Hundreds march in New Delhi's 'SlutWalk'

In India's conservative capital, hundreds gathered on Sunday to protest sexual violence against women by participating in a 'SlutWalk' march.

Sparked by a Toronto police officer's remark last winter that women could avoid being raped by not dressing like "sluts," the marches have been held in cities around the world.

In New Delhi, about 500 protestors braved the sweltering July heat to carry placards that read, "Change your thinking not your clothes" and "Our life, our body, our rights."

Globally, 'SlutWalks' are usually marked with short skirts, fishnet stockings, lingerie and painted words emblazoned on participants' bodies.

However, India is still a largely conservative country, even as millions of women now work outside their homes. Most marchers wore jeans, T-shirts or salwar-kameezes, an Indian tunic paired with loose pants.

"We're walking for a cause and we're dressed in the same clothes that we wear every day," organizer Umang Sabharwal told The Associated Press ahead of the march.

'SlutWalks' have been held in Boston, Seattle, London and Sydney, Australia after Toronto's inaugural march last April.

Toronto's march saw thousands of protesters outside the Ontario legislature rally against the officer's remark at York University's Osgoode Hall in January.

Students and staff who were furious that the officer told a group of students at a campus safety information session that they could avoid assaults by not dressing like a slut organized the walk.

The march condemns the notion that a woman's appearance can explain or excuse rape and sexual harassment.

In India, public sexual taunting or groping of women, known as 'Eve teasing,' is common and despite modernization, attitudes towards women are still largely patriarchal.

A government-backed United Nations survey found that 85 per cent of women in New Delhi are afraid of being sexually harassed.

"I think Delhi is the city that needs the 'SlutWalk' the most," Sabharwal said. "Everyone knows what the environment here is like for a woman and I think the reason why it happens the most is because we accept it."

India's National Crime Records Bureau recorded more than 20,000 rape cases in 2008, up 18 per cent from 2004.

But most cases still go unreported in the country because victims fear having to face male police officers who might dismiss or deride their complaints.

Toronto's slut walk inspires events in U.S., London

 

A Toronto police officer who suggested that women shouldn't dress like "sluts" if they wanted to avoid being raped or assaulted, has sparked a number of international protest marches.

The officer made the remarks in January at York University's Osgoode Hall, telling a group of students at an information session that not dressing like a slut was one way to avoid being assaulted.
The comments triggered a so-called Slut Walk at Queen's Park in Toronto that attracted thousands of participants.

Organizers argued that no one should be blamed for a rape or sexual assault committed against them, regardless of what they wear or how they act.

The movement has now spread to the U.S. and England, with similar events planned for Boston on Saturday and London on June 4.

"This is a walk to protest both slut-shaming and rape culture. It's a walk to take back the word SLUT in order to show that the nature of your being is not determined by how many sexual partners you have," says the website for Boston Slutwalk, which claims the event was inspired by the Toronto march.

In addition to the walk through downtown Boston, the event also includes workshops on the power of language, partner violence, men's role in preventing rape and sexual assault and something called "SlutStyles (on polyamory and non-monogamy)."

Organizers of SlutWalk London also credit the Toronto event as providing their inspiration.

On their website, organizers describe themselves as "a group of people who will be marching, stamping, rolling, shouting and hollering through the streets of London on Saturday, 4th June, to tell the world that rape is never, ever the fault of the victim - no matter WHAT they were wearing!"

The website invites people of all genders, races, ages, religions and sexualities to take part and "show the world that SLUT is something to be proud of."

Other events are planned this summer for cities across the U.S., including Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Reno, Nev. and Austin, Tx.

In Toronto both women and men took part in the Slut Walk event, with participants wearing everything from normal street clothes to much more provocative outfits -- or lack thereof.

Some danced, others wore T-shirts emblazoned with the word "slut" while many carried placards that said "sluts pay taxes." A number of men also took part, some wearing shirts that said "I love sluts."

The officer who made the comments in Toronto, Const. Michael Sanguinetti, was disciplined but still remains on duty.

Mark Pugash, a spokesperson for the Toronto Police, said the comments "were completely unacceptable and did not reflect the way the TPS trains and teaches its officers."

SLUT WALK MONTREAL

An international march to "take back the word ‘slut'"took place in Montreal Sunday.

Protesters showed their support at SlutWalk, the growing movement arguing that no one should be blamed for a rape or sexual assault committed against them, regardless of what they wear or how they act.

