Islamic State appears to be expanding its bloodthirsty war into a new theater – South Koreans demand more from the government on the Sewol Disaster – Backlash from South African xenophobia spreads to its neighbors – And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for deadly blasts outside a bank in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.  At least 35 people are dead and 125 were injured by the blast, which was timed to coincide with the arrival of government employees at Da Afghanistan Bank to collect their monthly salaries.  A second explosion went off an hour later to target rescue workers.  This presents a new challenge to the Afghan government – as it seeks peace with the Taliban, more radical members of that group and jumping ship to Islamic State, seeking to keep the violence going.

South African President Jacob Zuma cancelled a trip to Indonesia to deal with the crisis of violence against foreigners, and visited with foreign Africans who sought shelter.  Zuma promised to stop the violence and to welcome back anyone who fled the country as a result of it.  Thousands of foreigners have sought refuge in camps set up in Johannesburg and Durban and the governments of Zimbabwe and Malawi began busing their nationals back home.  At least six people have been killed, and police are urging people to stop sharing social media messages about unverified attacks, so as not to cause a panic.

South African companies fear a backlash to the anti-foreigner violence.  The petrochemical giant Sasol evacuated 340 employees from Mozambique, after local contractors protested against the South Africans on site.  Police also says Mozambicans blocked a road at the border crossing to South Africa to protest the horrid treatment of their people.  A Ugandan radio station announced it would boycott South African music.

South Korean police yanked out the pepper spray and water cannons to deal with thousands of protesters who were trying to march on the presidential palace.  They’re demanding more government action in response to last year’s Sewol Ferry disaster in which more than 300 people died, mostly teens on holiday.  Specifically, families of the victims are demanding an independent inquiry into the sinking, believing that many questions remain unanswered.  And they’re disappointed the Sewol has not yet been raised from the sea floor.

A hospital in Kobe, Japan announced it has temporarily halted liver transplant operations after four patients died since last November.  A group of liver transplant specialists investigated and determine Kobe International Frontier Medical Center performed insufficient examinations of both donors and recipients prior to surgeries.  Two of the dead patients came from Indonesia, two were Japanese.

Lab tests have so far ruled out Ebola in a mysterious disease outbreak that has killed at least 17 people in a town in southeastern Nigeria.  “Common symptoms were sudden blurred vision, headache, loss of consciousness followed by death, occurring within 24 hours,” said UN World Health Organization spokesman Tarik Jasarevic.  No patients remain hospitalized and no cases are reported beyond Ode-Irele in Ondo State.

Russia is denying German media reports that it is ready to sign a gas pipeline deal with Greece that could recharge Athens’ depleted coffers with as much as A$7 Billion.  Der Spiegel claims the pipeline would go through Turkey to a terminal in Greece, and that Russia would pay Greece advance funds that Athens wouldn’t have to pay back until 2019.

Russian family adopts super adorable bear cub after poachers killed its mom.  Cute, but this looks like a horrible idea.

Cybercrime has emerged as a threat equal to terrorism, according to Europe’s police czar.  “It’s become a global problem and we urgently need global instruments to deal with it,” said Europol chief Rob Wainwright.  Cops and techies at the two-day Global Conference on CyberSpace (GCCS) in the Netherlands cited the recent hack at Sony Pictures and numerous incidents of mass-theft of credit card information.

Furious 7 is the fastest across the finish line to capture US$1 Billion at the worldwide box office, hitting the magic number in just 17 days.  That leaves previous record co-holders – The Avengers, Avatar, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which all crossed the billion-dollar mark in 19 days – in the dust.  Even without Paul Walker, Vin Diesel is promising an eighth installment of the franchise, and with this kind of money, Universal is probably already drooling.