Hello Australia! - Cops come up empty-handed in anti-terror raids in Merrylands - The UK seems on the verge of getting in on bombing Syria - A troubled pop star is, for now, giving up on Australia - And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Police descended on two homes in Merrylands, Sydney because of alleged threats to the local police station made on social media.  One of the homes is that of Talal Alameddine, who's already in police custody and accused of supplying the weapon used in the killing of police accountant Curtis Cheng outside the Parramata station.  Police say nothing in the way of weapons was found this time - but at the same time, cops aren't ruling out more surprise raids.

The UK Parliament will hold a ten hour debate before lawmakers decide on proposed air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria.  Prime Minister David Cameron says IS is a threat to Britain's security.  Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn opposes bombing,and wrote a Guardian editorial saying that Cameron hasn't shown how bombing would achieve any goals - but he is giving his members a free vote.  The Scottish National Party will likely oppose it, but the worthless Lib-Dems and other minor parties will likely give Cameron his precious bombs. 

The German cabinet approved plans to send 1,200 troops to support the Western coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria.  German Chancellor Angela Merkel controls a sizable majority in the Bundestag and approval seems certain.  The Germans will not actively take part in combat.  The mandate will last for one year and will have to be renewed after that time.

China is behind a massive cyber attack on the computers at the Bureau of Meteorology, according to anonymous sources quoted by the ABC.  The hack compromised all sorts of sensitive systems and may have impacted other agencies whose computers are linked to the BoM.  Plugging the electronic holes used by the hackers will cost millions of dollars.

Authorities in America's cold and frigid Minnesota charged four men in the racially-motivated shooting at a "black lives matter" rally that left five protesters wounded outside a Minneapolis police station.  The suspects are three white men and one Asian, some of whom were seem joking about guns in a video they uploaded to the internet.  The protesters set up a camp outside the police station after the police killing of 25-year old African-American man Jamar Clark, who they say was unarmed and handcuffed when he was shot and killed.  Police deny this, but the protesters want the cops to release video of the incident and clarify it once and for all.

Chris Brown is cancelling his Australia and New Zealand concert dates.  The promoter didn't give a reason, but it appears that Brown was unable to get visas because of his domestic violence convictions.  Brown toured Australia twice since pleading guilty to beating his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009 - but the climate changed when Minister for Women Michaelia Cash urged Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to take a stand on the issue.