Hello, Australia! – The rebel flag is coming down – Phil Rudd avoids jail – Another nation moves towards decriminalizing marijuana – And get ready to bundle up! – And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

In a marathon late night session, South Carolina state lawmakers approved a bill to remove the Confederate Flag from government buildings.  Racists and malcontents who opposed the move tried to weigh the bill down with various nonsense amendments – including replacing the rebel flag with other confederate symbols – but that appears to have failed, and the flag could be down in a few days.

Efforts to remove the offensive banner had gained new urgency last month when a scrawny white supremacist murdered nine African Americans at a bible study group in Charlotte.  South Carolina and other states moving to scrape the rebel flag out of official locations are run by conservative republicans, and efforts to deal with it are seen as an attempt to get it out of the way so the flag isn’t an issue in next year’s elections. 

A Polar Burst is going to bring the coldest conditions in 15 years to much of South and East Australia this weekend, so be ready.  Adelaide and Melbourne will get it first on Saturday, and Sydney will feel the chill on Sunday.  Snow is likely to fall in the ranges all the way up through Queensland.  Authorities are cautioning people to be prepared for dangerous driving conditions, as well as the possibility of power outages.  If you’re in a high area you are advised to stock up on food, medicines, and fill your tank.  The cold snap could last through the middle of next week.

A judge in New Zealand sentenced AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd to eight months home detention for making death threats and drug possession.  The 61-year old will be monitored, and faces prison if he violates the terms of his detention.  The cruelest cut of all came when the judge reminded Phil that if Freddie Mercury could be replaced in Queen, surely the drummer wasn’t all that vital to AC/DC’s sound.  As it happens, the band is touring the world with Chris Slade pounding the skins.

Former Italian Prime Minister and media mogul Sylvio Berlusconi has been convicted of corruption for bribing a senator in 2006 to switch sides and undermine the government of Berlusconi’s political opponent.  But he won’t serve three years in prison and be barred from holding office because the statute of limitations on the charges is about to kick in.  Berlusconi was found guilty of tax fraud in another trial last year, and is appealing convictions of abuse of office and having sex with an underage prostitute.

Greece is keeping banks closed through Monday, and will continue limiting ATM withdrawals to 60 Euros per day until then as well.  That’s the day after the EU’s deadline for Greece to finalize a solution to its debt problem.  Some European officials suspect that Greece’s smaller banks will be gobbled up by larger ones.

Chile is chill.  The lower house of Chile’s congress approved a bill to allow people to grow up to six marijuana plants for medical, recreational or spiritual use.  The current punishment for growing, transporting, or selling weed is up to 15-years in prison.  The new bill will go before a health commission and then the Senate for approval.

Pope Francis is in Bolivia and talking about the need to protect the poorest and most vulnerable people from the ravages of capitalism.  Bolivia’s first indigenous leader President Evo Morales greeted Francis, and presented him with a ritual pouch with Coca leaves – a traditional gift that the Pope might also chew on to relieve the symptoms of altitude sickness in the world’s highest capital, more than 3,500 meters above sea level.  Another fascinating gift was a hand carved Communist Hammer and Sickle adorned with the image of Jesus on the Cross.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari met with the leaders of the campaign to bring back the Chibok girls, the 219 students kidnapped by Boko Haram last year.  Buhari won office by campaigning against the previous administration’s perceived weakness in dealing with Boko Haram.  Likewise, Buhari’s predecessor Goodluck Jonathan refused to met with the Chibok campaigners.  Buhari told them that the unified multinational force to fight Boko Haram should be in place before the end of the month.