Hello Australia! - A careless boast on the news reveals the US Republicans' election scheme - The government shelves university reform until after the next election - The US and Russia will hold urgent talks to keep from shooting at each other - And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

The worst-kept secret in Washington, DC is out - The man expected to take over as leader of Republicans in the US House of Representatives all but admitted that hearings into the deadly attack on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya are nothing more than a politically-motivated smear campaign to embarrass former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in her Presidential bid.  Speaking on Murdoch's Fox News, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California said, "Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right?  But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee.  What are her numbers today?  Her numbers are dropping." 

Hillary Rodham Clinton says that she finds McCarthy's remarks "deeply distressing" because she "knew the ambassador that we lost in Benghazi". Christopher Stevens and three security agents were killed when Islamic insurgents attacked the compound in 2012.  Ms. Clinton notes that US diplomatic facilities have been attacked several times over the years, regardless of which party was in control of the White House, and often with even deadlier results.  But "it's never been turned into a partisan political battle by the majority in Congress the way the Republicans in this Congress have done". 

Education Minister Simon Birmingham has confirmed the Government is putting off the controversial university deregulation plan until after the next election.  "Any future reforms, should they be legislated, would not commence until 2017 at the earliest," Mr. Birmingham said in a speech delivered to the Times Higher Education Conference.  The legislation - which would would have allowed Australian universities to set their own undergraduate fees - was defeated in March and was also blocked in December.

LGBT Rights activists are aghast after the Vatican admitted that Pope Francis did indeed meet privately with a Kentucky county clerk who refuses to issue marriage certificates to same sex couples, in accordance with the law.  Kim Davis said that during his recent US tour, the pontiff gave her two rosaries and told her to "stay strong".  Many of those who were encouraged by the Pope's abstract statements about acceptance, environmentalism, and condemnations of greed felt betrayed after learning that one of Francis' only tangible acts was to support someone hiding behind her supposed faith to refuse to do her job - which, when you come right down to it, consists of stamping pieces of paper and handing them to people.

US and Russian military leaders plan to hold urgent talks "as soon as possible" to avoid shooting at each other in Syria - possibly as early as today.  This comes after Russian warplanes carried at least 20 air strikes against what it calls Islamic State targets around Homs, but in an area that the US says is controlled by non-IS groups affiliated with the "Free Syrian Army", which are opponents of Syrian leader and Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad.  The US is targeting IS with air strikes in both Syria and Iraq.

Afghanistan's military claims to have recaptured key areas of the northern city of Kunduz, which was overrun by the Taliban earlier this week.  Troops moved back into government buildings and were seen on the streets around town.  But the fighting is still on going.

Authorities arrested five Rio de Janeiro police officers after a video emerged showing a cop planting a gun on a teen they had just shot and killed in a Rio Favela.  Police say they had been attacked and acted in self-defense, but 17-year-old Eduardo Victor's family and witnesses say he was killed in cold blood.  Human rights groups accuse Brazilian police of operating a policy of "shoot first, ask questions later".