World News Roundup: faulty sensor reading preceded Boeing crash; Erdogan to seek more EU help and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Europe told to act now as coronavirus locks down north Italy and markets plunge

Italy's prime minister promised "massive shock therapy" to beat the coronavirus on Monday and urged Europe to act decisively after markets plunged and his country sealed off much of its wealthy industrial north. France echoed Giuseppe Conte's call for action, saying Europe must come up with a "strong, massive and coordinated response" and eurozone finance ministers, meeting next week, must decide on a stimulus plan to avoid economic crisis.

Ethiopia says faulty sensor reading preceded Boeing crash

A faulty sensor reading and the activation of an anti-stall system on a Boeing 737 MAX preceded the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight in 2019 that killed 157 people, an interim report by the government in Addis Ababa found. The accident, following the 2018 crash of the same model plane in Indonesia killing 189 people, led to the grounding of Boeing's 737 MAX worldwide, wiped billions off the company's value and sparked hundreds of lawsuits from bereaved families.

Erdogan to seek more EU help for refugees stuck in Turkey

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will seek European financial, political and military support in talks on Monday with EU and NATO leaders but will be told he must first stop encouraging migrants to cross his country's borders into Greece. Tens of thousands of migrants have been trying to get into Greece, an EU member state, since Ankara said on Feb. 28 it would no longer try to keep them on its territory as agreed in a 2016 deal in return for billions of euros in aid for refugees.

Saudi princes' detentions sent a message: don't block my path to the throne

Saudi Arabia's crown prince meant to send a strong message to critics within the royal family by detaining senior princes this weekend: Don't you dare oppose my succession to the throne. The main target in the crackdown, sources said, is King Salman's brother, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, one of only three members of the Allegiance Council, the royal body that endorses the line of succession, to oppose Mohammed bin Salman became crown prince in 2017 in a palace coup.

Names of downed Malaysian airliner victims read out as murder trial opens

Relatives sat listening with bowed heads and eyes closed, as the names of all 298 victims of a missile strike on a Malaysian airliner were read out in a Dutch court on Monday as the murder trial of four fugitive defendants began. Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was hit by a surface-to-air missile on July 17, 2014, while flying over Ukrainian territory held by pro-Russian rebels on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Master, president, god? On the trail of Peru's mysterious new political power broker

In Peru's capital, a group dressed in biblical-style robes, veils, and sandals gathered one recent Sunday night to celebrate an unlikely victory: their congregation had overnight become a major force in the country's new Congress. One by one, a dozen of those who had run for office paraded on stage, thanking their "master" and party president Ezequiel Jonas Ataucusi Molina, who is sometimes revered as a god.

Malaysia names senior banker to finance post as political turmoil settles

Malaysia's new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin named a senior banker as a finance minister in his new administration on Monday, looking to calm jitters tied to domestic political turmoil and global recession fears over the coronavirus. Sworn in a week ago, Muhyiddin emerged at the head of a new coalition after days of political chaos following the abrupt resignation of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad last month.

EU unveils green Africa policy, seeks new start after the migrant crisis

The European Commission on Monday proposed a closer partnership with Africa to fight climate change and create jobs, but aid groups warned any new EU money would likely end up going toward stemming migration into Europe. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell unveiled the five-point strategy for member governments to approve ahead of an EU-African summit in October, hoping for a new start with Africa after the 2015 migrant crisis.

China reports no locally transmitted coronavirus cases outside epicenter

Mainland China reported no new locally transmitted coronavirus cases outside the epicenter of Hubei province for the second day running on Monday but a top Communist Party official warned against people dropping their guard. China had 40 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections as of Sunday, the National Health Commission said, down from 44 cases a day earlier, and the lowest number since the health authority started publishing nationwide data on Jan. 20.

Ghani sworn in as Afghan president, rival holds parallel inauguration

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was sworn in for a second term on Monday but his main rival refused to recognize the inauguration and held his own swearing-in ceremony as a rival president. Both Ghani and former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah say they are Afghanistan's rightful leader following a disputed election last September, a stand-off that threatens political chaos days after the United States and the Taliban signed a deal on the withdrawal of U.S.-led international forces.