Hello Australia!! - China gets loud about "provocations" around its far-off man-made islands - BHP Billiton's assets are blocked over the dam collapse in Brazil - Burundi sets itself on a collision course with the African Union - And much more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

China is accusing the US of "provocation" after flying two B-52 bombers near China's man-made islands in the South China Sea's Spratley chain, well south of China's actual internationally-recognized maritime border.  China claims the flights "constitute a serious military provocation and are rendering more complex and even militarizing conditions in the South China Sea" - which China itself is militarizing with the construction of bases on artificial islands in waters already claimed by other nations, right in the middle of international shipping and aviation traffic.  Last week, Australia flew an RAAF military surveillance plane over the area despite the attempts of the Chinese to warn it off.

A wayward US airstrike killed ten Iraqi soldiers near the city of Fallujah.  US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the airstrike "has all the indications of being a mistake of the kind that can happen on a dynamic battlefield", and that the would work with the Iraqis on the investigation.  It came just days after Carter visited Iraq to meet with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and discuss the progress of the campaign against Islamic State.

A Federal Judge in Brazil is blocking Aussie-UK mining giant BHP-Billton's assets over last month's deadly dam collapse.  BHP-Billiton owns the Samarco company with Vale, whose assets are also blocked.  But Samarco doesn't have enough assets in Brazil to cover tab for damages caused by the dam collapse, estimated at more than A$7.2 Billion.  The collapse covered the town of Bento Rodrigues in thick red mud, killing at least 13 people and leaving 19 missing.  The government says the mud is contaminated with heavy metals, and polluted the Rio Doce river.

Brazil President Dilma Rousseff has replaced her pro-austerity finance minister Joachim Levy, who stepped down after frequent disagreements with the administration.  Levy predicted he'd be proven correct:  "Time will show that we will reap the results of all that has been done this year, putting the Brazilian economy back on track," he wrote.  The current Planning Minister Nelson Barbosa will slide over to Levy's old office, to tackle Brazil's worst recession in 25 years.  

Voters in Spain cast ballots on Sunday in what is expected to be a closely contested election.  Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative Popular Party ain't so popular since its landslide election in 2011 - so unpopular, that people like to punch in in the face over is austerity policies.  But teh Socialist Workers party the PP replaced isn't expected to get a majority, either.  Meanwhile, the Left-wing populist Podemos party and right-wing loons of Ciudad Anus (oh did I misspell that? Oops) are looking for big gains as voters desert the old order.

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Poland against the new conservative government.  Protesters accuse the new Law and Justice Party government of trying to neutralize the Constitutional Court, which has the power to stop its extreme agenda.  That, they say, is a threat to Poland's 26-year old Democracy.  It's the second consecutive weekend of anti-government protests in Warsaw and other cities.

Switzerland is investigating a leading figure in the country's biggest Islamic organization for alleged propaganda videos.  The man - a German citizen - reportedly traveled to Syria and interviewed an Islamist militant affiliated with the umbrella group which includes the Al Nusra Front, and did not "explicitly distance himself from al Qaeda activities".  Switzerland is currently conducting 46 criminal proceedings "in conjunction with the topic of jihad-motivated terrorism," most related to propaganda.

Burundi is rejecting African Union peacekeeping troops, which the country's neighbors want to send in to prevent another African genocide.  The African Union's Peace and Security Council agreed to deploy an 5,000 member force for an initial period of six months - primarily to protect civilians after months of political violence following the disputed re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza in July.  The AU gave Burundi 96 hours to comply, and the clock started ticking Friday night.  At least 87 people were killed last week in the worst violence in months linked to President Pierre Nkurunziza's disputed third term.

Nigeria's new defense chief Tukur Yusuf Buratai struck down the death sentences for 66 troops who refused to fight Boko Haram insurgents, reducing the penalty to 10 years in prison for each.  The military is beset with desertions of troops who bitterly complain that the previous government of Goodluck Jonathan has not given them to the equipment and weapons they need to carry out the fight.  Buratai was appointed by Jonathan's replacement, President Muhammadu Buhari.