"We are here to say if we're a sex worker or if we're dressed sexy, there's no way it means consenting. Even sex workers have the right to say no," said Emilie Laliberte, general director of Stella, a group fighting for sex workers' rights and one of the organizers of the event.

The crowd of 300 or so came out in a variety of colourful garb, including some topless women, and others wearing shirts that read "Sluts Unite."

Members of the crowd waved placards that read, "This dress is not a yes," and "Viva la slut revolution."

The group said it is against "slut-shaming."

"In the tradition of taking back degrading slurs such as queer and re-appropriating them to remove the shame we want to do the same with the term ‘slut.' People regardless of their gender should be allowed to dress however they please without fear of judgment, harassment or violence. Furthermore, we want to deconstruct the double standard that being promiscuous is a respectable lifestyle for heterosexual men only," reads a statement on the Montreal event's Facebook page.

Micheline Chartier of Glam Gam Productions, one of the organizers, said she felt there was nothing wrong with dressing provocatively.

"I feel sexy in this, and I want to feel sexy -- but it's not an invitation," she said. "Women still face slut-shaming in our society and it's important to call that out when it happens."

The marches were sparked by a Toronto police officer who suggested that women shouldn't dress like "sluts" if they wanted to avoid being raped or assaulted.

The officer made the remarks in January at York University's Osgoode Hall, telling a group of students at an information session that not dressing like a slut was one way to avoid being assaulted.

The comments triggered a so-called Slut Walk at Queen's Park in Toronto that attracted thousands of participants.

The movement quickly spread throughout Canada, and to the U.S. and England.

The officer who made the comments in Toronto, Const. Michael Sanguinetti, was disciplined but remains on duty.

Mark Pugash, a spokesperson for the Toronto Police, said the comments "were completely unacceptable and did not reflect the way the TPS trains and teaches its officers."

Maryse Rinfred-Raynor from Universite de Montreal's school of social work said it's not surprising women are so outraged by the police officer's comment.

"I really feel that women who react to that kind of thing are right to do so, because no woman should be perceived only sexually - a woman is much more than that," she said.

It's a lesson SlutWalk attendee Jenny Cockburn said she wants to teach her seven-year-old daughter.

"Her value as a woman is beyond her sexuality, but that there's also no shame in her having her sexuality and expressing her sexuality," she said.

The Montreal SlutWalk began at Peace Park on St-Laurent St., where speeches took place with members of Stella, queer solidarity group PolitiQ, and Glam Gam.

The event ended with a party at Le Drugstore bar. All proceeds went to Stella.

FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL 2014 Rio draw pits Spain against France

The road to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ shifted firmly into focus as 166 countries around the globe discovered the challenges ahead at the Preliminary Draw in Rio de Janeiro.

Eighty-one years to the day since Uruguay became the first team to win the Jules Rimet Trophy on home soil in Montevideo, world football’s biggest prize was in the limelight once more and if FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, in his introductory speech, described football as Brazil’s “beating heart”, there were pulses accelerating inside the Marina da Gloria and far beyond as the draw unfolded.

Some of the greats of Brazilian football helped FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke in conducting the draw – including Bebeto, Cafu, Ronaldo, Mario Zagallo and Zico – and it threw up some intriguing contests, not least in the European Zone where holders Spain were drawn against France, winners in 1998, in Group I. These rivals last met in the second round of the 2006 finals in Germany where France won 3-1 en route to the final. The third seeds in Group I are Belarus who have taken four points off France in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying.

Four-times winners Italy will face Denmark in Group B, Germany, the most successful team in qualifying history, must tackle Sweden in Group C, while England – 55 years to the day of their 1966 FIFA World Cup triumph – were pitted against Ukraine and Poland, the co-hosts of next year’s UEFA European Championship, as well as a Montenegro side they are currently competing against for a place at the European finals.

In the African Zone, a Côte d’Ivoire side who were present at Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010 will face Morocco – four-time finalists and the first African side to win a World Cup match – in Group C of qualifying Round Two. As for Ghana, quarter-finalists in South Africa, they will count Zambia as their most formidable rival in Group D.

Zico, the one-time coach of Japan, helped make the draw for Round Three of the Asian qualifying competition and his old team must pit their wits against Korea DPR in Group B – a potentially daunting section given these were two of the region’s four South Africa 2010 representatives and they must also face Uzbekistan. In Group D, an Australia side chasing a third successive finals appearance will face Saudi Arabia.

