CORONAVIRUS DECLARED GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY BY WHOThe World Health Organization declared the outbreak sparked by a new virusin China that has spread to more than a dozen countries a global emergencyafter the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week, including thehighest death toll in a 24-hour period reported Friday.China counted 9,692 confirmed cases with a death toll of 213, including 43new fatalities. The vast majority of the cases have been in Hubei provinceand its provincial capital, Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. No deathshave been reported outside China.The U.N. health agency defines an international emergency as an"extraordinary event" that constitutes a risk to other countries andrequires a coordinated international response.China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December.Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race tounderstand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is.Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading amongpeople in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries -including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea andVietnam - where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-humantransmission.Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Thursday, WHO Director-General TedrosAdhanom Ghebreyesus noted the worrisome spread of the virus between peopleoutside China."The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening inChina but because of what is happening in other countries," he said. "Ourgreatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries withweaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it.""This declaration is not a vote of non-confidence in China," he said. "Onthe contrary, WHO continues to have the confidence in China's capacity tocontrol the outbreak."Earlier in Geneva, the WHO's DG Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared theoutbreak as a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" (PHEIC)after a closed-door meeting of its emergency panel. It's only the 6th timethat the WHO has declared a PHEIC since the International Health Regulations(IHR) mechanism was set up in 2005.NETANYAHU MEETS PUTIN ON MIDEAST PEACE DEALIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday hailed US PresidentDonald Trump's Middle East peace plan as a new opportunity after flying toMoscow to discuss it with President Vladimir Putin."I think there's a new and perhaps unique opportunity here," said theIsraeli premier, who stood alongside Trump at the White House when the planwas announced Tuesday and called it a victory for Israel.Trump's plan angered Palestinians by proposing Israel retain control overJerusalem as its "undivided capital" and giving the green light to annexJewish settlements in the West Bank."I'd like to speak to you and hear your insights and see how we can combineall our forces for security and peace,"Netanyahu told Putin at the start oftheir Kremlin meeting. "You're actually the first leader I'm speaking withafter my visit to Washington about President Trump's Deal of the Century,"he added.The Russian leader did not mention the peace plan in his public remarks.Netanyahu, facing graft charges, is contesting March elections and hopingthe proposal will boost his re-election chances.BREXIT: BORIS JOHNSON TO HAIL 'DAWN OF A NEW ERA' ON DEPARTURE DAYPrime Minister Boris Johnson will hail the "dawn of a new era" on Friday, asthe UK prepares to leave the European Union after 47 years.In a speech to be shown at 22:00 GMT - an hour before the official departuretime - he will say Brexit is "not an end but a beginning".He will describe severing ties with the other 27 EU nations as "a moment ofreal national renewal and change".Little will change immediately, as the UK begins a "transition period".Most EU laws will continue to be in force - including the free movement ofpeople - until the end of December, by which time the UK aims to havereached a permanent free trade agreement with the EU.In a statement, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged the country not to "turninwards" and instead "build a truly internationalist, diverse andoutward-looking Britain'".To mark Brexit, Mr Johnson will hold a cabinet meeting in Sunderland - thecity that was the first to back Brexit when results were announced after the2016 referendum - on Friday morning.In his address, filmed in Downing TStreet, Mr Johnson will also say: "Thisis the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances- your family's life chances - should depend on which part of the countryyou grow up in."This is the moment when we begin to unite and level up."CHINA COMMUNIST PARTY 'CENTRAL THREAT OF OUR TIMES': POMPEOUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday called China's rulingCommunist Party "the central threat of our times" that challenges Westernprinciples."The Chinese Communist Party presents the central threat of our times,"Washington's top diplomat said at a joint appearance with Britain's ForeignSecretary Dominic Raab.He added that Western allies must "ensure that the next century is governedby these Western democratic principles".Pompeo's remarks came as Washington presses Britain and other Europeanstates to exclude China's Huawei tech giant from their next-generation 5Gmobile networks.Britain on Tuesday decided to allow Huawei to build "non-core" elements of5G that do not handle sensitive personal data.It also capped Huawei's market share to 35 percent and promised to lower itin the