this is bbc news, the headlines: the coronavirus outbreak, which started in the city of wuhan in china, has been classified as a global health emergency by the world health organisation. more than 200 people have died and almost 8,000 people have been infected. it has spread to eighteen other countries. the palestinian leadership says it has warned israel that if it annexes any part of the occupied west bank all agreements between the two sides would be terminated. the palestinian prime minister told the bbc this would include economic and political deals struck in the past, as well as agreements on security cooperation. the uk will officially leave the eu at 11 o'clock on friday night — that's midnight on mainland europe. the prime minister, borisjohnson is due to make an "address to the nation" around an hour beforehand in which he'll hail the "dawn of a new era". britain has been in the eu since 1973. it voted to leave injune 2016.

now on bbc news, thursday in parliament. hello, and welcome to thursday in parliament — where labour says the government should not be supporting donald trump's middle east peace plan. this is not a peace plan, it is a monstrosity. but a minister hopes the us plan could help re—start the peace process. we owe america and its president at least the time to consider this plan. also on this programme: conservative divisions continue to emerge ahead of the imminent decision on high speed rail line hsz. and with the uk's exit from the eu just hours away, a tory mp proposes a new bank holiday to mark the day

britain voted for brexit. to be called united kingdom day, so that the country can celebrate sovereignty and the union of our four great nations. earlier this week, donald trump set out what he called the "most detailed peace plan ever offered for the middle east", describing it as a "win—win" for both the israelis and the palestinians. he proposed what he called "a realistic" two—state solution, setting out an independent palestinian state and the recognition israeli sovereignty over west bank settlements. standing alongside israeli pm benjamin netanyahu, mr trump said his proposals "could be the last opportunity" for palestinians. the palestinian president mahmoud abbas dismissed the plans as a "conspiracy". borisjohnson meanwhile described the idea as having "the merit of a two—state solution". labour asked for a minister to come to the commons to answer questions on the issue, and the shadow foreign secretary was scathing about the proposals. it destroys any prospect

of an independent palestinian state, it legitimises the illegal annexation of palestinian land for settlers, it puts the whole ofjerusalem under israeli control, it removes the democratic rights of palestinians living in israel and removes the right of palestinian refugees to return to their land. this is not a peace plan, it is a monstrosity, and a guarantee that the next generation of palestinian and israeli children, like so many generations before them, will grow up knowing nothing but fear, violence, and division. and the only question — the urgent question that i have today is why on earth our prime minister and our foreign secretary are just going along with this sham of a peace deal by actively welcoming it and saying that palestine should get behind it? that is a shameful betrayal of decades of consensus across this house, and from one government to another that we should unswervingly and neutrally support progress towards a two—state solution, a prospect that this plan permanently rips away.

we owe america and its president at least the time to consider this plan. that said, this is not our plan. i would say to her that at the moment, we have a vacuum in which there is no negotiation. what we would want to see is a return to negotiation, mr speaker. and at the moment, we need something that will get us going in that respect. and this plan — with all its faults and foibles which every plan has — enables us to get around the table again. that has to be a good thing. this simply will not do. and i get that the united kingdom government finds itself in a tough position.

but simply uttering the words that "this is not our plan" clearly isn't going to cut it. he must see how intellectually dishonest the position he's taking is. 0n the one hand, he's saying that the uk government hasn't changed and is against annexation. this plan endorses that and makes that possible. he shouldn't hide behind what others say for some this country has historic responsibilities to palestine, and he should stand up for what should be this government's policy. support for the government's view was thin on the ground, but some backbenchers spoke up for the minister's position. we are dealing with one of the world's most longest running, complicated conflicts. and if these proposals represent a step towards negotiations and acceptable agreement, we should be giving them fair consideration. but a lib dem, who's british palestinian, described the proposals as a scam, not a plan.