In the CONCACAF Zone, Mexico will face a Costa Rica team led by their former coach Ricardo La Volpe in Group B of preliminary Round Three. The duo could also find themselves up against 2006 finalists Trinidad and Tobago should they prevail in Round Two Group B. USA’s opponents in their section will include the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica.

In Oceania, New Zealand – who went home from South Africa 2010 as the only unbeaten team – may not have it all their own way in Group B where they find themselves up against a traditionally strong Fiji side, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Should New Zealand prevail in Oceania qualifying they would face CONCACAF opposition in the Intercontinental play-offs while teams from Asia and South America would contest the other play-off. The South American group is as always save for the absence of Brazil, who qualifying automatically.

A record 203 teams will be competing in the preliminary competition for Brazil 2014 – a number that will be whittled down to the 31 who will join the hosts for the 20th FIFA World Cup finals which kick off on Thursday 12 June 2014.

THE DRAW RESULTS

These are the results from the Preliminary Draw which took place at the Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday 30 July.

Intercontinental play-offs Asia – South America

North, Central America and the Caribbean - Oceania

African Zone Draw Group A: South Africa, Botswana, Central African Republic, Somalia or Ethiopia

Group B: Tunisia, Cape Verde Islands, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea or Madagascar

Group C: Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, Gambia, Chad or Tanzania

Group D: Ghana, Zambia, Sudan, Lesotho or Burundi

Group E: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, Sao Tome e Principe or Congo

Group F: Nigeria, Malawi, Seychelles or Kenya, Djibouti or Namibia

Group G: Egypt, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Comoros or Mozambique

Group H: Algeria, Mali, Benin, Eritrea or Rwanda

Group I: Cameroon, Libya, Guinea-Bissau or Togo, Swaziland or Congo DR

Group J: Senegal, Uganda, Angola, Mauritius or Liberia

Asian Zone Draw Group A: China, Jordan, Iraq, Singapore

Group B: Korea Republic, Kuwait, UAE, Lebanon

Group C: Japan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Korea DPR

Group D: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Thailand

Group E: Iran, Qatar, Bahrain, Indonesia

North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone Draw (Round Two) Group A: El Salvador, Surinam, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic

Group B: Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, Bermuda

Group C: Panama, Dominica, Nicaragua, Bahamas

Group D: Canada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, St Lucia

Group E: Grenada, Guatemala, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize

Group F: Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, US Virgin Islands

North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone Draw (Round Three) Group A: USA, Jamaica, Winner of R2 Grp E, Winner of R2 Grp F

Group B: Mexico, Costa Rica, Winner of R2 Grp A, Winner of R2 Grp B

Group C: Honduras, Cuba, Winner of R2 Grp D, Winner of R2 Grp C

Oceanian Zone DrawGroup A: Vanuatu, New Caledonia, American Samoa/Cook Islands/Samoa or Tonga, Tahiti

Group B: Fiji, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea

European Zone Draw Group A: Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, Scotland, Macedonia, Wales

Group B: Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Armenia, Malta.

Group C: Germany, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Austria, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan.

Group D: Netherlands, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Andorra.

Group E: Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Albania, Cyprus, Iceland.

Group F: Portugal, Russia, Israel, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg

Group G: Greece, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Latvia, Lichtenstein

Group H: England, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marino

Group I: Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia, Finland

Stars struck by FIFA World Cup fever

There are still three years to go before the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ begins and although the hosts are not taking part in the qualifiers, that does not mean to say the country’s football stars are not already playing an active role in the competition.

A handful of them were on duty in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, lending FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke a helping hand as the Preliminary Draw was made.

Among them were youngsters Lucas Piazon, Neymar and Ganso and legends of yesteryear such as Zico, Cafu and Bebeto. And as FIFA.com found out, both the old hands and the new boys on the block were delighted to be taking part.

“I am thrilled to be taking part in the draw for the preliminaries,” said Neymar moments before going on stage with Cafu to draw the groups in the Africa zone. “I’m so excited that it’s happening here in my country and I’m very honoured.”

No less elated at the prospect of the second FIFA World Cup to take place on Brazilian soil, Zico teamed up with Lucas to decide the fate of the Asian teams, and had this to say: “We hosted the World Cup in 1950, when the sport wasn’t what it is today. It was after that competition that Brazil became what it is in football, and if any country deserves to stage the World Cup, it’s this one.”

