Japanese hikers are attempted to descend an angry volcano – Pro-democracy protesters gridlock Hong Kong’s government center – Part of Spain will hold a secession referendum over Madrid’s objections – A tale of two doctors and two treatments in Ebola-wracked West Africa – And much more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Teams are attempting to aid dozens of climbers who are trying to descend Japan’s Mount Ontake after the volcano erupted on Saturday.  The blast sent them scurrying into mountain lodges including the Ontake Shinto Shrine next to the spewing summit.  Some of those climbers managed to get video footage of the hot ash cloud chasing them down the slopes of Ontakesan.  At least one person has been killed, 230 made it off the mountain after the eruption, and 41 are trying to get down today. 

The main pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong is shifting its strategy to take advantage of the momentum stirred up by students, who took their week-long strike to government headquarters.  They want Beijing to back down from its decree that only those that pass a vetting from a government panel would be allowed to run for Chief Executive of the former British territory.  Thousands have since joined the students, and the cops have backed down for two nights.  Occupy Central plans a massive sit-in to shut down the financial district.

The president of the Spanish region of Catalonia Artur Mas has signed a decree paving the way for a referendum on independence.  Madrid denounced it, declaring that any such vote would be unconstitutional.  Unlike the recent Scottish vote, a pro-secession result wouldn’t result in an automatic new nation, but Mas claims it would give him leverage for negotiating.

Liberia’s Deputy Health Minister Bernice Dahn is placing herself in quarantine for 21 days, because one of her assistants died of Ebola.  Dahn also ordered her staff to stand down and stay at home for 21-days, the maximum quarantine period for Ebola patients.  Meanwhile, the US National Institutes of health (NIH) near the capital is preparing to admit another American doctor infected with Ebola in Sierra Leone.  This probably will chafe those who complain the foreign health workers who are infected are airlifted to their home countries for life-saving treatment, while scores of African doctors and nurses are dying.  The West African Ebola Epidemic has killed more than 3,000 people – more than 150 of them in Liberia in just the past two days.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has returned from the US General Assembly for cabinet talks that could determine how deeply Oz will support the US air strikes against Islamic State (IS) targets in Iraq.  The US has been pounding away at suspected terrorist hives in Iraq and Syria, and the French have struck in Iraq.  UK warplanes have joined the fray, although they haven’t actually attacked any IS positions as of yet.

The Hajj, the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, is underway. 

Indonesian authorities arrested a German man for allegedly trying to smuggle 239 grams of cocaine into the country.  Some of it was allegedly in a balloon in his stomach, and customs officers say they found around A$70,000 of cocaine in the man’s luggage.  Indonesian is notoriously harsh on smugglers, and 48-year old Hans Peter Naumann faces a possible death sentence. 

Cuba has sentenced a Canadian executive, 74-year old Cy Tokmakjian, to 15 years in prison for bribery.  Two other Tokmakjian executive were sentenced to eight- and twelve-years each, and Cuba seized Tokmakjian’s local assets worth some US$100 Million.  Canadian MP Peter Kent, who visted Tokmakjian in prison, says the trial was “from almost any measure, extraordinarily unfair and rigged”.

Havana plans disciplinary measures against a state pharmaceutical company that sold colognes named after legendary revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara and the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.  The “Ernesto” and “Hugo” Mens’ Colognes were denounced as “irresponsible” in Granma, the Cuban Communist Party newspaper.  Not only did Labiofam fail to get permission from the Guevara and Chavez families, but the idea was widely mocked on social media – even by those who support of the Cuban Revolution who considered it disrespectful. 

Everyone loves Baby Elephants!  At the Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, UK.