and the minister wonders why those of us with palestinian families, but also anyone else who believes in the international rules—based order is suggesting that our government should reject this — this is an insult. the palestinians weren't consulted in its wide gestation. she quoted the prime minister, boris johnson, when he was foreign secretary. "we are saying that you either have to have a two—state solution, or else you have to have a kind of a apartheid situation. and if you go for a two—state approach, that is the long—standing position of this government." this plan is not the basis for a viable two—state solution. so does he then accept that, in his words, these are baby steps towards an apartheid system that we should have rejected outright? i think she needs to be a little bit careful with her language. he might want to remember what our manifesto said — "that britain will be a champion of the rule of law, human rights, free—trade, anti—corruption efforts, and a rules—based system".

and yesterday, we welcomed the release of a proposal that ignored the palestinian right to self—determination, 1967 borders, international humanitarian law, ignored repeated un security council resolutions, the last of which the uk signed up to in december 2016. i must say to my right honourable friend, this is an annexation plan. this plan is wrong, it takes 60% of palestinian land, not leading to peace. it does not give palestinian people rights over their security, their borders, their water, just to name a few. a true plan brought forward to look at a two—state solution is what we need, and the government should be shouting out that this plan, if it is implemented, would be a flagrant breach of international law and would not bring peace for palestinian people. the honourable lady makes her case very powerfully. this is a plan, it is not in any way an agreement. i have to say, we need to get back to negotiation between israel and palestine. this peace plan has been a long time in gestation. it isn't agreed.

in order for it to work, it must be agreed between israelis and palestinians. "britain is back and ready to trade" — that was the message from the international development secretary during a debate about the uk's position in the world. but opposition mps were less enthusiastic. liz truss began with a bit of cheerleading. global britain will be a beacon for free enterprise, free trade, and free people across the world. and we will light this beacon, championing the values the uk has long been known for. from our abolition of the court laws in 18116 to helping file the general agreement on tariffs and trade in 19118. the uk has long been a global leader in shaping the rules—based system.

but from 1973 onwards, that role has been increasingly curtailed. tomorrow, we begin to reclaim that global leadership. and she explained how. i'm pleased to say that as we leave the european union, we will be launching our new great "ready to trade" campaign featuring the union flag showcasing modern, confident, successful britain. we will have billboards, press, and digital ads in 18 cities across 13 countries outside the eu. and we will be encouraging investors and buyers worldwide, showing that the uk is ready, willing, and able to trade. tomorrow, our country is pulling out of the largest, most powerful free—trade grouping in the world — and paradoxically, doing so in the name of free trade itself. it has never been more important, therefore, for this parliament to articulate its support for an open and fair rules—based global trading system that creates

wealth and jobs in a way that protects workplace rights, environmental standards, and ensures that vital sectors of our national economy are protected from unfair external competition. one of the main advocates for leaving the eu also looked to brexit day. i'll celebrate, but i will celebrate discreetly. and i will celebrate in a way which is respectful of the genuine sorrow others are feeling at the same time. but that doesn't mean i'm giving in. that doesn't mean i'm turning away from what i believe, but it means that i recognise that all of us here on these benches who have won this argument now have a duty to be magnanimous. and i would urge that on everyone inside and outside the house, even as we press forward. the snp listened to what steve baker

had said, and asked him to use his influence over the issue of scottish independence. i can accept that we had the referendum on independence in 2014. but facts change, circumstances change, and people's minds change, too. so i ask him in all seriousness — because he clearly has some clout on that side of the house — to ask his colleagues in government to engage their brains in the scottish dynamic to the constitutional conundrum that we are in, and will only intensify, a bit better than they have up until now. i'd like to distance myself from those scenes of the brexit party yesterday in the european parliament, waving their flags, and to thank the member for wickham for his mention of kindness. this should be a time of kindness, and acknowledgement that some members and residents are feeling sorrow at this time. and i really welcome your comments about healing our divisions, i hope.