I hadn’t realised the scale of this until now, but the fact is the World Cup starts here. Obviously I’m dreaming about Brazil 2014, though it’s still a long way away.

Lucas Piazon, Brazilian midfielder

In contrast to the great Zico, Lucas Piazon is taking his first steps in the game and has just been representing his country at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011. The teenager joins Chelsea at the end of the year and perhaps not surprisingly, found Saturday’s show in Rio a little awe-inspiring: “I hadn’t realised the scale of this until now, but the fact is the World Cup starts here. Obviously I’m dreaming about Brazil 2014, though it’s still a long way away. First of all I’ve got to think about establishing myself at Chelsea and trying to fight my way into the team. If I can do that, then I’ll have a chance.”

Another young man with a similar dream is Flamengo fledgling Mattheus, whose father is none other than Bebeto and whose birth the former goalscorer famously celebrated when hitting Brazil’s second goal in a memorable quarter-final against the Netherlands at USA 1994.

“It’s so wonderful to welcome the whole world to our country for the draw,” said the ex-striker. “I’m just sorry I never experienced this as a player, though I’m dreaming of seeing my son fulfil that dream for me. A lot of things are going to be happening in the run-up to 2014. A new player comes through every year and who knows, Mattheus might be one of them. I always think he was destined to do it as soon as I did that goal celebration.”

After the legendary Mario Zagallo and Fellipe Bastos determined who faces who in Oceania it was on to the most eagerly awaited part of the evening and the European draw, which was performed by Paulo Henrique Ganso and Ronaldo.

“All I can do now is cheer Brazil on from the sidelines,” said Ronaldo, who appeared in four FIFA World Cups and is the leading all-time goalscorer in the competition. “I’d love to play in a World Cup in Brazil but my time has gone.”

Brazil kicked off the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in typically exuberant style with a festival of music and football at the Preliminary Draw show on Saturday 30 July in Rio de Janeiro.

The beautifully decked-out Marina da Gloria provided the perfect setting for Brazilian President Dilma Roussef, who took to the stage to declare: "Brazil has now been admired for a lot more than its football, its music and its popular celebrations. I invite people from the whole world to meet Brazil and the Brazilians.

"Whoever comes here will find a country perfectly prepared to host the FIFA World Cup. You may be sure that this new Brazil will be perfectly ready to enchant the world in 2014, with its joyful, generous people that loves not only football, but also freedom, social justice and peace."

I'm happy to say today: 'Let the 2014 FIFA World Cup begin'.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter had earlier opened proceedings, saying: "We are very happy to be back in Brazil 61 years after the last FIFA World Cup here, in a country whose heart beats with football. Brazil has always produced stars who make world football richer.

"The world is expecting a wonderful FIFA World Cup and for that we will have the support of everyone, in particular the 190million football lovers. Brazil is not only about football, it's also a multicultural country with a rich culture and a booming economy, now ranked seventh in the world. I'm happy to say today: 'Let the 2014 FIFA World Cup begin'."

The show, hosted by model and actress Fernanda Lima and TV presenter Tadeu Schmidt, then moved on to the main event: the draw. Former Brazil captain Cafu had been asked to conduct the draw for Africa, and the 2002 world champion made his way onto the stage accompanied by the rising star of Brazilian football, Neymar, fresh from scoring an incredible goal for Santos just a few days ago. The pair took to their task with relish, and when matters had been decided, Côte d'Ivoire and Morocco were left rueing their luck at being handed such a tough group.

Australia, Japan face challenge in Asia Legendary playmaker Zico was next up, accompanied by another new talent fresh off the Brazilian production line, Lucas, to conduct the draw for the Asian Zone. This time around it was Japan and Australia who found themselves facing a stern qualifying challenge.

Now two musicians took centre stage to the delight of the audience. Ivan Lins, the first Brazilian to win the album of the year at the Latin Grammy Awards, back in 2005, and Ana Carolina, one of the most celebrated singers of the last decade, provided the perfect musical interlude.

Then it was the turn of 1994 world champion Bebeto to take a bow, along with young Lucas Piazon, striker for the Brazil side that reached the semi-finals of the recent FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011. Their job was to pick out countries for the North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone, and under the watchful eye of master of ceremonies FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, Mexico were handed a potentially tough draw.

