Good Morning Australia!! - North Korea says it has put a satellite in orbit - A shocking discovery in the rubble of that collapsed apartment building in Taiwan calls construction practices into question - Terrorists released a kidnapped Perth native - And more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:

The United Nations Security Council is condemning North Korea for the launch of a long-range rocket.  Pyongyang claims putting an object into orbit was part of its "peaceful" space program, but the US and North Korea's neighbors say that's a lame cover story for a ballistic missile test.  Venezuela currently leads the Security Council's rotating presidency, and UN envoy Rafael Ramirez said: "The members of the Security Council strongly condemn this launch," which he said was, "a serious violation of the Security Council resolution".  The US is pushing for tougher economic sanctions on a country that's pretty much already cut off from the rest of the world.  Pyongyang says it will continue space launches.

The death toll at that 17-storey building that toppled over in the Taiwan earthquake is more than 34 lives lost, with at least a hundred people still missing.  Officials have launched a three-part investigation into why the Weiguan Jinlong (Golden Dragon) building fell over while the majority of other buildings emerged relatively unscathed from the 6.4 magnitude quake.  Of particular concern is the discovery of empty cooking oil cans that were concealed inside the building's concrete columns, and did what one engineer claim was once a common practice weaken the structure.

An elderly Australian is safe in Niger, after being freed by al Qaeda-linked militants in Burkina Faso in western Africa.  84-year old Jocelyn Elliot appeared on TV in Niger, next to President Mahamadou Issoufou (who just happens to be running for reelection later this month).  "To the Burkina and Niger authorities, I thank you for all your efforts and thank you for all you have done for us," Mrs. Elliott said.  Burkinabe officials confirmed Niger's assistance in geting the militants to free the Perth native.  The militants kidnapped Jocelyn and her husband Dr. Ken Elliot close to the health clinic and hospital they've operated in Burkina Faso for several decade.  Dr. Elliot is still in the hands of the kidnappers.

It turns out that the Czech Republic paid a hefty ransom for two women who were kidnapped in Pakistan and held for two years.  The Prague news weekly Respekt says the price tag was around US$6 Million, although the government is not commenting on the report.  Czech psychology students Hana Humpalova and Antonie Chrastecka were released almost a year ago; and while they were captives, they were forced to record a propaganda video asking the US to release a Pakistani terrorism suspect. 

Turkey insists it will not abandon more than 30,000 refugees piled up near a crossing at its southern border, fleeing an assault by government troops backed by Russian air power.  "Turkey has reached the limit of its capacity to absorb the refugees," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said.  "But in the end, these people have nowhere else to go.  Either they will die beneath the bombings.. or we will open our borders," he added.  The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontiers says the fighting around Aleppo is fierce, and at least three of its facilities have been damaged by airstrikes.