World News Roundup: Roettgen wants to take over Merkel's conservatives; China sees fall in coronavirus deaths and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Senior conservative Roettgen wants to take over Merkel's conservatives

Senior German conservative lawmaker Norbert Roettgen has put himself forward as a surprise candidate to take over as leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), further complicating the party's chaotic succession planning. Last week, Annegret-Kramp Karrenbauer, Merkel's protegee, threw the party into turmoil by saying she would not stand as chancellor in the next federal election, due by Oct. 2021, and announcing that she would give up the CDU party chair.

China sees fall in coronavirus deaths but WHO urges caution

China reported its fewest new infections of coronavirus since January and its fewest deaths for a week, but the World Health Organization said data suggesting the epidemic had slowed should still be viewed with caution. Apple Inc warned that its sales would suffer because of the epidemic, hurting both supply and demand, an announcement that cast a chill on global stock markets.

Malaysian Belt and Road project tells some staff to work from home in China's Wuhan

The contractor for a Malaysian rail project that is part of China's 'Belt and Road' initiative has advised some Chinese staff to work remotely while a coronavirus outbreak delays their return from holidays, a company official said on Tuesday. Malaysia has barred the return of 13 managerial staff on the $11-billion East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) after they returned to China's central province of Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, during their Lunar New Year holidays.

Gunman kills ex-wife at Bangkok shopping mall days after the mass shooting

A man killed his ex-wife and wounded another person at a shopping center in Bangkok on Tuesday, police said, just 10 days after a mass shooting at another mall in Thailand's northeast. The gunman fled the Century The Movie Plaza mall, near the Victory Monument in the capital and is still on the run, police said.

Turkey restarts joint Syria patrols with Russia amid Idlib tensions

Turkey has restarted joint patrols with the Russian military in northeast Syria after a two-week hiatus, Russia said late on Monday, as a Syrian government offensive in the Idlib region continued to strain Moscow's ties with Ankara. Turkey and Russia have jointly patrolled Syrian territory near the Turkish border since October. But Turkish forces had not shown up since Feb. 3, the Interfax news agency cited a Russian defense ministry official as saying.

'From bad to worse' - Dashed hopes may deter many Iranians from polls

Confrontation with America, economic hardship and an airline tragedy have battered Iranians' confidence in their leaders, posing a potential problem for the authorities in a parliamentary election this week. As the Feb. 21 vote nears, Iranians are in a gloomy mood, exhausted by a succession of crises that have helped to shred the hopes for a better life they harbored only four years ago.

Seven killed as military vehicle explodes in southeast Colombia

Seven people were killed and 11 more injured when a military vehicle exploded while traveling down a highway in southeast Colombia, in a key drug-trafficking region where illegal armed groups vie for control, a high-ranking military official said on Tuesday. The explosion, which is being investigated by authorities, happened late on Monday in a rural region of Colombia's Cauca province, some 500 kilometers (300 miles) southeast of capital city Bogota.

Wikileaks founder Assange's health improving in prison: spokesman

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is no longer being held in solitary confinement and his health is improving, his colleague and spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told reporters on Tuesday. Assange, 48, is in prison in London, fighting an extradition request from the United States, where he faces 18 counts including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. He could spend decades in prison if convicted.

Turkey ramps up Gulen crackdown with nearly 700 arrests

Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday ordered the arrest of nearly 700 people, including military and justice ministry personnel, state media said, intensifying moves against a network accused of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt. Authorities have carried out a sustained crackdown on alleged followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen since the failed bid in July 2016, in which about 250 people were killed.

Palestinians channel protests through dawn prayers

Before sunrise, thousands of Palestinians streamed toward the mosque in Nablus's Victory Square, swelling the usual crowds of morning worshippers to launch a new front in their protests against Israel and the United States. The scene has been repeated elsewhere in the West Bank, where people have begun turning out for early prayers in unprecedented numbers, forsaking the usual protest sites where they risk arrest and channeling their anger into a mass expressions of faith.