Howdy Australia! - Japan changes directions after 70 years of peace and pacifism - EU countries now try to push their refugee problems off on each other - Look out Havana, here comes business! - And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Japan's upper house passed controversial legislation to allow the military to fight overseas for the first time since the end of World War II.  The plans had led to widespread protests and even a series of fights in The Diet.  Veering away from the country's post-war pacifist constitution has long been the goal of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but is opposed by the majority of Japanese - it remains to be seen if the voters feel strongly about it enough to force a new election.

The US is easing some economic restrictions on Cuba, allowing US businesses to set up shop in the Communist country 90 miles south of Florida - something unimaginable just a year ago.  US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said, "By further easing these sanctions, the United States is helping to support the Cuban people in their effort to achieve the political and economic freedom necessary to build a democratic, prosperous and stable Cuba."  The new rules go into effect on Monday, shortly after Pope Francis arrives for his landmark visit to Cuba.  OH crap, that means Macca's and Starbucks can move in?  Sorry about that Cuba.

Former US President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn goes to an Atlanta Braves game and get caught on the kiss cam.  Yes they did.

The US and Russia have held talks about the Syrian Civil war, the first discussions with the two sides in a year.  Washington is concerned about the recent increased influx of Russian troops, arms, and heavy hardware at the coastal city of Latakia.  The Kremlin says it will help fight Islamic State terrorists, but US intelligence fears it will be deployed against all opponents of the Bashar Al-Assad regime. 

Another young Syrian child has drowned and washed up on a Turkish beach as her family tried to take her north to the promised lands of Northern Europe.  Rescuers managed to pull 14 people off of their sinking inflatable dinghy, more than half of them children, and the four year old little girl is the only known fatality from this particular tragedy - although thousands of refugees died in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas so far this year.

In the absence of a joint European plan to handle the refugee crisis, people are being shunted from one country to another as each nation has been left to deal with it themselves.  Croatia this week opened its borders and quickly changed its mind when it couldn't handle the 17,000 plus who came through.  Croatia tried busing immigrants north into Hungary and Slovenia, angering both countries.  Two EU crisis meetings are scheduled for next week.

The Egyptian military is flooding smuggling tunnels into Gaza, at least the ones it knows about.  Militants destabilizing Sinai allegedly use the tunnels to sneak in and out, and commune with Hamas in Gaza.  Egypt has evicted families and destroyed thousands of homes to uncover the runnel entrances - crews are excavating the site purportedly to create fish farms.

The Pakistani Taliban attack on the Badaber air base near Peshawar was deadlier than officials had initially let on - gunmen killed at least 29 people, half of them at morning prayers at the base's mosque.  Around 30 are injured.  The military says they killed 13 Taliban attackers, although the terrorist group claims only one of its people was killed.  The Taliban hit squad was able to access the base using the tried and true tactic of dressing up like police officers.

Leaders of the coup in Burkina Faso released the interim president from custody, in an apparent olive branch to growing numbers of anti-coup protesters.  But the prime minister is still being held under guard.  The coup leader is General Gilbert Diendere, former intelligence chief for ousted dictator Blaise Compaore who left office earlier this year.  Diendere's troops hold key positions in the capital, but the country's security forces appear to be defying him by allowing protests to go ahead.  The African Union suspended Burkina Faso's membership and is demanding the country have democratic elections, as the interim government was planning.  And Western nations including France and the US are denouncing the coup.