Global News

Boko Haram militants crossed the border from Nigeria into Cameroon and attacked several villages.  At least four villagers who tried to defend themselves were killed.  The militants kidnapped dozens of people, men, women, and 40-50 children before making back across into Nigeria.

The richest One Percent of the world’s citizens have gobbled up more of the world’s wealth, and are poised to own a clear majority of everything by next year.  That’s according to a study by the charity Oxfam, which released the alarming statistics just before billionaires and politicians gather at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos.

More trouble at Manus – Who kidnapped and bashed Robert Allenby? – Rioters burn churches in Niger over the cover of Charlie Hebdo – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

If you thought it was warmer out there, you were right and the deniers were wrong – Nasty weather doesn’t stop the Pope in the Philippines – A big, giant kissing protest in Vienna – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

An Aussie hate preacher is busted – The Pope decries inequality in his host country, the Philippines – America returns to Cuba – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan went to the far northeastern part of the country for the first time since 2013, to meet with the survivors of the most recent attack by Boko Haram.  The Islamist terrorist group is believed to have murdered some 2,000 people in and around Baga town.

Humans are on the verge of causing an unprecedented mass extinction event in the Planet Earth’s oceans – but there is still time to stop the disaster.  That’s according to a groundbreaking analysis of data from hundreds of sources and published in the journal Science.

Hundreds of thousands people welcomed Pope Francis on his first visit to the Philippines, Asia’s largest Roman Catholic nation amid what is certainly one of the biggest security operations in Philippine history.  An estimated 37,000 police and military personnel are being deployed in the areas he will visit.

Police in Germany initially said there was no sign of foul play in the death of an immigrant from Eritrea, but an autopsy found that the man had obviously been repeatedly stabbed in the neck and chest.  And this happened in Dresden, the city where thousand of malcontents have been marching against the supposed “Islamization” of Europe.

Belgian police killed two suspected jihadists who opened fire on the cops during one of about a dozen anti-terrorism raids in the eastern part of the country.  At least one person was arrested.  Prosecutors say they acted just in time, because the targets were allegedly about to launch “terrorist attacks on a grand scale”.

An alleged bombing plot against the US Capitol is foiled – Divers get closer to finally retrieving bodies from the downed AirAsia jet – Two mountain climbers achieve an amazing accomplishment – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

America’s intelligence community is skeptical over claims made by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) that it meticulously planned last week’s massacre at the Paris office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo well in advance.

The people have spoken, and the post-attack edition of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo is a massive success.  Originally slated for a run of three million copies instead of the usual 60,000, Charlie sold out almost immediately and another two million are being printed.

Bowing to a backlash that clearly took the coalition by surprise, the Abbott government has capitulated and dropped plans to slash the Medicare rebate by $20 for short visits to the doctor.  Doctors loathed the idea, and Labor – fearing the costs would be passed onto Australians as a “stealth tax” – vowed an all out fight over it.

Amnesty International has released satellite images that show the widespread damage that the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram inflicted on a town in northeast Nigeria.  The evidence stands in stark contrast to the claims of the Nigerian military, which downplayed the horrific massacre.

The Abbott government denied reports that detained asylum seekers at the Manus Island facility are on a hunger strike.  But there are reports that 15 people have sewn their lips shut in protest of poor conditions at the processing center, and one reportedly swallowed razor blades.

A fight over Medicare brews in Canberra – Hong Kong is warned to toe the line – And wearing a headscarf might get people kicked off the bus – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

A court in northern Japan is ordering a driving school in Miyagi Prefecture to pay more than A$20 Million in damages to the families of 25 students and a part-time teacher who died in the 11 March 2001 earthquake and tsunami disasters.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko blamed pro-Russian rebels for firing a missile into a bus southwest of Donetsk, killing at least eleven people and wounding many more.  A rebel spokesman immediately denied responsibility.

The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group released a video that purports to show a young boy known as “Abdallah” executing two prisoners, men identified as “Russian spies” who tried to infiltrate the militant organization in Syria.  Russian intelligence didn’t comment on the video, other than to acknowledge it gathers intelligence on IS.