Hello, Australia! – A purported leader of the Paris terrorist attacks is nailed by a US drone – Greece defies its European creditors – A Hong Kong superstar takes an surprisingly strong stance on China’s drug laws – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

A US drone strike killed the al Qaeda leader who claimed credit for organizing the terrorist attacks on the Parisian satire magazine Charlie Hebdo.  Nasr bin Ali al-Ansi died on 21 April in Yemen, according to an al Qaeda video released to Middle East news outlets on Thursday.  It was 7 January that two brothers with automatic weapons stormed the offices of Charlie Hebdo, killing twelve cartoonists and other staffers, as well as a police officer outside.

Syrian activists are accusing forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of dropping barrel bombs with chlorine gas in the northwestern province of Idlib.  At least 80 people are suffering various asphyxiation injuries and it's unclear how many have died.  Chlorine was not included in the list of chemical weapons to be removed from Syria in the 2013 UN Security Council deal.

Iran released a cargo ship it seized more than a week ago, apparently working out the civil dispute with the ship’s Dutch owners.  The seizure threatened to turn into an international incident, with the right-wing corporate media reporting it as a military operation instead of a monetary dispute.  The US even moved warships closer to the Strait of Hormuz to monitor the situation.

Greece is rehiring thousands of public sector workers, in keeping with the Syriza government campaign promises and in defiance of its European Union creditors.  Greek MPs passed a law giving back the jobs to the 4,000, who were tossed out due to externally-imposed “austerity”.  This comes even though Athens will seek more financial aid from Eurozone Finance Ministers on Monday.

The Ivory Coast Health Ministry is banning skin whitening creams out of concern they might cause cancer, diabetes, glaucoma, and a host of other serious conditions.  Such creams are used in parts of Africa and Asia under cultural delusion that having lighter – “whiter” – skin somehow makes a person more attractive. 

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos authorized the extradition of a man suspected in the death of a Venezuelan politician.  It’s a positive development, as relations between the South American neighbors are usually frosty and difficult.  Venezuela suspects Lever Padilla Mendoza in the stabbing deaths of the ruling party rising star, 27-year old Robert Serra, and his partner Maria Herrera.  Serra’s bodyguard admitted to conspiring with Colombian right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs to kill the pair.

Hong Kong Superstar Jackie Chan says he supports the death penalty for some people convicted of serious drugs offenses.  The martial arts movie star’s son Jaycee spent six months in prison in China for marijuana possession.  China is one of the countries that provides for capital punishment for people convicted of drug trafficking.  Australia Peter Gardner is one of those facing China’s harsh justice system; he’s currently on trial for allegedly attempting to smuggle 30 kilos of crystal meth out of Guangzhou.