Global News

Pro-Russian separatists armed with with clubs and automatic weapons overran more Ukrainian government buildings near the Russian border, seizing a prosecutor’s office in Luhansk.  Local authorities say police did not offer resistance, leading to deep worries in Kiev.

The Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) overseeing the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean is dismissing claims that the target might be thousands of kilometers off mark.  A private company says MH370 might be in the Bay of Bengal.

At least some of the schoolgirls abducted by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram in northeastern Kenya have been taken across the borders into neighboring countries.  Although a few girls managed to free themselves after the kidnapping two weeks ago, some 230 are still missing.

Putin threatens retaliation – Authorities shift gears in the murder of a British student in Italy – Who could have foreseen having “Guns Everywhere” would result in people getting shot? – A town in Canada is about to stink really, really bad – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) brought the hammer down on the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, in response to leaked audio of Donald Sterling’s bizarre, racist rant during an argument with his girlfriend.  Sterling is banned for life and fined US$2.5 Million.

Russia’s aggression in eastern Ukraine is causing concern in other capitals that were formerly on the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain.  In Uzbekistan, broadcasters are racing against a deadline to rig their transmission facilities with self-destruct devices in case they fall into hostile hands.

Admitting that the government had failed to prevent the sinking of a ferry carrying mostly high school students, and bungled the response to the disaster, South Korean President Park Geun-hye has apologized in a statement shown on national television.

A man from New Zealand was shot and killed by robbers on a motorcycle who attempted to snatch his bag as he was walking with two mates in the city of Mendoza, in Argentina’s wine country. The attack happened near the entrance to the Malvinas Argentinas Futbol stadium.  Earlier, it had been reported that the victim was from Australia, that turned out to be incorrect.

Trouble might be brewing on South Korea’s border with the crazy North – A suspected serial killer confesses to a series of murders in the Gay community – Luiz Scolari worries that unrest will hurt Brazil in the World Cup – Is Paul Simon Actually Crazy After All These Years? – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

The European Union later today will release the names of 15 Russian officials and oligarchs added to the list of targeted sanctions.  The US announced it added seven more prominent Russians to a blacklist, subjecting them to visa bans and asset freezes.  And it’s all because of “Russia’s continued illegal intervention in Ukraine”.

An Egyptian court has sentenced 683 to death for an attack on a police station that left one officer dead.  That is not a typo – 683 are sentenced to die.  And if more proof were needed that Egypt’s flirtations with democracy were over and the country was hurtling towards another brutish military dictatorship, another court banned a group that played a large role in the “Arab Spring”.

Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa is in Italy, hailing that country’s decision to return thousands archaeological artifacts to his South America country.  It’s one of the largest repatriations of pilfered treasures.

The Los Angeles Clippers basketball team lost to the Golden State Warriors, 188-97, although you couldn’t blame the players if they were a bit distracted in Sunday’s game.  A recording surfaced a day earlier, purported featuring the voice of Clippers owner Donald Sterling saying some really nasty, racist things.

Three aid workers are killed in Central African Republic – Ebola shows no signs of slowing down while another killer disease is spreading to new continents – Did cops prey on a fellow cop? – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have released one of eight European military observers being held hostage.  The Swedish officer was freed on medical grounds, while the militants paraded the rest of them before the media – a move described as “revolting” by Germany, the native country of four of the team.

Syria has missed its self-imposed deadline of 27 April for eliminating its stocks of chemical weapons.  Still, the United Nations says that more than 92 percent of Syria’s arsenal had been shipped out of the country or destroyed.

In an apparent bid to rebuild bridges with Israel days after peace talks collapsed, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Holocaust stands as “the most heinous crime” against humanity in modern times.  The announcement came out as Jews around the world marked the Yom HaShoah remembrance.

South Korea’s ferry disaster claims its first political casualty – The US wants Russia to pressure its alleged surrogates in Ukraine to release European captives – Did the past catch up with a military junta torturer? – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

China ups the ante to end the trade and consumption of endangered animals – South Korea admits releasing the wrong bodies to families of people trapped on the sunken ferry – France is hunting cowards – Chile will attempt to update its law to the 21^st century – Alyssa comes down from the mountain – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

US President Barack Obama has arrived in Seoul for talks with his South Korea counterpart Park Geun-hye.  But the long-scheduled visit is overshadowed by the ferry disaster off the south coast, and the threat of another rogue nuclear test far across the border into North Korea.