Global News

A western journalist comes down with Ebola in Africa – The Immigration Department chases charity workers away from Nauru after sex abuse allegations – Thai police arrest suspects in the murder of British tourists – And much more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

The 14^th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates is being moved out of South Africa after 14 of the laureates threatened to boycott the event.  They’re upset that the South African government refused to grant a visa to the Dalai Lama.

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters gave Chief Executive C.Y. Leung until Thursday to step down, and he didn’t do it.  He says he’s not going to do it.  But Leung is offering up members of his administration to meet with and hold talks with a student group.

Turkey’s Parliament voted overwhelmingly to allow the military to enter the US-led international campaign against Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria.  The US and other coalition members had put Turkey under pressure to get into the fight.

Recovery teams on Japan’s Mount Ontake volcano found seven more bodies while searching the ash-covered peak of the mountain.  These are in addition to the 36 climbers already known to have died when Ontakesan exploded with hot ash, rocks, and poison gas, raising the death toll to 43.

The European Union is keeping in place its package of economic sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the unrest going on in eastern Ukraine.  The EU says it has seen some “encouraging developments”, but decided the Ukraine-Russia ceasefire is not fully effective.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces routed Islamic State (IS) militants from a border crossing between Iraq and Syria, and won the support of one of the biggest Sunni tribes.  It’s the biggest victory against IS since the beginning of the US bombing campaign.

US health officials are confirming the first case of the potentially deadly Ebola virus to be diagnosed on American soil.  I say, “potentially,” because the patient is in isolation in hospital in Dallas, Texas, and will receive state-of-the-art treatment – unlike the more than 3,000 people who died in make-shift hospital tents and on the streets of West Africa.

Pro-Democracy protesters occupying the streets of Hong Kong woke up tired and wet after a drenching rain fell overnight.  They demanded to meet with Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying before midnight Tuesday – he ignored that and is pressing ahead with today’s events for China’s National Day holiday.

All 109 people were rescued from a South Korean passenger boat that struck a rock off the southern coast and started taking on water in choppy seas.  The quick response by rescuers gave this episode a different outcome than the ferry disaster less than six months ago.

Spain's Constitutional Court has suspended Catalonia’s planned independence referendum.  The court decided to consider the Spanish central government’s arguments claiming the 9 November vote breached the country’s constitution.

Climate change is real, it’s happening, and we all feel it.  Some of us couldn’t play tennis in it.  The record-setting heat wave that baked beautiful Australia at the end of 2013 and into 2014 was the product of human activity that released greenhouse gases.

The world’s population of wildlife – fish, birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles – is disappearing at a rate that is far faster than previously believed.  The World Wildlife Fund says wildlife fell by 52 percent from 1970 to 2010.  Freshwater species fared even worse, declining by 76 percent.

Tens of thousands of protesters are ignoring officials’ pleas to stand down and go hone, and are instead blocking streets and highways in the financial district.  They’re demanding a free choice of candidates in the 2017 elections for Hong Kong Chief executive, something Beijing will not allow.

Air France pilots end their strike without a clear victory – A UK minister loses his job in a sex sting – A virus that causes a painful illness strikes a major tourism destination – And much more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

The defrocked bishop and former Papal Nuncio arrested by Vatican officials last week reportedly had more than 100,000 child pornography images on the hard drive of his computer. Jozef Wesolowski is the highest-ranking Vatican official ever to be investigated for sex abuse.

Final results aren’t due until Monday, but it looks like French President Francois Hollande’s ruling Socialist Party has lost control of the Senate to the conservative alliance.  Ominously, the far-right, anti-immigrant and anti-EU National Front (FN) won two seats, it’s first win in the house.

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong are hanging tough after cops cracked down on them with tear gas and batons.  The protests are spreading and getting more intense, while China says it supports the Hong Kong government’s handling of the situation.

The bodies of 31 climbers have been found near the summit of Mount Ontake in central Japan, after the volcano erupted with tons of ash and poison gas on Saturday.  The blast came as a surprise, as Seismic sensors on the mountain didn’t detect any pressure building or lava flow underneath the surface prior to the eruption.

Japanese hikers are attempted to descend an angry volcano – Pro-democracy protesters gridlock Hong Kong’s government center – Part of Spain will hold a secession referendum over Madrid’s objections – A tale of two doctors and two treatments in Ebola-wracked West Africa – And much more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs: