The 2014 FIFA World Cup promises to be a great soccer tournament, featuring only the best soccer nations in the world. As usual Brazil, Spain, and Italy are the favorites to win it all. However, history tells us that this year, South American teams have an even bigger reason to be favored.
In all four FIFA World Cups that have been held in South America, a South American country has gone on to win the tournament.
Of course, having home-field advantage counts for something. Nothing beats hearing the roar of the crowd at your back and intimidating the opposing goaltenders. Being the host nation has huge advantages, but this goes way beyond that. No continent has been able to take advantage of hosting the FIFA World Cup quite like South America has.
In 1930, the very first FIFA tournament was held in the small country of Uruguay. The Uruguayan National team successfully defended their home soil in front of thousands of fans defeating Argentina in the finals.
It wouldn't be for another 20 years until South America hosted another World Cup.
In 1950, Brazil got the honor to host the world's most popular sport. Uruguay once again won the title, this time against Brazil.
The trend would continue with Brazil dominating the 1962 FIFA games in Chile. The last time the World Cup was hosted in South America was 1978, when Argentina hosted and won the championship.
There's no doubt about it: When it comes to defending continental boundaries, South America is unbeatable.
Of the 19 FIFA World Cup tournaments, six countries have won the event playing as the host. Playing at home is big, but it's not everything. Two of the four South American countries have successfully defended their territory against the world (Uruguay in 1930 and Argentina in 1978).
With this year's FIFA World Cup taking place in Brazil, soccer fans in South America have plenty of reasons to feel energized.
Despite not hosting a World Cup since 1978, three South American countries have still been able to win in different continents. Both Europe and South America have dominated the soccer world, winning every FIFA World Cup combined. This year, however, could spell bad news for European teams. Never has a European team ever won in South America. This rivalry doesn't pose well for Europe with the Cup being in Brazil, where European teams are 0-4. That is a GOOD NEWS FOR BRAZIL
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Portraying Tarique Rahman as a symbol of “kleptocratic government and violent politics” in Bangladesh, the US embassy in Dhaka even recommended blocking his entry into the United States.
The embassy believed Tarique was “guilty of egregious political corruption that has had a serious adverse effect on US national interests”, namely the stability of democratic institutions and US foreign assistance goals, a leaked US embassy cable says.
James F Moriarty, the then US ambassador, sent the confidential cable on November 3, 2008 to Washington and WikiLeaks published it on August 30 this year.
He cited several examples of Tarique's major corruption as he described his worries in the cable about the possible impact of giving him access into the US.
The decision in this regard, however, could not be known. Tarique has been staying in London since September 2008.
About six months after Moriarty's recommendation, Geeta Pasi, chargé d' affaires of US embassy in Dhaka, sent another cable to Washington on Tarique. It said the State Department was considering a determination for visa revocation for him under the Presidential Proclamation.
Tarique's corrupt practices have had deleterious effects on the US interests, Moriarty wrote, adding “His antics have weakened public confidence in government and eroded the stability of democratic institutions.”
“Tarique's well-established reputation for flouting the rule of law directly threatens US financial assistance goals directed toward reforming legal codes, strengthening good governance and halting judicial abuses.”
The bribery, embezzlement, and culture of corruption that the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's elder son has helped create and maintain in Bangladesh has directly and irreparably undermined US businesses, resulting in many lost opportunities, Moriarty wrote.
“His theft of millions of dollars in public money has undermined political stability in this moderate, Muslim-majority nation and subverted US attempts to foster a stable democratic government, a key objective in this strategically important region,” reads the cable.
Tarique's flagrant corruption has also seriously threatened specific US Mission goals, it said.
The US embassy in Dhaka has three key priorities for Bangladesh: democratisation, development, and denial of space to terrorists. “Tarique's audaciously corrupt activities jeopardize all three.”
“His history of embezzlement, extortion, and interference in the judicial process undermines the rule of law and threatens to upend the US goal of a stable, democratic Bangladesh. The climate of corrupt business practices and bribe solicitation that Tarique fostered derailed US efforts to promote economic development by discouraging much needed foreign investment and complicating the international operations of US companies.”
Tarique's “flagrant disregard” for the rule of law had provided potent ground for terrorists to gain a foothold in Bangladesh while also exacerbating poverty and weakening democratic institutions, the cable said.
“In short, much of what is wrong in Bangladesh can be blamed on Tarique and his cronies,” Moriarty wrote.
The US ambassador recommended that Tarique could be subject to Presidential Proclamation 7750 that can block one's entry into the US for the aforementioned reasons.
