Hello, Australia! - Environmentalists claim a victory against the Carmichael Coal Mine - Two Indian trains derail partially into a rain swollen river - Israel begins its promised crackdown on Jewish extremists - And much more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:
The Federal Court overturned the government's approval of Indian mining giant Adami's Carmichael Coal Mine in Queensland's Galilee Basin, because Environment Minister Greg Hunt didn't consider the mine's impact on two vulnerable species. They are the Yakka Skink and the Ornamental Snake (good on ya mates). It's a big win for environmental campaigners. But it could just be a delay, as Minister Hunt could go through the approval process again making sure to consider all advice provided to him. Ellen Roberts of the Mackay Conservation Group - which launched the challenge to the mine earlier this year - is urging Hunt to sieze the opportunity to do right: "A lot of new information has emerged since Greg Hunt made his approval and we call on him to now reject the mine," she said.
It could be just hours before investigators confirm whether the wing part found on the French island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean is indeed from the wreckage of missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370. Or it could take longer than that. The flapperon has been taken to Toulouse for examination by Aussie, American, Malaysian, and French experts.
Two trains derailed on the same bridge within minutes of each other in India, killing at least 20 people and necessitating the rescues of some 300. This happened on a partially flooded bridge near Harda in Madhya Pradesh state. Several coaches fell into the monsoon-swollen river below. It's not clear how many people were on the trains, which were both well-travelled expressed lines. Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted, "Rushing emergency medical and other relief personnel to spot. Darkness, water creating hurdles but ordered all possible help. Trying our best." Prabhu ordered an investigation, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is monitoring the situation.
Israel said that from now on Jewish terrorists would be treated the same as other terrorists, and authorities in Jerusalem made good. A court ordered that Mayer Ettinger - grandson of the late nationalist rightwinger Meir Kahane - should be held for five days in jail. And militant Mordechai Meyer was ordered held in "administrative detention" for six months without trial. These are the first Jews to be handled in this way since the new policy was announced. All this follows two heinous crimes carried out by Jewish nationalists: the arson attack on a Palestinian home that burned an 18-month old boy to death by suspected Israeli settlers; and the deadly stabbing and slashing spree at the Jerusalem Gay Parade by an ultra-orthodox man who had just been released from prison for the same crime in 2005.
A journalist is accusing Malaysia of "silencing free media" after it issued a warrant for her arrest. Clare Rewcastle-Brown is based in the UK, but her website The Sarawak Report has published several articles on corruption allegations swirling around Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. An investigation cleared Najib earlier this week, although it failed to explain why a mysterious donor dumped around A$1Billion into his personal bank account at about the same time a government-funded development agency was going belly-up. Malaysian police claim Ms. Rewcastle-Brown was engaging in "activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy" and disseminating false reports.
That baby whale that strayed into a marina in Buenos Aires, Argentina has been led back out the Rio de Plata and towards safety in the Atlantic Ocean.
A Colombian Police Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter crashed in the northwest of the country on a mission against a drug gang, killing 16 police officers. They were moving in to arrest one of the leaders of a gang known as the Usuga Clan, when the aircraft crashed in heavy fog into the side of a mountain. Authorities maintain there were no shots fired, and the preliminary investigation points to mechanical failure.
Amnesty International is accusing Sudan's army of committing war crimes against civilians. The rights group's report says more than 374 bombs, including cluster bombs, were dropped in 67 locations between January and April, killing at least 35 people in the South Kordofan region - including children. "War crimes cannot be allowed to be committed with impunity and a population facing a protracted humanitarian crisis can no longer be ignored by the world," Amnesty said.
South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been released from hospital, after being treated for more than a month for a recurring infection. It's believed to be related to the prostate cancer he's been fighting for 18 years. The 83-year old anti-apartheid figure will continue his recovery at home.