Pianist and composer Daniel Jobim, grandson and rightful heir to the great Tom Jobim, provided another beautiful passage of music before Mario Zagallo and Felipe Bastos were called up to conduct the draw for Oceania.

Next it was the turn Ivete Sangalo to thrill the assembly with a delightful perfomance. The Bahia-state native, who has won a host of awards overseas for her music, was accompanied by the Heliopolis Symphonic Orchestra, which was set up by the Baccarelli institute in 1996 to provide grants to muscians from disadvantaged backgrounds to enable them to pursue their love of music.

Spain and France drawn together in Europe

The recently retired Ronaldo, top scorer in FIFA World Cup history, was last up, accompanied by the young prodigy from Santos and A Verde e Amarelo, Ganso. By the time they had finished pulling out the European countries, the likes of Croatia, Spain and France, all of whom find themselves in hard groups, were probably wishing they hadn’t bothered.

A final video promoting sport as a source of hope for a better future marked the end of a memorable show that set the stage for next Soccer World Cup.

Rio catches FIFA World Cup fever

Her back to the Copacabana shoreline, camera in hand, 44-year-old Italian teacher Angelica Poeta prepares to take a holiday snap of her daughter Mariana in Rio de Janeiro. But for once, Brazil’s most famous beach is forced to take a backseat, with the family from Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais state instead focusing on a piece of installation artwork located in front of Avenida Atlantica, which bears the official logo of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.

“It’s really cool to see a World Cup atmosphere beginning to build in Brazil,” said Angelica, who is making the most of the school holidays to spend a week in Rio. “It seems like there’s still a long way to go, but actually it’s almost upon us already. Wherever we look, we see some World Cup symbol or other. Us Brazilians are used to spending a month totally wrapped up in the World Cup, but this time around we’re going to have the chance to really savour the event, that’s going to feel much more personal, for the next three years.”

With the competition’s official logo already catching the eye of football fans in one of Rio’s most iconic picture postcard spots, another of the city’s popular tourist destinations is preparing to host the first major event on the road to the FIFA World Cup. Indeed, Saturday’s hosting of the Preliminary Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, which will soon define the route national teams must take to stay in the running for the most coveted trophy on Planet Football, has changed the face of the Marina da Gloria.

It feels like the World Cup has arrived in Brazil almost overnight, with people starting to get involved and the tension mounting.

Rio taxi driver Sergio Mendonca

For the past two months, a megastructure has been set up at the marina to host a huge show featuring musicians, performers and footballing big names from Brazil and across the globe. The sheer scale of the event has caught many people by surprise, with few expecting such a level of furore prior to the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013.

“I didn’t think there’d be something so big so soon,” said local taxi driver Sergio Mendonca. “As soon as I saw this enormous pavilion here, I knew it was an event related to the 2014 World Cup. The structure they’ve set up is really impressive. It feels like the World Cup has arrived in Brazil almost overnight, with people starting to get involved and the tension mounting.”

In a city where, even on a normal day, stumbling upon impromptu matches on the street, the beach or any number of pitches is almost a given, the reach of the beautiful game is even more all-pervasive at the moment. For the people of Rio, there can be no doubt that the build-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup has begun in earnest, while those arriving in the city for the Preliminary Draw will take at least one image home with them: nowhere lives and breathes football like Brazil.

Modern qualifiers add to dramatic history

The preliminary draw for the FIFA World Cup™ has produced some truly unforgettable fixtures over the years. The hand of fate has no favourites and cares little for hierarchies, meaning that teams are often faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles on the road to the finals. It is this unpredictability that has helped create so many classic matches.

In the second of a two-part series, FIFA.com looks back at some of the most memorable matches from past qualifying campaigns, including times when fancied teams realised that their journey to the finals might not be as straightforward as they had hoped.

One step from changing historyFew could forget the great Dutch side of Germany 1974, but did you know that they very nearly failed to qualify for the tournament at all? The Netherlands finished level with Belgium at the top of their qualifying group, with only goal difference putting them through to the finals. In the same campaign, England’s hopes of qualifying were shattered by a Poland side that featured the talents of Grzegorz Lato and Wadyslaw Zmuda. Elsewhere, Mexico lost 4-0 to Trinidad and Tobago in one of the biggest upsets in FIFA World Cup qualifying history. In the end, though, it was Haiti who qualified for the 1974 finals, beating the Soca Warriors 2-1 in Port-au-Prince along the way.

