Good Morning Australia!! - Trump's stock market plunges - A letter contradicts the Pope's claim he didn't know about an abusive priest and enabler Bishop - The Paris Attacks suspect tries to drag down his trial - And more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:

The stock market bloodbath continued around the globe as the Dow Jones was down as low as -1,600 points (6 percent) at one point.  Automatic buying kicked in and slashed some of those losses.  The Dow was already down 600 points for the day because of what one market analyst described as "stupid people selling by machine", referring to automated trading, when the orange clown Donald Trump declared that Democrats were "un-American" and "treasonous" (the latest new low in the moron's piggish behavior).  Within minutes, another 900 points evaporated.  Looks like it's closing down between -1,100 and -1,200 - down more than -1,800 for Friday and Monday.  So much winning!

As the world searches for stability, Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democrats announced they are in the "final stretch" of talks to form a new German government - which Europe has depended on as its rock for the last few decades.  The most recent  elections were in September but Merkel has struggled to form a coalition since then.  The two parties agreed on spending 4 Billion Euros to build social and private housing, and on expanding high speed broadband.

The only surviving suspect in the 2015 Paris Terrorist Attacks refused to speak in his trial in Belgium, other than to level nebulous criticism at the prosecution.  Authorities believe Salah Abdeslam played a key role in the attacks, which targeted the Bataclan concert hall, a football stadium, and other venues - 130 people were killed and hundreds more were injured.  He's on trial in Belgium for the gun battle four months later that led to his capture.

Republic of Ireland Gardai (cops) raided than 30 homes in 12 counties across the Ireland in a child abuse investigation.  Officers confiscated computers, phones, and other equipment.  Operation Ketch was set up to target people suspected of possessing and distributing child exploitation images.

A victim of a pedophile priest in Chile is directly contradicting Pope Francis' claim he knew nothing of a sex abuse scandal in the South American country.  Juan Carlos Cruz says he wrote a letter to the Pope in 2015 which detailed the abuse he suffered in the 1980s, which he says was witnessed by cleric Juan Barros.  Francis caused outrage in Chile last month by defending Bishop Barros, who was promoted in 2015 - on Francis' watch.  The Vatican refused to comment on the letter.

Voters in Ecuador overwhelmingly reinstated term limits on the presidency, dealing a blow to Left-wing former President Rafeal Correa's plans to return to power.  Correa has been less than enchanted with his former protege and successor Lenin Moreno, who he views as too market-oriented.  To prevail in the term limit referendum, Moreno had to forge alliances with the conservative opposition - which no doubt raises Correa's blood pressure.

Costa Rica's presidential election has gone to a run-off.  Far-right evangelical preacher Fabricio Alvarado campaigned opposing gay marriage, and was the top vote getter in a field of 6 candidates with less than a quarter of the ballots.  He'll face off against Carlos Alvarado of the center-left Citizen's Action Party (PAC) in the second round on 1 April.

Russian media reports the pilot of a downed fighter jet detonated a grenade to prevent himself from being captured by Islamist extremist fighters on the ground in Syria's Idlib province.  The TV Zvezda reports claims that pilot Roman Filipov's reported last words were, "Here's for the guys."  Supposedly, this video shows his last stand without gore or objectionable content.  Filipov's Sukhoi-25 was reportedly downed by a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile.

The Maldives have declared a two week state of emergency.  The government is refusing to obey a court order to release opposition politicians being held in jails, and to reinstate a dozen lawmakers who were ousted after switching their allegience to the opposition.  The islands have a lucrative tourist resort sector, and not much else.