Australia stops an alleged Islamic State plot to “shock, horrify, and terrify” through a gruesome murder – Fiji elects a coup leader for President – Toronto’s crack-smoking mayor now has a bigger problem than substance abuse – And much more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

PM Tony Abbott confirmed that police believe the terror suspects rounded up on Thursday were planning to abduct a random Australian in Sydney and behead this person in the name of Islamic State (IS), with the video to be posted on social media.  The orders allegedly came from a senior member of IS in the Middle East who is originally from Australia.  Police confiscated at least one sword in the raids and believe that with 15 arrests, they’ve got all of the plotters. 

The lower house of the US congress approved President Barack Obama’s plan to train and arm moderate Syrian rebels to counter the threat posed by Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.  It puts the US a step closer to its third intervention in Iraq in a quarter of a century.  Obama reiterated his promise not to send US ground troops into combat against IS.

A German company is offering a US$30 Million reward for information and evidence about who shot down Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine in July.  More than 35 Australian Citizens and residents were among the 298 people killed.  Western government have blamed Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine for launching a BuK anti-aircraft missile at the crowded passenger plane.

Controversial Toronto, Canada Mayor Rob Ford has a rare, aggressive form of cancer called a malignant liposarcoma.  It spread from the fatty tissue of Ford's abdomen to other parts of his body, including his buttocks, according to Mount Sinai Hospital’s Dr. Zane Cohen, who remains optimistic.  Ford dropped out of his reelection bid with the bad news about his health.  His term in office has been pocked with erratic and crude behavior, admissions of crack smoking, and infamous drunken binges through Toronto’s entertainment districts .

Despite icy relations, the US is admitting that Venezuela’s Socialist government has been stepping up anti-drug trafficking efforts for more than a year.  That statement from the State Department’s top anti-narcotics official clashes with the White House, which earlier this week claimed that Venezuela and Bolivia failed in anti-drug efforts in the last year.  Both countries have frequently antagonistic relations with Washington.

The front-runner in Brazil’s Presidential race said that if elected she'll improve ties with the U.S. and strongly push for human rights in nations like Cuba.  Former environment minister Marina Silva would also be first Black Brazilian to be elected to the top office, as well as the first strong environmentalist.  Washington-Brasilia ties have been strained by revelations of US spying in Brazil.  The latest polls say that incumbent President Dilma Rousseff would win the first round of voting on 5 October, but wouldn’t have enough to avoid a runoff.  In a second round match-up, the polls show Silva beating Rousseff by a thin margin.

In the election to decide who will be Fiji’s first democratically-elected leader in eight years, it appears the people chose.. the guy who led the coup in 2006.  Voreqe “Frank” Bainimarama promised stability, and despite those earlier human rights abuses appears to be getting 60 percent of the vote in return.  The Social Democrats are a distant second with a little more than a quarter of the vote.  So, I guess that means we can drink Fiji water again.

A French doctor who has been infected with Ebola will be evacuated from Monrovia, Liberia back to France for treatment.  The doctor was placed in isolation as soon as she exhibited symptoms of a fever.  She’s the first doctor from Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) to be infected.  Meanwhile, the British nurse who survived Ebola after being evacuated from West Africa to Britain has traveled to Atlanta, do donate blood serum to an American aid worker who contracted Ebola in Africa.  William Pooley’s blood now contains anti-bodies that doctors hope will help the American fight the Ebola virus.