World News Roundup: First trial on torture in Syria; Putin might run again for president and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Stocks savaged, Italy on lockdown, Trump seeks to reassure as coronavirus spreads

All of Italy under lockdown, reeling financial markets and rioting prisoners made clear on Monday how the global coronavirus epidemic was extending its reach into all aspects of social and economic life. Major European stock markets dived more than 7%, Japanese indexes fell over 5% and U.S. markets sank over 7% after Saudi Arabia launched an oil price war with Russia that sent investors already spooked by the coronavirus epidemic running for the exits.

First trial on torture in Syria to open in Germany in April

The first trial of suspected members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's security services for crimes against humanity, including torturing and killing opposition activists, will start next month, a German court said on Tuesday. In a move welcomed by campaigners as sending a signal to those affected by oppression in Syria, German prosecutors have used universal jurisdiction laws that allow them to prosecute crimes against humanity committed anywhere in the world.

Myanmar's parliament blocks bid by Suu Kyi party to reduce army power

Myanmar's parliament blocked a bid by the party of leader Aung San Suu Kyi to reduce the role of the military in politics on Tuesday, almost a decade into a troubled democratic transition. In the first day of voting on a series of proposed constitutional amendments, lawmakers vetoed changes backed by the ruling party that would have altered the 2008 charter drafted by the former ruling military junta.

Russia's ruling party backs idea of allowing Putin to run again for president: RIA

Russia's ruling United Russia party said on Tuesday it would back a constitutional amendment that would allow President Vladimir Putin to run again for president, the RIA news agency reported, a prospect Putin has previously played down. Putin, who in January unveiled a major shake-up of Russian politics and a constitutional overhaul, is required by the constitution to step down in 2024 when his second sequential presidential term ends.

Italy wakes up to deserted streets in unprecedented coronavirus lockdown

Italy woke up on to deserted streets in an unprecedented lockdown on Tuesday after the government extended quarantine measures across the entire country in a bid to slow Europe's worst outbreak of the coronavirus. The measures, announced late on Monday by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, widen steps already taken in the rich northern region of Lombardy and parts of neighboring provinces, clamping down on movement and closing public spaces.

Taliban wait for Afghan president to order release of fighters in prisoner swap

The Taliban sent vehicles for fighters set to be released by the Afghan government in a prisoner swap expected to be announced on Tuesday, and were ready to honor their side of the deal by handing over 1,000 captured government troops, militant leaders said. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will issue a decree for at least 1,000 Taliban prisoners to be released this week, Reuters reported on Monday, paving the way for opening direct talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents.

Xi visits Wuhan, signaling tide turning in China's coronavirus battle

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday made his first visit to Wuhan since a coronavirus outbreak forced a lockdown of the city of 11 million people, in a sign that authorities' efforts to control the virus are working. Xi's arrived on the same day that Wuhan shut the last of 14 temporary hospitals that had been opened to manage a surge in coronavirus patients, news website The Paper reported.

Families to mark first anniversary of Ethiopian 737 MAX crash

The families of passengers and crew aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 will mark the first anniversary of the crash on Tuesday, a day after an interim report focused on software installed on the Boeing 737 MAX airliner. The accident killed all 157 people aboard. It was the second involving the new 737 MAX plane in just five months and led to its worldwide grounding.

Greece rebuffs 963 migrants in border standoff with Turkey

Nearly 1,000 migrants tried to cross into Greece from Turkey in the past 24 hours despite tight border security, Greek officials said on Tuesday, suggesting little respite in a nearly two-week diplomatic bust-up between Ankara and the European Union. President Tayyip Erdogan, whose decision on Feb. 28 to open Turkey's border to migrants wishing to leave triggered the crisis at the border, repeated on Tuesday his call for EU member state Greece to let the people through.

Turkey's Erdogan says U.S. softening stance on Patriot systems

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that the United States was softening its stance on a potential sale of U.S. Patriot defense systems, adding that Washington had asked Ankara to guarantee it will not activate Russian S-400 defense systems. Turkey and the United States, NATO allies, have been at odds over Ankara's purchase last year of the Russian S-400s, which Washington says are incompatible with the alliance's defense systems and would compromise U.S. stealth fighter jets which Turkey was helping build and was scheduled to take delivery of.