future.Brussels adopted a similar policy for EU member states on Wednesday.US officials have warned that Washington might have to stop sharingintelligence with London if it included any elements of the Chinese companyin its new network because of the security risk.But Pompeo appeared to walk back that threat on Thursday.The US-UK intelligence sharing "relationship is deep, it is strong, it willremain," Pompeo said.He added that he was "confident ... as we move forward together to make surethe next generation of technology is secure".STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED AS BUSHFIRE THREATENS AUSTRALIAN CAPITALAustralian officials declared a state of emergency for the capital city ofCanberra and surrounding regions on Friday, as soaring temperatures andstrong winds threatened to propel a large bushfire beyond the control offirefighters.Andrew Barr, Chief Minister for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), saidthe decision to declare the first state of emergency since fatal wildfiresin 2003 indicated the potential danger over the weekend.Officials said an uncontrolled fire in the ACT's south, on the doorstep ofCanberra, had grown to 185 sq km, almost 8% of the territory's land mass."This fire may become very unpredictable. It may become uncontrollable," Mr.Barr told reporters in a televised briefing. "The combination of extremeheat, wind, and a dry landscape will place suburbs in Canberra's south atrisk."Australia's federal parliament is located in Canberra, which is also home toseveral government and independent institutions as well as national museums.Four people died and almost 500 homes were destroyed in the 2003 Canberrafires.The state of emergency declared on Friday will run for 72 hours, givingauthorities greater powers to order evacuations, close roads and takecontrol of private property.Heatwave conditions are also expected to sweep through Victoria and NewSouth Wales states over the weekend, where some 80 fires are burning.RUSSIA TO SHUT BORDER WITH CHINA OVER CORONAVIRUSRussia said Thursday it was closing its border with China to prevent thespread of the new coronavirus and would stop issuing electronic visas toChinese nationals.Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told a government meeting that the orderhad been signed "to take measures to close the border (with China) in theFar East"."We have to do everything to protect our people," he said.The Russian foreign ministry said that as of Thursday it would stop issuingChinese citizens with electronic visas, which can be used to cross intoparts of the Far East and western Russia.The foreign ministry also advised Russians to refrain from travelling toChina and for those in China to get in touch with the Russian embassy.Russia does not have any confirmed cases of the new virus but the Russiangovernment has set up a task force to prevent its possible spread.JAPAN SEEKS GHOSN'S ARRESTAn arrest warrant was issued Thursday for Nissan's former chairman CarlosGhosn, who skipped bail while awaiting trial in Japan and is now in Lebanon.Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon, so there is littlechance for his arrest. Lebanon indicated earlier this month that it will nothand over Ghosn.Tokyo prosecutors also issued arrest warrants for three Americans theysaid helped and planned his escape, MichaelTaylor, George Zayek and Peter Taylor. Deputy Chief Prosecutor TakahiroSaito declined to say where the three men were thought to be located. Hesaid Michael Taylor and George Zayek are suspected of helping Ghosn flee byhiding him in luggage at an airport in Japan, and getting him into a privatejet to leave the country.US HITS RUSSIAN RAILROAD WITH SANCTIONS OVER CRIMEAThe Trump administration has imposed sanctions on a Moscow-based privaterailway company that last month opened passenger service between Russia andCrimea, a Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.The sanctions target Grand Service Express, its CEO and seven people whowere slapped with European Union sanctions earlier in the week for theirrole in organizing Russian local elections on Crimea in September. The EUand the US imposed economic sanctions on Russia after the annexation andrefuse to recognise Moscow's authority over the region.The Treasury Department handed down the new sanctions on Wednesday two daysbefore Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due in Kyiv to meet with theUkrainian president and other officials. They may be intended to send amessage of support from the Trump administration during the impeachmenttrial of President Donald Trump over his dealings with Ukraine."Treasury's action, taken in close coordination with our internationalallies and partners, reiterates our unwavering support for restoring freeand fair democratic processes in Crimea," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchinsaid in a statement.FLASH FLOODS KILL NINE IN INDONESIAFlash floods and landslides have killed at least nine people and forcedthousands into temporary shelters on Indonesia's Sumatra island, the localdisaster agency said Thursday.Torrential rain in North Sumatra this week sparked the disaster, with mostvictims drowning or hit by logs swept away in the current, the agency added."We suspect (two victims) were killed after getting hit by logs," saidSafaruddin Ananda Nasution, head of Central Tapanuli's disaster mitigationagency.Rampant illegal logging in the area may have contributed to the disaster byloosening the soil and making it susceptible to landslides, he added.Several thousand residents have fled to shelters.