Global News

Public disgust with the Mexican government’s handling of the disappearances of 43 student teachers took the form of raucous protests in the beachside resort city of Acapulco, where several cops were injured.  And a new scandal about the President’s home is adding to his woes.

The captain of the Sewol ferry that sank off South Korea’s tip has avoided the death penalty.  Judges sentenced Lee Joon-seok to 36 years in prison for professional negligence and abandoning his passengers during the disaster in April that killed more than 300 people, most of them high school students on holiday.

Dozens of students are killed in Nigeria  – Moscow smells like farts – Italy overturns an impossible conviction – And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Two countries have managed to control all know Ebola exposures within their borders – Mali, in West Africa, and the United States.  In Mali’s case, one of the world’s poorest countries managed to do the job with a quick, positive response – and no drama.

Palestinian attackers stabbed two Israelis to death in separate attacks in Tel Aviv and the West Bank.  These attacks come amid continuing tension in parts of Israel and Palestinian territories following the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli soldiers last Wednesday.

There’s new evidence that the Muslim fundamentalist terrorist group Islamic State (IS) is extending its influence beyond its territory that straddles the border between Iraq and Syria.  Terrorist groups in northern Africa are now switching their alliances to IS.

New video has emerged of of the terrorist group Boko Haram apparently in control of an unidentified town in Nigeria, parading a rather expensive-looking heavily-armored vehicle down the street while local cheer them on.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first face-to-face talks for the first time since each of the leaders took office.  It’s a diplomatic breakthrough for two countries that are sharply divided by China’s territorial ambitions and Japan’s distancing itself from responsibility for its World War II past.

That barely-there ceasefire in Ukraine has never looked shakier, as Donetsk comes under the heaviest shelling in months.  Observers say it appears to be both government forces and Russian-backed rebels doing the shooting.

More than two million Catalans voted overwhelmingly to reject the Spanish government and for independence in a non-binding referendum, the very existence of which was an act of defiance.  Almost 80-percent of voters chose independence.

Australia and China are getting very close to signing a landmark free trade agreement (FTA), according to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.  Proponents of such a deal say lower tariffs in China would open up lucrative markets in the professional services sector.

Did US airstrikes in Iraq hit their mark?  – Catalonia votes on independence today – A former Soviet leaders warns of a new Cold War – And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

North Korea releases its American prisoners – Israeli police accounts do not match video of a deadly shooting – Pope Francis reassigns a prominent critic – And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Mexico reveals the fate of the 43 missing students – Ukraine accuses Russia of sending in the tanks – Liberia sees a drop in Ebola cases – And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

The South Korean ferry disaster prompts major changes – Japan moves to restart the nukes – Malaysia takes a giant step for transgender rights – And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

A Russian actor who was an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin was found dead in his Moscow Flat.  Alexei Devotchenko was found dead of a heart attack according to some reports, or found in a pool of his own blood according to other accounts.

A New Zealand prosecutor has withdrawn murder-for-hire charges against AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd due to lack of evidence.  Rudd still faces charges of threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis.

The Rolling Stones have cancelled tomorrow night’s show at Hanging Rock.  The band says that singer Mick Jagger has a throat infection and is under “strict doctor’s orders to rest his vocal chords” to recuperate.  Ticket holders are advised to contact Ticketmaster for refunds.

Doctors treating Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner say she is in “stable condition” in hospital, but she will have to rest for a minimum of ten days after discharge because of a bacterial infection.  As a result, CFK has cancelled her planned trip to Brisbane for next week’s G20 Summit.

Libya’s parliament says it will ignore a Supreme Court ruling that nullifies the elected body, intensifying the power struggle between Islamists and nationalists in a country plunging into strife and violence.  The internationally recognized legislature said it was elected by the people in “free and credible” polls and therefore would not disband.