World News Roundup: China virus deaths rise to 170; Russian plane landed after passenger bomb threat and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

French court overturns earlier guilty verdict on cardinal Barbarin

A French appeals court on Thursday overturned an earlier ruling against Philippe Barbarin, a Roman Catholic cardinal who was convicted last year of failing to report sexual abuse charges. Barbarin, 69, had been the highest-profile cleric to be caught up in a child sex abuse scandal inside the French Catholic Church.

China virus deaths rise to 170 as hit to global economy looms

Hundreds of foreign evacuees from the Chinese city of Wuhan entered quarantine on Thursday as deaths from a fast-spreading virus rose to 170 and markets shuddered at the impact of an inevitable big hit to the world's No. 2 economy. All eyes were on the World Health Organization (WHO), which has held off declaring the flu-like coronavirus a global emergency but was to reconsider that later in the day.

Anti-China sentiment spreads abroad along with coronavirus

The coronavirus outbreak has stoked a wave of anti-China sentiment around the globe, from shops barring entry to Chinese tourists, online vitriol mocking the country's exotic meat trade and surprise health checks on foreign workers. The virus, which originated in China, has spread to more than a dozen countries, many of them in Southeast Asia which has sensitive relations with China amid concerns about Beijing's vast infrastructure spending and political clout in the region and sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea.

Malta court condemns minister for clearing journalist memorial

Malta's constitutional court ruled on Thursday that former justice minister Owen Bonnici had violated freedom of expression when he repeatedly ordered government workers to clean away a makeshift memorial to murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The memorial, which included photos, candles, and flowers, was set up opposite the law courts at the foot of a monument that marked Malta's victory over invading Ottoman Turks in 1565.

Europe to Britain: So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, adieu

With sorrow, some support for Brexit and even hope of a return, Europeans from across the EU's 27 remaining members bade farewell to the United Kingdom on the eve of its historic departure. The United Kingdom leaves the European Union an hour before midnight on Friday, casting off into an uncertain future that also challenges Europe's post-World War Two project of forging unity from the ruins of conflict.

Heatwave and high winds bring renewed wildfire threat in Australia

Large swathes of southeast Australia were bracing on Thursday for a days-long heatwave that threatens to stoke bushfires that have been burning in the region for months. As firefighters and residents prepared for the heightened danger, the New South Wales (NSW) state government launched a six-month inquiry to examine both the causes of and response to this season's deadly wildfires.

Kushner says he hopes Israel waits on sovereignty steps in West Bank

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said Washington wants Israel to wait until after its March 2 election before making any moves towards settlement annexation in the West Bank following the announcement of a U.S. peace plan. Kushner, an architect of the peace proposal hailed by Israel and rejected by the Palestinians, raised the stop sign in a video interview, posted on the Internet on Thursday, with GZERO Media, a subsidiary of political risk analysis firm Eurasia Group.

Russian plane makes emergency landing after passenger bomb threat

Russian airline S7 said on Thursday one of its planes had been forced to make an emergency landing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport after a passenger stood in the aisle and said she had an explosive device. S7 said the plane had landed safely, away from other aircraft, and emergency services and airport security staff had rushed to meet it. It did not immediately provide any further information.

Japan issues arrest warrants for ex-U.S. soldier, two others for Ghosn escape

Japanese authorities on Thursday issued arrest warrants for a former U.S. special forces soldier and two other men on suspicion of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn out of Japan. Warrants were issued for former U.S. Green Beret Michael Taylor and two other men, George-Antoine Zayek and Peter Taylor, prosecutors said in a statement. A warrant was also issued for Ghosn for illegally leaving the country, prosecutors said.

Shot fired at Indian protest against citizenship law, one hurt

An unidentified man fired at a protest against India's new citizenship law near a university in Delhi on Thursday, wounding a student, witnesses said, the first such incident in the capital during more than a month of demonstrations. Witnesses said the man holding a gun shouted slogans against the protesters near Jamia Millia Islamia University, before firing at them.