Howdy Australia!! - The UN raises alarms over Brunei's impending Sharia Law - The US connection to the murderers of a journalist - Guess what new stock already needs a lift? - And more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:

Jury selection began in the trial of former Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer Muhamed Noor, who is charged with murder and manslaughter in the July 2017 death of former Sydneysider Justine Ruszczyk Damond.  She had called police about a possible assault behind her house in the northern US city; but Officer Noor fired his gun across his partner's lap, killing her.  Prosecutors say there is no evidence Noor faced a threat that justified deadly force.  The first member of the Somali refugee community to become a Minneapolis cop, Noor has refused to speak to investigators about why her fired his weapon.

The United Nations is condemning tiny, oil-rich Brunei for imposing Sharia Law on its citizens this week.  "I appeal to the government to stop the entry into force of this draconian new penal code, which would mark a serious setback for human rights protections for the people of Brunei if implemented," said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.  Things like blasphemy, gay sex, and adultery will be punished by death by stoning, thieves will have their hands amputated.  Ms. Bachelet fears "the laws could encourage violence and discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation and religious affiliation".  Celebrities George Clooney and Elton John have called for boycotts of Brunei-owned businesses.

UK Labour is throwing its weight behind the Brexit plan called "Common Market 2.0", one of four alternatives going before Commons to try to break the deadlock over the UK's divorce from Europe.  "Common Market 2.0" would keep the UK in a single economic market, but it would not be subject to decisions made the EU in Brussels.  The Scottish National Party's desire for a vote on stopping the Brexit if no deal is reached probably won't even come up for a vote, according to the BBC.  Noting that the Brexit is scheduled to happen a week from Friday, more European officials are expressing frustration on Parliament's inability to get anything done.

Lyft soared after its IPO last Friday, but shares in the ride-hailing company dropped below the value of its public offering at the end of the trading day on Monday.  After more than 41 million shares traded hands, the stock ended trading at US$69.01, 22 percent below its Friday intraday high of $88.60.  Investors already knew the company wasn't turning a profit when they read the papers last week.  The drop could prove to be a reality check for the upcoming Uber, Slack, and Pinterest IPOs coming up later this year.

The only suspect in custody for the 2017 assassination of Kim Jong-nam, brother of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un, could be out in a matter of weeks.  Doan Thi Huong was sentenced to three years and four months in prison for her role in Kim's death after prosecutors downgraded charges against her.  She claimed she was duped by North Korean agents into thinking she was playing a harmless prank for a hidden-camera TV show at Kuala Lumpur airport.  What she did was to smear the chemical agent VX all over the doomed man's face.

At least some of Jamal Khashoggi's killers were trained in the US by a military contractor, according to a report in the Washington Post.  The dissident Saudi journalist, Washington Post columnist, and critics of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) went to his country's consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018 to obtain documents necessary for his forthcoming marriage.  He never walked out, and Western intelligence and Turkish investigators determined he was murdered in the building shortly after walking in.  Members of what is believed to be a Saudi hit teamhad been trained by Tier 1 Group, an Arkansas-based company, under a US State Department license.  The US put that sort of cooperation with Saudi Arabia on hold, and Khashoggi's body has not been found. 

Roman Catholic priests in Gdansk, Poland burned several books that they accuse of promoting "witchcraft" - which doesn't exist because there's no such thing as witches - including the "Harry Potter" series of young adult fiction.  The conservative group SMS from Heaven Foundation rationalized the fascist bonfire with Bible quotes condemning magic.  Earlier this year, the Gdansk government removed a statue of a hero priest from the Solidarity era who turned out to be a child molester.  And last month, the Roman Catholic Church released a report admitting the sexual abuse of children by nearly 400 Polish priests between 1990 and 2018.