Howdy Australia!! - BHP faces a massive lawsuit over the deadly 2015 dam collapse  - The Trump administration apparently think Climate Chance is a good idea - Pompeo's disappearing act is explained - And more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:

BHP Billiton is facing a AU$7.1 Billion lawsuit over the 2015 dam collapse at the Samarco mine in Brazil.  Lawyers representing 200,000 plaintiffs say the Anglo-Australian mining giant "knew of the risks" before the tailings dam collapsed, killing 19 people and causing all sorts of environmental damage including polluting the Rio Doce river all 650 kilometers down to the ocean.  The lawsuit was filed in Liverpool, UK.  BHP denies the charges.

The Arctic Council meeting in Finland broke up without issuing a statement - the first time that's happened since 1996 - because of the incredibly short-sighted and frankly dopey behavior of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.  Instead of expressing concern over the melting Arctic - which cause destructive flooding and loss of territory in Miami, much of Florida, and the US Gulf Coast - Pompeo alarmed other nations with a speech welcoming the melting of Arctic sea ice:  "Steady reductions in sea ice are opening new passageways and new opportunities for trade," Pompeo actually said, "This could potentially slash the time it takes to travel between Asia and the West by as much as 20 days."  And thus, instead of portraying Climate Change as a "Chinese hoax" the Trump administration now thinks it's real and something to profit from.  After that, Pompeo abruptly and somewhat mysteriously canceled a planned visit to Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel.  

That mystery was solved later in the day when Pompeo showed up in Baghdad, meeting with Iraq's president, prime minister, and foreign minister.  This comes as a US Navy aircraft carrier strike group and Air Force bombers were dispatched to the region amid accusations that Iran was directing its proxies to attack US troops in Syria and Iraq.  The Trump administration has yet to produce any evidence that Iran is considering this.  

Prosecutor say they've got 1,500 files of evidence showing Peru's former president Ollanta Humala and his wife Nadine Heredia took US$3 Million in bribes from the tainted Brazilian contracting giant Odebrecht, which has been implicated in pay-to-play bribery schemes around the world.  "We're talking about concrete, punishable acts," said prosecutor German Juarez, announcing his team will ask for prison terms of 20 years for Humala and 26-years for the ex-first lady.  Nearly every one of Peru's living former presidents are now under investigation - Former President Alan Garcia shot himself in the head last month as cops arrived at his home to arrest him on similar charges.

Heath officials on the Caribbean island of Curacao are keeping a Scientology cruise ship under quarantine until all blood samples come back negative for measles.  And even after that, Curacao officials will then consult with health authorities in the Netherlands and the Pan American Health Organization as to whether passengers and crew may disembark.  The female crew member initially reported sick last week - prompting the quarantine at neighboring Saint Lucia - has reportedly recovered.  

Despite graft scandals and high unemployment, South Africa's governing African National Congress party is expected to win elections on Wednesday.

Four-month-old bear cubs Bradley and Cooper are being trained to live in the wild by caretakers at the Arcturos bear sanctuary near the village of Nymfaio, in northern Greece.  The same facility released three cubs in Bulgaria, each a year old, who apparently graduated from that program.