Happy New Year Australia!! - A new cease fire in Syria gets important backing - Was Russia hacking US utilities? - Where workers are now protected from their job emails - And more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:

The United Nations Security Council is backing a limited truce in the Syrian Civil War.  Russia drafted the resolution to support the deal it made with Turkey that has mostly held since implementation on Thursday.  It covers hostilities between the Russian-backed Syrian government and some of the Western-support factions under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).  But excludes the two major jihadist groups, the so-called Islamic State and the al Qaeda-linked Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS), as well as the Kurdish YPG militia.  The US, UK and France still insist that President Bashar al-Assad must step down as part of any deal to fully end the war.

New Year, same old senseless violence.  Islamic State is claiming responsibility for twin bombings in Baghdad that killed at least 28 people and wounded 54.  The first bomber hit the al-Sinak market while people milled about selling car accessories, food and clothes, and other items - the second went off minutes later after emergency responders and others gathered to help.  Another three separate attacks in and around Baghdad killed eight people, including a police officer.

Venezuela released a former candidate and several student activists who were jailed during anti-government protests in 2014.  Although former Zulia state governor Manuel Rosales was jailed for illegal enrichment, the opposition considers him and the others to be political prisoners.  Some opposition factions had been calling for new street protests, and the releases are seen as an attempt to extend the political truce brokered by the Vatican two months ago.

Investigators found a malware code associated with Russian hackers on a laptop associated with a Vermont electric utility in the northeastern US.  This computer is not tied into America's electrical power grid.  However, the code is associated with "Grizzly Steppe", which is the name the US Department of Homeland Security gives to the hacking operation that compromised some Democratic Party emails earlier in the year.  President Obama ordered dozens of Russian diplomats expelled over the hacking last week.

China announced that in 2016 had recovered almost AU$460 Million from losses due to corruption; authorities also arrested 900 people, including 122 on-the-run government officials who were living abroad.  The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection got its money back by changing its focus to recovering illicit funds moved out of the country. 

From 1 January, French workers have the right to avoid work emails during their off hours.  Supporters of the "Right to Disconnect" say workers who are expected to check and reply to their work emails out of hours are not being paid fairly for their overtime, and that the practice carries a risk of stress, burnout, sleep problems and relationship difficulties.