The cable, however, said the embassy was not seeking to apply the proclamation for Tarique's wife Zubaida Rahman, their daughter Zaima Rahman or his mother Khaleda Zia.
The elder son of Khaleda Zia, who led the government in 1991-1996 and later 2001-2006, became an all influential party leader during BNP's second term in office.
During the period, he established an alternative centre of power at Hawa Bhaban, the then political office of the chairperson. It was open secret that Tarique and his cronies used to interfere in the government activities and control all major business deals.
He, however, became powerless after his arrest during the tenure of immediate past army-backed caretaker government.
Terming him “the notorious and widely feared” son of former premier Khaleda Zia, the US ambassador mentioned that Tarique, arrested in an anti-corruption crackdown in March 2007, was released on bail on September 3 the next year. He flew to the UK on September 11 for medical treatment.
As a condition for his release, Tarique had to quit the post of BNP's senior joint secretary general, after enjoying the position for about five years.
But still abroad, he was made all-powerful senior vice chairman in December 2009 with a clear mandate to lead BNP in absence of his mother.
The cable termed Tarique “notorious for flagrantly and frequently demanding bribes in connection with government procurement actions and appointments to political office”.
Saying that Tarique's release occurred despite multiple pending cases against him on charges of corruption, extortion, bribery, embezzlement and tax evasion, Moriarty wrote: “With deep political ties that reach the highest court in the land, Tarique managed to manipulate the judicial process and overcome a concerted effort by the Caretaker Government to block his bail.”
“We believe Tarique has several passports, including a new one in which the UK issued him a visa in September. Another passport contains a five year multiple-entry B1/B2 visa (issued May 11, 2005). We suspect that passport is being held by the government.”
Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) levelled serious charges against Tarique, the cable said, adding he reportedly had accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit wealth. There are multiple extortion cases pending against him, founded on the testimony of numerous prominent business owners who he victimised and exploited, the cable said.
“In one case, Tarique allegedly threatened Al Amin Construction owner Amin Ahmed with closure of the company unless he received a payment of 150,000 USD. Other local business leaders, including Mohammad Aftab Uddin Khan of Reza Construction Ltd, Mir Zahir Hossian of Mir Akhter Hossain Ltd, and Harun Ferdousi have each filed accusations detailing a systematic pattern of extortion on a multi-million dollar scale.”
The ACC had also filed charges of concealing ill-gotten wealth, and the National Board of Revenue had brought tax evasion charges against Tarique, it added.
Tarique's corrupt activities were not limited to extortion of local companies, Moriarty wrote.
Saying that the ACC had also uncovered evidence in several bribery cases involving both foreign and local firms and individuals, he listed the following examples:
SIEMENS
According to a witness who funnelled bribes from Siemens to Tarique and his brother Koko, Tarique received a bribe of approximately two percent on all Siemens deals in Bangladesh (paid in US dollars). This case is currently being pursued by Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture and the FBI.
HARBIN COMPANY
ACC sources report that the Harbin Company, a Chinese construction company, paid $750,000 to Tarique to open a plant. According to the ACC, one of Tarique's cronies received the bribe and transported it to Singapore for deposit with Citibank.
MONEM CONSTRUCTION
An ACC investigator advised Embassy officials that Monem Construction paid a bribe worth $450,000 to Tarique to secure contracts.
KABIR MURDER CASE
The ACC has evidence that Tarique accepted a $3.1 million bribe to thwart the prosecution of a murder case against Sanvir Sobhan, the son of Bashundhara Group chairman. Sanvir was accused in the killing of Humayun Kabir, a director of the business conglomerate. An investigation by the ACC confirmed Tarique had solicited the payment, promising to clear Sanvir of all charges.
Moriarty also wrote that beyond bribery and extortion, the ACC reported Tarique had also become involved in an elaborate and lucrative embezzlement scheme. With the help of several accomplices, he succeeded in looting $3 lakh from the Zia Orphanage Trust fund.
He quoted an ACC source saying Tarique, who is a co-signatory to the trust fund account, used funds from the trust for a land purchase in his hometown. He also provided signed checks drawn from the orphanage fund accounts to BNP party members for their 2006 election campaigns.
The cost of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Spain next week is coming under fire from lay groups -- and even some priests -- at a time when people are suffering from painful budget cuts.
The pope arrives in Madrid on August 18 to attend the final four days of the Roman Catholic Church's six-day youth festivities, expected to draw more than one million faithful.