the new chair of the defence committee focused on china. and in our lifetime, we now have a president who has the job for life. china will become more dominant, and economically, technologically, and militarily than the united states. and it is setting its own rules on how it does business. and that poses some huge challenges for us. and we need to have an adult conversation with china to better understand it, to say, what are the rules that we should be following? a labour mp was concerned about how the world viewed the uk. i cannot be the only member of this house who, over the last four years when travelling to other countries — whether for work or holiday, or meeting overseas visitors here — is asked incredulously, "what is going on in your country? why does the uk seem so determined to undermine its international

reputation, its economic position?" and the overall impression from these people is that brexit has undermined our standing and our reputation across the world. and it is certainly an impression that i and many of my colleagues feel. ruth cadbury. well, brexit and the uk's future also came up at questions to the leader of the commons, jacob rees—mogg. an snp mp made clear his party's ambition to rejoin the european union. tomorrow across scotland, communities will gather to say "au revoir", but not "adieu", to our fellow members of the european union. i just want to caution the government about any kind of tribalism about all this. tomorrow is not the end of brexit, it is only the beginning. and as encouraged by my honourable memberfor sterling when he was in the european parliament, many in the eu will be leaving a light on for scotland. so in the fairness of time, will we use those lights to find our way back home to europe as an independent member state? thank you, madam deputy speaker. like the honourable gentlemen,

i too am very keen that we should maintain a cordial relationship with our friends over in the european union, but without being governed by them. and that seems to be an extremely satisfactory way to be proceeding from now on, and that we don't want to be triumphalist about it. i think, you know, in the spirit of sympathy to europe, it would be allowable for some of us at 11pm on friday to drink some french sparkling wine. i don't think that will be unduly unreasonable. but another conservative had bigger plans. next week, i intend to introduce a bill to create a bank holiday on friday, the closest to 23june every year, to be called united kingdom day, so that the country can celebrate sovereignty and the union of our four great nations. would the leader of the house arrange for a statement next week, saying whether the government will support this bill, be neutral, or oppose it? well obviously, that falls under my responsibilities

as the head of lord council. the bank holidays come from proclamation. i wonder if i might steer my honourable friend — wouldn't it be nicer if we can ask for a new holiday in june to have, as some other entries have, the queen's birthday holiday? rather than keeping with other holidays, like the slightly republican—sounding uk day? jacob rees—mogg. you're watching thursday in parliament, with me, alicia mccarthy. the transport secretary, grant shapps, has defended the right of tory mps to oppose hs2, following growing criticism of the high speed rail project from a number of conservatives. mr shapps said it was right that the project was properly debated and confirmed that an announcement would be made "shortly". there are signs the government is poised to give hs2 the go—ahead. the chancellor, sajid javid, has thrown his weight behind it ahead of a key meeting with boris

johnson. a conservative was the first to raise hs2 in the commons at transport questions, saying the project would help address differences in spending on infrastructure across the regions. will the secretary of state join the chancellor in supporting the continuation of that project when he meets with the prime minister later today? i don't wish to disappoint my honourable friend, but he won't have to wait very long and we will have an announcement on this next month. but some mps couldn't wait for that — a member of the transport team was soon facing a fierce tory critic of hs2. if the government were to scrap hs2 which everybody knows is a catastrophic waste of money... rubbish! ..it would leave a huge amount available for more rail infrastructure in west yorkshire and across the north. what we need in west yorkshire and the north is better infrastructure in the north and across the north. northern powerhouse rail and hs3 is much more important to us than hs2. so, when is the government's

intended timetable for completing northern powerhouse rail? can he guarantee that bradford will have a city centre stop on that route? well, this is a government that is spending a huge amount of money on improving the infrastructure in the north. he will see lots of improvements in the bradford area, and the area he represents. and h52 and these various other bits of infrastructure, they are not an either/or. these are additional investments that we are making in our infrastructure. the recent—leaked network rail paper which showed the alternative to hs2 was 29 years of weekend closures and interminable delays, which is why we all need to know that we need to get on with hs2. will the government not only commit to it, but actually get control of some of these mps who are costly undermining what's the most important infrastructure project this country has? mr speaker, unlike the honourable gentlemen, i don't think that mps whichever side of this debate they're on, represent their constituents are somehow undermining democracy. quite the opposite in fact. it is the case that this

