Aussies express outrage at Moscow’s sanctions  – Brazil moves to protect abused workers – Israel intercepts Gaza rockets as the cease-fire comes to an end – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Australian officials are condemning Russia’s trade sanctions on Oz and other western countries.  Labor leader Bill Shorten says Moscow’s actions make him “sick”.  Australia sold around $900 Million of agricultural products to Russia last year, primarily in meat, butter and live animals.  Russian President Vladimir Putin put in place over the economic penalties the west slapped on Moscow for backing separatists in Ukraine – who in turn are suspected of firing the missile that downed Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, killing 298 people including 38 Australia.

The cockpit voice recorder from Air Algerie Flight AH5017 is unusable, according to French investigators.  The flight crashed in Mali last month, killing all 118 people on board – including 54 French, which is why the better-equipped nation took over the investigation.  Officials say it’s not clear why the voice recorder didn’t function as intended.

Brazil’s new constitutional amendment to protect the rights of domestic workers has come into force.  It guarantees such basics as an eight-hour working day, the right to the minimum wage, a lunch break, social security, and severance pay – all things that were denied a workforce of seven million people who were previously allowed to exist “under the radar”.  Employers who break the code can be fined several hundred dollars for each violation.

Israel says two rockets were fired from Gaza onto Israeli territory just hours ahead of the end of the 72-hour truce.  Atl east one was intercepted by the Iron Dome, the other fell into an open area in southern Israel and caused no casualties.  No one has claimed responsibility, and it’s not clear if it was Hamas, a splinter group, or just general malcontents.  Gaza has a number of militant groups, and not all of them take orders from Hamas.  Before the ceasefire, the Gaza conflict claimed almost 1,900 Palestinian lives and 67 Israelis.

A white Detroit-area man who shot an unarmed black woman in the face when she knocked on his door in the middle of the night has been found guilty of second-degree murder.  55-year old Theodore Wafer’s inconsistent version of the events that killed 19-year old Renisha McBride probably swayed the jury.  He had tried to claim that he believed his home was under attack and that he thought he was shooting in self-defense.  The shooting exasperated racial tensions in the US, as this episode closely followed the killing of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida by white schmuck George Zimmerman, who got off at trial.  But the Wafer verdict came down in Michigan, a northern state that doesn’t have crazy laws like Florida.

China released a dissident and human rights attorney after three years in prison.  But it’s not like 50-year old Gao Zhisheng is free – he’s not allowed to use the phone, and his movements and visitors will be tightly restricted.  Gao was one of China’s brightest stars more than a decade ago, but fell afoul of authorities with his defense of unpopular clients and frequent criticisms of China’s human rights situation. 

Government offices will be closed in Hawaii on Friday, as rare double hurricanes stalk the Pacific paradise.  Hurricane Iselle was already buffeting the big island with strong wind and heavy rain on Thursday evening.  Hurricane Julio is about 900 miles behind it and is already a Category Three storm.  But it still could change course instead of reaching Hawaii on Sunday.