Organisers of the World Youth Day celebrations put the price tag of staging the event, without counting security costs, at 50-60 million euros ($72-86 million). This includes the cost of building a 200-metre (656-foot) long stage at the Cuatro Vientos aerodrome where the pope will deliver the final mass of his visit on August 21 and decorating it with a giant metal tree. It also pays for setting up hundreds of water fountains and 20 giant screens at the aerodrome, and installing showers at the public schools that will be used to house pilgrims from outside Madrid.
Organisers say 80 percent of the cost of the event will be financed by payments from the young pilgrims, with the rest coming from donations by companies and individuals. But critics argue that corporate sponsors are eligible for tax rebates of up to 80 percent of the amount they donate because the government declared World Youth Day celebrations to be an event of "exceptional public interest".
The Priests Forum, which groups together 120 priests from Madrid's poorest parishes, has criticised this loss of state revenues, especially since the government has slashed social spending and public worker salaries. Evaristo Villar, a 68-year-old priest who is one of the leaders of the group, said the Church has had to ally itself with large multinationals to cover the costs of the "showmanship" of the event. "These companies that are backing World Youth Day and the pope's visit leave much to desire. They are the ones who, together with international capital, have caused the crisis," he said. "We are not against the pope's visit, we are against the way it is being staged."
Opponents of the pope's visit have set up a Facebook page calling for a boycott of the over 100 corporate sponsors of the event, including Coca-Cola, telecoms giant Telefonica and Banco Santander. Nearly 150 groups that oppose the pope's visit plan to protest against the pontiff's visit on August 17 on the eve of his arrival. Spain's 15-M movement against the management of the economic crisis, soaring unemployment and political corruption -- named after its May 15 launch date -- is also mulling a series of protests during his stay in Madrid. "With the economic crisis we are going through, we can't pay for this. The Church should set the example," said a spokesman for the movement whose members call themselves "the indignant". The regional government of Madrid in June slashed the education budget by 40 million euros this year, nearly the amount that it will cost to hold World Youth Day, he added.
Spain is struggling to emerge from nearly two years of recession that has left it with a eurozone-high unemployment rate of just over 20 percent and a bloated deficit. Yago de la Cierva, the executive director of World Youth Day 2011, said the budget for this year's event will be 20 percent lower than for the last one in Sydney three years ago even though four times as many pilgrims are expected to come to the gathering in Spain. "We have made huge effort of moderation, of economic responsibility," he said. "The new generations, young people today, they like big events and the Church uses all the tools that exist to present the message of Jesus Christ."
The World Youth Day celebrations were instituted by Pope John Paul II in 1986 as a way to revitalize the faith among young Catholics. It was in Spain once before, in 1989 in the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela.
Convinced they don’t fancy you? Don’t be so sure. When it comes to flirting, things often aren’t quite what they seem. Look out for these secret signs they’re into you.
1. They ignore you
Infatuation makes people to do the strangest things. Often the complete opposite of what’s expected, so if they turn up somewhere you are and then spend the whole time studiously ignoring you, it might just be that they’re interested but are so worried and nervous about making a fool of themselves in front of you that they keep their distance. It’s up to you to approach them, make some small talk and coax them out of their shyness.
2. They make fun of you
This one harks back to school days when all you had to do to get the attention of a member of the opposite sex was to tease them mercilessly. It’s actually a clever way to disguise their interest because it’s safer than a direct approach and protects from outright rejection. Plus it gives them a chance to impress you with their wit. As long as they’re not being down right rude, there’s a strong chance they’re up for more than just teasing – especially if it seems as though you’re the butt of a disproportionately high number of their jokes.
3. They suggest going Dutch
So you find yourself out for dinner with them but you’re not sure if it’s a date. To further confuse matters, they suggest splitting the bill. Surely that places you firmly in the friend zone. If they fancied you they’d pay right? Wrong. Often when someone’s interested in you they’re extra cautious about seeming over keen. Offering to split the bill doesn’t make them tight, it actually shows respect as they’re not trying to buy their way into your affections.
4. They pretend they don’t remember you
You clearly recall meeting them a few weeks ago at a party, but they claim to have no memory of it now. Interesting. It’s more than likely they’re playing it cool and don’t want you to know what a strong impression you made on them. The truth is they’ve been reliving your encounter over and over in their head and can’t stop thinking about you.
