Good Morning Australia!! - Europe and China will lead the world where Trump intends to fail - Scary moments and a bomb threat on a flight out of Melbourne - A comic's Trump "joke" might just have gone too far - And more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:

Police say a man who tried to force his way into the cockpit of a Malaysian Airlines flight out of Melbourne did not have a bomb, and does not appear to have been an act of terror.  This happened shortly after take-off aboard Flight MH128 from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur:  A man who reportedly has a history of mental illness approached the cockpit screaming, "I'm going to blow the plane up, I'm going to f***ng blow the plane up!"  He carried a strange-looking object with wires and antennas.  Fellow passengers tackled and restrained the guy while the flight crew pulled a U-turn.  Heavily armed officers took him into custody after the plane landed - no passengers were harmed.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is condemning the massive bomb attack that killed more than 90 people in Kabul as "cowardly".  The suicide attacker concealed the explosive inside a sewage tanker truck and drove it close to the heavily protected diplomatic area during the capital's morning rush.  Hundreds of people were wounded.  The Taliban denied involvement, and the so-called Islamic State did not claim responsibility, at least not yet.  The UN Security Council and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are strongly condemning the "terrorist attack".

Europe and China are expected to announce plans to "lead the energy transition" toward a low-carbon economy, with events in Brussels and Beijing on Thursday and Friday, respectively.  "The EU and China are joining forces to forge ahead on the implementation of the Paris agreement and accelerate the global transition to clean energy," said EU Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete.  This comes as Donald Trump prepares his decision on whether the US will remain in the Paris Climate deal, with several reports saying he will make good on threats/campaign promises to end participation.

Former US FBI Director James Comey will give public testimony about his conversations with President Donald Trump regarding the Russia investigation, possibly as soon as next week.  Trump abruptly fired Comey last month, as the FBI was apparently ramping up its investigation into Russian interference in the election and possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.  This comes as special prosecutor Robert Mueller begins to add more personnel to his investigation into Trump's Russian ties.  Former national security adviser Michael Flynn - who got the sack after less than a month on the job over his undisclosed meetings with the Russians - has agreed to hand over documents requested by the Senate intelligence committee.

US comedienne Kathy Griffin is apologizing for a publicity stunt she acknowledges went "too far".  Griffin posed for a photo appearing blank-faced while holding a mock-up of the gruesome and bloody severed head of what looked like Donald Trump.  Here it is, with the red chroma toned down just a bit:
The moment Kathy Griffin's career ended
Warning, that picture you just looked at might be considered shocking if you didn't already know that IT'S JUST A PLASTIC PROP.  Sensing the imminent end of her career, the 56-year old posted a video message posted on Twitter in which she "begged" for forgiveness.  CNN has already sacked her from the annual New Year's Eve show with Anderson Cooper.  Later, White House spokesman Sean Spicer was asked why Trump was offended by the Griffin photo, but invited former rock performer Ted Nugent - who has threatened to shoot President Barack Obama on several occasions - to the White House for dinner with Kid Rock and Sarah Palin: 
One of these people threatened to shoot Barack Obama
Spicy demurred.  Hey, I guess it all depends on who's making the murder threats, huh Spicy?

Authorities in Brazil fined the meat-packing giant more than US$3.2 Billion for its role in two corruption scandals.  The company's owner brothers are implicated in the massive pay-to-play scandal involving the country's biggest construction firm and state-run oil company; and they were caught on audio discussing helping Brazil's unelected president Michel Temer make hush money payments to a jailed colleague.  Overall, the deal is tough but pragmatic - prosecutors gave the company 25 years to complete the payments, which will eventually exceed the record US$2.6 Billion fine given to the construction giant Odebrecht.