BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING

In today’s briefing update, The headlines are: The first day of President Trump’s impeachment trial kicked off with the Democrats rolling out their case against the US President.  

WHO has praised China’s rapid response to quarantine the deadly virus that has so far killed 17 people. Public transport in and out of the central city Wuhan – the epicentre of the virus- has been stopped. 

In Australia, a waterbombing plane that was tackling the Australian bushfires near Sydney may have crashed. A number of helicopters are in the area carrying out a search. 

In the UK, Boris Johnson has said the UK has crossed the Brexit line after Parliament passed legislation implementing the withdrawal deal.

Entertainment, rapper Juice WRLD’s cause of death has been revealed. 

All this and more in today’s news briefing – A daily roundup of all the news headlines that you need to know, summarised as part of WTX News Briefing.

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Impeachment trial: Democrats roll out case against Trump 

Aljazeera says the Democrats opened arguments in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on Wednesday, trying to convince sceptical Republican senators to join them in voting to remove Trump from office.

As Trump’s lawyers sat waiting for their turn, the president blasted the proceedings from afar. He threatened to face-off with the Democrats by coming to “sit right in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces.”

Democrats have 24 hours over three days to prosecute the charges against Trump. Those 24 hours will not only need to win over senators but the American public which is deeply divided over the president and his impeachment in an election year.

Read the full story on Aljazeera

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WHO praises China’s ‘strong action’ to quarantine 11m in Wuhan as outbreak kills 17, with 95 critical

RT News reports the World Health Organisation (WHO) has praised China’s quick response to the rapidly moving virus gripping the country. But despite the infection tally rapidly rising, the agency hasn’t declared it a global health threat.

“What they are doing is a very, very strong measure and with full commitment,” WHO director-general Tedros Ahanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. His praise was in reference to Beijing closing all public transport in and out of the city of Wuhan, the viral epicentre. 

All trains, buses, railways and ferries travelling to and from Wuhan have stopped until further notice in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. And the city’s 11 million citizens have been asked not to leave without “special reasons.” 

Read the full story on RT News

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Aircraft fighting bushfires in Australia ‘may have crashed’

France24 says a waterbombing plane may have crashed while fighting a massive bushfire in mountains near Sydney authorities have said.

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service said it was “investigating reports of a serious incident involving an aircraft in southern NSW this afternoon.”

“Contact was lost with a large air tanker which was working in the Snowy Monaro area,” the agency said in a statement. 

“Local ground crews indicate the aircraft may have crashed. A number of helicopters are in the area carrying out a search.”

The bushfire in the Snowy Mountains is burning across almost 94,000 hectares.

Read the full story on France24

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Brexit: UK has ‘crossed Brexit finish line,’ says PM

BBC News says Boris Johnson has said the UK has “crossed the Brexit finish line” after Parliament passed legislation implementing the withdrawal deal.

The EU Bill, which allows the country to leave the EU on 31 January is now awaiting royal assent. 

The PM said the UK could now “move forward as one” and put “years of rancour and division behind it.” 

The EU top officials are expected to sign the agreement in the coming days, while MEPs will vote on it next week.

Read the full story on BBC News

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Rapper Juice WRLD’s cause of death revealed

FOX News says the 21-year-old rapper Jared A. Higgins known better by stage name Juice WRLD’s cause of death has been revealed. 

The rapper died from an accidental overdose of oxycodone and codeine, the Cook Country Medical Examiner’s office said in a statement. 

“The Office determined that Higgins died as a result of oxycodone and codeine toxicity,” the medical examiner said. “The manner of death is [an] accident. Higgins was pronounced dead on December 8, 2019, at Advocate Christ Medical Centre in Oak Lawns III.”

Read the full story on FOX News

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