5. They won’t look you in the eye
This one’s a form of self-defence borne out of shyness. They naively (and rather sweetly) think they’ll be able to conceal their feelings for you by avoiding eye-contact. They’re probably also worried about embarrassing themselves by blushing bright red when they lay eyes on you. Try your best to put them at their ease by smiling and placing a reassuring hand on their arm.
6. They puff out their chest
This is a subtle subconscious signal that’s not always easy to spot, but it’s a scientific fact that both men and women alter their posture when they’re around someone they fancy. Men draw their shoulders back and puff out their chests slightly to make themselves appear broader and taller, whilst women arch their backs slightly and also draw their shoulders back to show off their womanly assets.
7. They pay special attention to your best friend Don’t write them off because they seem to be getting a bit flirty with your best mate. There’s every chance they’re just doing some subtle research about you. And what better way to impress you than by impressing your best friend. If your mate gives them a good write-up they’re bound to be in a better chance with you. It’s a very smart move.
8. They’ve got verbal diarrhoea
If they start babbling absolute jibberish at a hundred miles an hour whenever you’re around, you can be pretty certain that it’s brought on by the sheer awesomeness of you. Don’t worry, they wish they could get a hold of their nerves and stop spouting whatever comes into their head too, but it’s completely out of their control. Don’t hold it against them. It’s actually quite flattering.
9. They call you to whinge about their lovelife – or lack of it
That’s a surely a sign you’re just good mates isn’t it? Well, no actually. The desire to call you up and just chat demonstrates you’re on their mind even if they are phoning to dissect a bad date. And don’t be fooled by all the moaning about not having found the right guy or girl - what they’re really doing is showing off that they got asked out and are deemed desirable. They want you to sit up and take notice – maybe even get a bit jealous.
10. They get your name wrong
Classic move here. They’re trying to throw you off the scent that they’re interested by accidentally on purpose calling you the wrong name. Yes it’s a bit lame, but they’re just employing the old ‘treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen’ technique. And guess what? It’s working.
1. Men's body odour
Ever wondered why you like to snuggle in the nook of his armpit so much? Well here’s the (slightly gross) answer. According to research conducted by Monell Chemical Senses Centre in Philadelphia, Women are attracted to the smell of a man’s armpit sweat because underarm sweat contains a complex compound of odourless pheromones that subconsciously affect us. Charles Wysocki, a behavioural neuroscientist at the Centre explains, “Women are more attuned to underarm stink because the biological data it contains helps them choose a mate. Most women are even better at smelling male body odour than female body odours.” Nice!
2. Men's body language
Whether it’s the way he carries himself, the manner in which he casually brushes his hand through is hair, or just the way he walks, us women are pre-programmed to notice. According to Linda Blair, clinical psychologist and author of Straight Talking “It takes only seven seconds for us to judge another person when we first meet them,” To us, a man who walks tall and is comfortable in his own skin translates as a man who is self-confident – and that’s a hugely attractive trait. Judi James, author of The Body Language Bible, explains “Judging other people in the first few seconds of meeting them is part of our survival response. We’re looking primarily to see if we should feel threatened, but we also make several assumptions about attraction and personality.”
3. His shape
While we’re not necessarily looking for a muscle-bound hunk, there’s something primal about our attraction to his physical form. Whether he’s gym honed or not, if he looks fit and as though he looks after himself, this lets us know that health and well-being are among his priorities – and that’s a massive turn on. Especially when we’ve got mating on our minds. In general, most women are also predisposed to liking someone who is physically bigger than they are with broader shoulders and taller in height. This is probably residual hardwiring from our days as cavewomen when we looked to men as protectors and hunter-gatherers.
4. Men's sense of humour
A recent study by Northumbria University showed that women use humour as an indication of a guy's intelligence which goes some way to explaining the enormous popularity of “GSOH” as a dating requirement for so many women’s dating profiles. "Intelligence is a very attractive quality as a clever man should be more able to provide resources for his offspring.” Explains Kristofor McCarty who led the study. But gentlemen be warned, while we like a man who can make us laugh, a cruel wit that makes jokes at the expense of others or denigrates and puts us down is not something we find attractive.
5. Men's ambitious streak
We’re attracted to men with a drive to succeed for many reasons. Firstly it shows he’s passionate about something and while it may not be you (yet), it’s a sign that he’s capable of commitment. A strong work ethic demonstrates a sense of responsibility – another positive indication for selecting a life partner. Ambition also reveals a healthy sense of get-up-and go. It shows that he’s not content just hanging out with his mates down the pub and that he aspires towards something more - the desire to make things happen and improve his life. There isn’t a woman alive who doesn’t find that attractive.
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