World News Roundup: Thai soldier kills at least 10; American dies of coronavirus and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russia holds key to Idlib's fate as the Syrian army advances

Wary of a confrontation with Turkey that could suck Moscow into a military quagmire, Russia is likely to take a gradual approach to help the Syrian government captured the last rebel bastion of Idlib, analysts and diplomats say. President Bashar al-Assad's army, aided by heavy Russian airstrikes, has swept through dozens of towns in Idlib province in the last two weeks in the deepest advance in years, forcing tens of thousands to flee to the Turkish border.

Thai soldier kills at least 10 in shooting rampage: police

A Thai soldier killed at least 10 people in a shooting rampage on Saturday in Nakhon Ratchasima in the northeast of Thailand and remains at large, police said. The soldier opened fire at different locations in the city, which is more than 250 km (155 miles) from Bangkok, police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen said in a message to reporters.

American dies of coronavirus in China; infections spread to the French ski resort

A 60-year-old American has died of the new coronavirus, the first confirmed non-Chinese death of the illness, U.S. officials said, as millions of Chinese began returning home after a Lunar New Year break that was extended to try to contain the outbreak. While the vast majority of cases have been in China, the virus has spread to some two dozen countries abroad, with the latest such cases including five British nationals infected in a French ski resort.

Overnight brawl in Kazakhstan leaves 8 dead, scores wounded

A brawl and a series of clashes in several villages in Kazakhstan's southern Zhambyl province have left eight people dead and scores wounded, Interior Minister Yerlan Turgumbayev said on Saturday. Some 70 people were involved in the initial brawl on the outskirts of the Masanchi village, close to the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, he told a briefing, after which 300 more people arrived from the nearby villages.

Irish vote may end Varadkar's spell as PM as Sinn Fein surges

Irish voters look likely to dump Prime Minister Leo Varadkar from power on Saturday in an election that could alter the political landscape with a surge by Sinn Fein, which has struck a chord among younger voters. The nationalist Sinn Fein party is unlikely to enter government, with opinion polls pointing to the main opposition Fianna Fail winning most seats and forming a coalition or minority government.

Khamenei says Iran should increase military might to prevent war

Iran should increase its military might to prevent a war, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a gathering of air force commanders on Saturday, dismissing the U.S. sanctions on the country as "criminal act". "We should be strong to prevent any war against the county. Being weak will encourage our enemies to attack Iran," Khamenei, Iran's top authority, said according to state news agency IRNA.

Weeding out fakes? Lisbon tourism at threat from 'drug' dealers

Whispering "Hashish? Cocaine?", street sellers are offering unsuspecting tourists in Lisbon's center "drugs" which police say are often bay leaves, flour or ground paracetamol. Locals in Lisbon's historic Santa Maria Maior district say the fake drugs phenomenon is getting worse, worrying police and business owners who fear tourists could start to steer clear of the Portuguese capital's bustling center.

Polish judiciary changes are a 'destruction': EU commissioner

Poland's overhaul of its judiciary constitutes "destruction" not reform, EU Values and Transparency Commissioner Vera Jourova said in an interview published on Saturday, amid growing concern that Poland's nationalists are seeking to muzzle judges. Since coming to power in 2015, Poland's eurosceptic, nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party has introduced a series of judicial reforms that EU officials and democracy activists say may breach the bloc's standards on the rule of law.

Two days after his acquittal, Trump ousts two-star impeachment witnesses

President Donald Trump's administration on Friday ousted the two witnesses who provided the most damaging testimony during his impeachment investigation: Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman and Ambassador Gordon Sondland. Two days after Trump was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate on charges of trying to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival, Vindman -- the top Ukraine expert at the White House's National Security Council -- was escorted out of the building, according to his lawyer.

India's New Delhi heads to vote amid protests against citizenship law

Voters in New Delhi began voting on Saturday in a state election seen as a test of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity following months of deadly anti-government protests over a new citizenship law. The election comes as India's economic growth is at its slowest in six years and amid strong opposition to the law which makes it easier for non-Muslim persecuted minorities from three neighboring countries to become Indian citizens.