is the biggest infrastructure decision this country has ever made, the biggest in europe, and it's quite right that is properly and carefully considered not just with that network rail evidence but with everything else. the good news is, he won't have to wait too long. 0ur ancient woodlands and veterinarians such as in my constituency are irreplaceable habitats and areas of beauty. what efforts are being made to avoid the destruction of ancient woodlands and streams in the construction of hs2? in our reports on ancient woodlands in the consular review, that remains the case and we meet regularly with the woodland trustees... ..and listen to them very carefully. paul maynard was also the minister to answer more hs2 criticism from a former tory cabinet minister. isn't it true that the government can remain committed to the delivery of high—speed rail but deliver it better than with a project that at the moment at least will cost

roughly double what its perpetrators say it would cost, and whose route is designed only for speed but whose justification is about capacity? and don't the substantial delays in the delivery of hs2 we can fatally be argument against taking the time to find a better way to deliver high—speed rail? always with some very interesting comments on hsz. as i listen to radio two in the morning, that was not covered in their news bulletin, however. paul maynard there, joking that he hadn't heard the latest hs2 news stories becase he listens to radio two over breakfast! in the lords, peers raised the plight of british nationals stuck in china because of an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus. the britons had been hoping to return to the uk, but were grounded when the chinese authorities refused to let their plane leave. as a precaution, we are asking anyone in the uk who has returned from wuhan in the last 1a days to self—isolate. the fco are working to make

available an option for british nationals to leave the province. a crossbench peer wanted further clarity on what ministers were planning. it is essential the government be robust in its messaging and remedial actions to be taken to reduce the possibility of fear through ignorance. and consider all eventualities including should core elements of government, if in the extreme, be placed in lockdown. would the minister study the helpful advisory and consider replicating that came out of the canadian ministry of health as to what citizenry should do under all circumstances with the dos and don'ts? i am very happy to look at the advisory that has come out

of the canadian government. i do think that the action which this government has taken in putting in place enhance measures at ports and giving advice to nationals has been very proportionate but also robust and so far, we can be very pleased that of the 131 cases tested in the uk, they have all been negative. labour said it supported what the government was doing, but wanted to know why the chinese were blocking the evacuation flight. what discussions have the uk had with the world health organization on difficulties with the evacuation, and can the noble lady the minister advise what action the government's taking to ensure the safety and welfare of british nationals stranded in wuhan due to to the delay in evacuation? and if they are unable to board a flight as they are displaying symptoms of the virus? those that do make it on board will have to sign contracts agreeing to the 14—day quarantine at an nhs facility on their return to make sure they don't have symptoms of the virus. what staffing resources will be available to carry out quarantine screening procedures? what happens if various people refuse to sign the contract?

and clearly, these teams will be of great importance to prevent the spread of the virus in the uk, and i look forward to the noble lady's response. so, thank you for that extensive question. we are doing of course everything we can to get british people in wuhan safely back to the uk. a number of country's flights have been unable to take off as planned. we will continue working urgently to organise the flight to the uk as soon as possible. we are working with british nationals who wish to leave and we are developing the package for them once they arrive. the plane will have medical staff on board to assess and manage the passengers, and this is obviously on the direct advice and support from our chief medical officer who has specific expertise in this area. a team from public health england and the nhs will meet with passengers, and any passengers who have developed symptoms will be assessed and transferred as appropriate nhs care. asymptomatic passengers will be transferred to an isolation centre. we don't want to provide details on this at this stage.

and we are of course working with chinese authorities to unblock the issues that would allow the plane to take off. lady blackwood. back in the commons, more of the new intake of mps made their first or maiden speeches. the member for wolverhampton told mps how he'd feared losing his leg after being accidentally shot in the foot as a 17—year—old soldier. he recovered from the injury and rejoined the army, but the event took its toll on his mental health. desmond tutu once described hope as the ability to see light in the darkness. i got to a place where i had no hope. enough was enough, and ifinally decided to end my life. as i was in the process of doing it, i had one thought that stopped me. i didn't want my children to grow up without a father like i had. i couldn't do it.

i actually felt a failure not being able to take my own life. there was no escape from the life i was in. i was stuck. in my mind, my life was over. i'd been dealt a bad hand and that was my life. i thought i would try and do something good for my kids, cos i never wanted anyone to experience my life, let alone my children. so, i decided to take them to church. there are many reasons why people come out of despair. when i was trying to do something right by my family, i found faith. for me, for the first time in many years, i could see a hope, and a future. as the wolverhampton motto says, "out of darkness commeth light." i could see light out of the darkness. 0ver many years, i learnt to face reality. and with my amazing wife, great family, and friends, my life has changed. i'm grateful for every day i have, and i enjoy life to the full.

