The terror threat level is raised – Scottish independence might drive capital south – Growing anger in India over the Kashmir floods – And much more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Australia has lifted the Terrorism Threat Level from medium to high, the first time that’s happened in more than a decade.  Prime Minister Tony Abbott says there was no specific intelligence about a planned attack, but the threat posed by the mobility of jihadists to and from the wars in Iraq and Syria.  Officials say dozens of Australians have gone to fight for Islamist groups in the Middle East and returnees could pose a security threat.

Two of Scotland’s biggest banks, Edinburgh-based Lloyds and RBS, are threatening to relocate to London if Scots vote for independence next Thursday.  The banks received billions of Pounds of UK taxpayer bailouts in the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009.  This follows a new poll which showed a slender lead for those wishing to keep the 307-year long union with England. 

Encouraged by the independence movement in Scotland, some 1.8 million people rallied in Barcelona for Catalonian independence – although Spain’s government has said any attempt at a referendum would be illegal. Wealthy Catalonia’s long-standing independence movement has grown in recent years, fuelled by Spain’s economic crisis and a refusal by Madrid to meet regional demands.  Even the number of people at the rally is tamped down by Madrid which claims 500,000 took part.  The 1.8 Million figure comes from local police.

More than 460 people are now dead in the worst flooding in 60 years India’s Jammu and Kashmir region.  It’s the only state without a flood warning system, and there is growing discontent over the government’s handling of the crisis.  Entire towns and villages were swallowed up by the waters, which are now moving downstream to Pakistan and threatening even more damage and death.  The Indian government is now conducting more evacuations and setting up medical camps to treat victims.

Myanmar Human Rights activist Htin Kyaw has been sentenced to at least 11 years in prison for taking part in an anti-government march.  Amnesty International says the charges against him for marching and handing out leaflets are a “farce”.  The case tarnishes Myanmar’s recent reforms to bring more democracy and freedoms to a country that was lorded over by military dictators for decades.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the West African Ebola Outbreak has crippled the mining, agricultural, and service sectors in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and economic growth could decline by as much as 3.5 percent.  Of the three countries worst-hit by the outbreak, the IMF said economic growth in Sierra Leona was likely to fall to 8 percent from 11.3 percent this year, Liberia's growth might decline to 2.5 percent from 5.9 percent, and in Guinea, economic output could fall to 2.4 percent from 3.5 percent.

Venezuela could be on track for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.  The country tried in 2006 when Hugo Chavez was President, but its efforts were torpedoed by the United States.  This time, America has been silent (so far), and Venezuela received unanimous endorsement from its neighbors to represent the region on the Security Council.  Some fear that Venezuela might use a two-year seat on the body for some major league grandstanding, as Venezuela’s deputy ambassador to the UN is Maria Gabriela Chavez, daughter of the late Socialist leader.