A FIFA-linked executive is on the lam from Brazilian cops  – Authorities seek the death penalty against the Texan who murdered a family of six, including four children – A German lawmaker admits to ‘Breaking Bundestag’ – And a lot more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

International Soccer executive Ray Whelan is on the run from Brazilian authorities, who want to detain him in the investigation into a US$95 Million World Cup ticket scalping ring.  Whelan was staying at the posh Copacabana Palace Hotel alongside several FIFA honchos – but was reportedly seen leaving through a back exit when police came back with a court order to pick him up. 

The Catholic bishop is ordering a parish in South Italy to stop all outdoor religious processions, after a parade took a detour to salute a mafia boss who was under house arrest.  That little embarrassment came just a couple of weeks after Pope Francis excommunicated the mafia for its violence and is relentless pursuit of money, which the pope calls the “adoration of evil”.  The Vatican is investigating, and Italian authorities are condemning the special favor done for the Mafioso.

All eleven people on board were killed when minivan overloaded with young children crashed into a pond near Changsha, the capital of China’s Hunan province. The van was carrying the driver, two teachers, and eight kindergarten pupils – but was only designed to carry seven people.

World renowned composer Ryuichi Sakamoto says he has throat cancer and has canceled all performances to focus on his treatment.  The 62-year old said he had an unusual feeling in his throat checked out at the end of June and was diagnosed with pharyngeal cancer.  Sakamoto first broke through to audiences as a member of the experimental synthesizer collective “Yellow Magic Orchestra” in the 1970s, and composed the scores for several films, including Nagisa Oshima’s “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence”, and Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor”.  His earlier composition “Bibo No Aozora” became the closing pieces for Sue Brooks’s “Japanese Story”.

Thank you, Australia.  THANK YOU.

Authorities in Texas charged Ronald Lee Haskell with six counts of capital murder for the shooting deaths of four children and two adults in a Houston suburb a day earlier, a heinous crime even by gun-happy Texas standards.  The capital murder charge makes him a candidate for the death penalty. Authorities also clarified earlier details – the children were not his, but the family he targeted was related to his ex-wife, who was already in hiding out of state because of repeated domestic abuse complaints against Haskell.  The lone survivor of the massacre was able to call police and warn that Haskell allegedly intended to kill the childrens’ grandparents.  But police got to them first, and surrounded Haskell until he surrendered.

Two more people were gored in Pamplona, Spain’s annual running of the bulls.  A lone black bull raced ahead of the pack, taking the runners by surprised, and the men fell down – the bull got one in the leg, he other in the foot.  Five other people were taken to hospital with lesser bumps and bruises.

Some 200 Ghanaians who went to Brazil to see the World Cup want to stay.  They’re requesting asylum to escape anti-Muslim violence and religious conflicts in the West African nation.  Brazilian authorities are expecting as many as 1,200 Ghanaians to request asylum after the tournament ends.

A member of Germany’s Parliament says, yeah, he DID use crystal methamphetamine while in office.  But Michael Hartmann only did it improve his performance.  Hartmann is refusing to resign and insists he is not addicted.  The issue apparently came up because police say they saw him buying ice, but didn’t find anything in a subsequent search of his home.