS: DEATH TOLL SOARS TO 722; U.S. OFFERS $100 MILLION TO CHINA,OTHERS TO FIGHT ITThe number of deaths from China's new coronavirus epidemic jumped to 722 onSaturday, surpassing the toll from the SARS outbreak on the mainland andHong Kong almost two decades ago.Another 86 people died from the virus, according to the national healthcommission, with all but five in hard-hit Hubei province, where the diseaseemerged in DecemberIn its daily update, the commission also confirmed another 3,399 new cases.There are now more than 34,500 confirmed infections across the country.Meanwhile, United States on Friday offered up to $100 million to China andother impacted countries to combat the fast-spreading coronavirus."This commitment-along with the hundreds of millions generously donated bythe American private sector-demonstrates strong US leadership in response tothe outbreak," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement."We encourage the rest of the world to match our commitment. Workingtogether, we can have a profound impact to contain this growing threat," hesaid.Mr. Pompeo, who has frequently criticized China on issues from human rightsto its overseas infrastructure spending, said the United States wouldprovide the assistance either directly or through multilateralorganizations.US KILLS TOP AL-QAEDA LEADER QASIM AL-RIMI IN YEMEN: TRUMPUS President Donald Trump has confirmed that in a major counterterrorismoperation in Yemen the US forces have killed Qasim al-Rimi, a founder andleader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the jihadist group that claimedresponsibility for a mass shooting at a US naval base.Rimi, 46, a deputy to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, was placed on theUnited States' most-wanted terrorist list after taking over al-Qaeda's Yemenaffiliate in 2015.US government had offered a USD 10 million reward for information on Rimi."His death further degrades al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and theglobal al-Qaeda movement, and it brings us closer to eliminating the threatsthese groups pose to our national security," Trump said on Thursday.He said the major counterterrorism operation was carried at his direction."Rimi joined al-Qaeda in the 1990s, working in Afghanistan for Osama binLaden. Under Rimi, AQAP committed unconscionable violence against civiliansin Yemen and sought to conduct and inspire numerous attacks against theUnited States and our forces," Trump said."The United States, our interests, and our allies are safer as a result ofhis death. We will continue to protect the American people by tracking downand eliminating terrorists who seek to do us harm," he said.While Trump confirmed that Rimi had been killed, he did not say when the USoperation was conducted or divulged any details about how it was carriedout.TRUMP FIRES TWO IMPEACHMENT WITNESSESUS President Donald Trump has dismissed two senior officials who testifiedagainst him at his impeachment trial.The US envoy to the EU, Gordon Sondland, said he "was advised today that thepresident intends to recall me effective immediately".Just hours earlier, Lt Col Alexander Vindman, a top expert on Ukraine, wasescorted from the White House.Mr Trump is said to desire a staff shake-up after senators cleared him inthe impeachment case on Wednesday.Lt Col Vindman's twin brother, Yevgeny Vindman, a senior lawyer for theNational Security Council, was also sent back to the Department of the Armyon Friday.As he left the executive mansion on Friday for North Carolina, Mr Trump toldreporters: "I'm not happy with him [Lt Col Vindman]."You think I'm supposed to be happy with him? I'm not."In a statement issued by his lawyer, Mr Sondland said: "I was advised todaythat the president intends to recall me effective immediately as UnitedStates ambassador to the European Union."I am grateful to President Trump for having given me the opportunity toserve, to Secretary [of State Mike] Pompeo for his consistent support, andto the exceptional and dedicated professionals at the US mission to theEuropean Union."I am proud of our accomplishments. Our work here has been the highlight ofmy career," Mr Sondland said.THIS IS BRAZIL PRESIDENT BOLSONARO'S PLAN FOR AMAZON RAINFOREST.. AN'INDIGENOUS NIGHTMARE'?Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has unveiled a sweeping plan for theAmazon rainforest that would open indigenous lands to mining - a "dream" forthe far-right leader, but a "nightmare" for environmentalists and triballeaders.Bolsonaro proposed a new bill Wednesday that would allow mining, farming andhydroelectric power projects on formerly protected land in the world'slargest rainforest, saying: "I hope this dream. comes true."He further stoked controversy by naming a former Evangelical missionary tohead the government department responsible for protecting isolatedindigenous groups in Brazil, which is home to at least 100 uncontactedtribes, more than any other country.Together, the measures underlined the Brazilian president's committment totwo key groups of supporters: conservative Evangelical Christians andagrobusiness.But they drew outrage from other quarters."Bolsonaro's dream is our nightmare, and it will be our extermination. Themining industry brings death, disease, and misery, and it will be the end ofour children's future," said Sonia Guajajara, of the Brazilian IndigenousPeople's Assembly (APIB).The clash showed Bolsonaro's determination to press ahead with his agendafor the Amazon basin region, despite international condemnation of hispolicies last year, when record fires raged in the rainforest and the rateof deforestation nearly doubled.The Brazilian government has convened a string of meetings with foreigndiplomats in recent weeks to make its case for the benefits of the new bill.