a new snp mp reflected on brexit. aberdeen, a global city, is likely predicted to be the hardest hit city and the entire uk as a result of this government taking us out of the european union. so, as we stand here and debate global britain, the global city that drives the scottish economy and has a huge part to play in the wider uk economy is going to be detrimentally impacted by the policies of this government. and, you know, that sums up brexit. there is no logic. and we will not forget, and we will not forgive this government for what it is about to do. a labour mp touched on racism, injustice, and knife crime. but most of all, we need to be quite frank with ourselves. because you see, if you live in my area and you are a young black man, and you are caught with drugs or arrested with drugs, it's a very different outcome for you. but apparently if you admit to taking drugs in this house,

you may find yourself a candidate in the conservative party leadership contest. and nobody, nobody, seems to care or places the same level of responsibility that they do on you. now, i'm notjudging. i believe that we all need to look at drug reforms. but i also think there needs to be more equality in how people in this house are treated, and the people that we represent are treated. bell ribeiro—addy, making her maiden speech. and that's it from me for now, but dojoin me on bbc parliament on friday night at 11pm when we'll be taking a look at the week in westminster, and speaking to an ex—member of the european parliament about our exit from the eu. but for now from me, alicia mccarthy, goodbye.

hello there. thursday was a very windy day across the north of the uk into parts of scotland. it stays breezy through the course of today as well, even windy in some areas, but what you will notice is it's going to feel very mild. the reason for it, low pressure always nearby, this front will bring spells of rain which will spread south—east across the country. quite a few isobars on the chart, and we're drawing ourair in from the south—west. this air source from the azores, as you can see, the oranges and yellows indicate it's going to feel mild, very mild in fact for the time of year. there will be quite a bit of around through the morning. that weather front i showed you, a band of rain spreading southwards and eastwards across england and wales through the day. behind it, skies will tend to brighten, so there will be some glimmers of sunshine and plenty of blustery showers across the north and west

of scotland, heavy with spells of rain. some heavy and merging together to bring longer spells of rain. a blustery day wherever you are, these are average wind speeds, could gust to 40mph or maybe 50mph in some of the windiest spots. look at the temperatures, for the time of year, extremely mild. the mid—teens celsius, we could be looking at 15 degrees in one or two spots across eastern england. it stays breezy as well, rather cloudy as we head through friday night. further outbreaks of rain or longer spells of rain across the north—west corner of the country. further south, a few drier interludes, one or two showers around and again, it should be a frost—free one with temperatures remaining in double figures across the south to start the weekend. low pressure again nearby on saturday, we'll have this weather front bringing rain to the north and this front bringing some rain to the south. in between, a mixture of cloud, one or two showers but also a little bit of brightness. 0ne front across the south will allow outbreaks of showery rain to move across southern britain, tending to clear away from the south—east. further north, outbreaks of rain here, northern ireland, scotland, northern england,

with some colder air beginning to push into the north, single figures, further south, a cooler day but still mild for the time of year —10—13 degrees. on sunday we will see another blustery day, especially in the south, a weather front working its way northwards, taking its rain with it, turning to snow over high ground in the north as it encounters colder air but further south, another bright day with a few shower and once again those temperatures in double figures. as we head on into next week, looks like it turns colder. a cold snap for a while before it starts turn milder again for the end of the week, with a return to stronger winds and outbreaks of rain.

welcome to bbc news — i'm mike embley. our top stories: the world health organisation declares a global health emergency as china's coronavirus spreads — at least 200 people have now died and there are cases in 18 other countries. a warning from the palestinian prime minister, if israel annexes any occupied territory, under president trump's new plan. if you implement any of this, that is the end of us with you. as president trump's impeachment trial nears its close in the senate, a senior adviser to ukraine's president denies his administration felt pressured into opening an investigation linked to joe biden. and ch—ch—ch—changes — as the countdown to brexit