The preliminary draw for Argentina 1978 produced another heavyweight clash, this time with Italy and England sharing the same qualifying group. The campaign was once again to end in tears for the Three Lions, whose failure to qualify was made all the more painful by the fact that only goal difference denied them a place at the finals. There was no such disappointment for Spain, however, as they finally overcame their bogey team, Yugoslavia, to secure a trip to Argentina.

With the number of teams increased to 24 for the Spain 1982 finals, the preliminaries were more competitive than ever before. Two-time runners-up the Netherlands were handed a group that included near rivals Belgium and a talented French side, and the sands of time caught up with the Dutch, as they failed to qualify for the main event. In the North, Central America and Caribbean Zone, Mexico were once again left to reflect on what might have been. The competition was held in Honduras, where a Mexican side featuring Hugo Sanchez finished behind the hosts and El Salvador to miss out on a finals berth.

The Mexico 1986 qualifying competition featured a match between Scotland and Wales that remains one of the most memorable encounters in FIFA World Cup qualifying history. The match ended in a draw, which was enough to secure Scotland a play-off against Australia, but ended in tragedy with the death of legendary manager Jock Stein.

The road to Italy 1990 proved to be a rocky one for France. The Mexico 1986 semi-finalists never recovered from a poor start and finished the qualifying campaign behind Yugoslavia and Scotland. Four years later, in another unforgettable encounter, France conceded a last-minute goal to lose 2-1 at home to Bulgaria when a draw would have been enough to see them through to USA 1994.

Revenge and joy It was also during the USA 1994 preliminaries that Japan suffered one of the biggest blows in their football history, conceding a last-minute goal against Iran to send Korea Republic to the finals. The Samurai Blue exacted revenge four years later, however, with a now-legendary 2-0 win against their arch rivals in Seoul. In South America, Bolivia achieved an historic qualification for USA 1994 by beating Brazil 2-0, with both goals coming in the last two minutes.

The biggest story in qualifying for Korea/Japan 2002 was the Netherlands’ failure to reach the finals, losing out as they did to Luis Figo’s Portugal and Roy Keane’s Republic of Ireland. Elsewhere, England inflicted a 5-1 defeat on Germany in Munich that ultimately forced their old rivals into the play-offs. In Africa, Senegal sprung a major surprise by qualifying from a group that featured some of the continent’s most feared opponents.

Germany 2006’s preliminary competition produced an enthralling four-way tussle between France, Switzerland, Israel and Republic of Ireland. The group was decided almost right at the very end, with France eventually clinching top spot and with it a place at the finals. However, the real drama was to be found in the African section. With the exception of Tunisia, all of the teams that qualified for Korea/Japan 2002 failed to reach the showpiece event in Germany.

Interestingly, the qualifying campaign for South Africa 2010 created the fewest surprises, although it is worth noting England’s concern at being drawn alongside Croatia – the side that denied them a place at UEFA EURO 2008. As it turned out, their fears were groundless and Fabio Capello’s men qualified with relative ease.

Posted by Juan Carlos Cordero at 1:57 PM  comments

Labels: 2014 Brazil Soccer World Cup, FIFA realiza sorteo de las Eliminatorias para el Mundial de Brasil

HOT CELEBRITIES: Kat Von D tattoes her torso with ex-boyfriend

Kat Von D attends the 16th Annual Los Angeles Art Show Opening Night

Kat Von D Had Ex-Fiance Jesse James' Face Inked On Her Torso; Walks Off 'Good Day LA' After Show's 'Disrespectful' Intro

 

....Cue Alanis Morisette's 1996 hit, "Ironic"...

Kat Von D and Jesse James announced they had broken up on Monday, following a six-month engagement. Just two days later, a clip from the upcoming season of Kat's TLC reality show, "LA Ink," revealed the tattoo maven had gotten Jesse's mug inked onto her torso as a surprise for her now ex-fiance.

"I'm really nervous about giving you your surprise," Kat is seen telling Jesse in the clip released on Wednesday, as she pulls her shirt aside to reveal the large tattoo rendering of a photo of Jesse's face from childhood.

"You're crazy," Jesse responds, wide-eyed.

"Do you love it?" Kat asks.

"Yeah, I love you," he answers.

"I thought you were going to tell me you were breaking up with me," she says, laughing. "Just kidding!"

(All together now... ouch!)

Kat's rough week seemingly went from bad to worse on Wednesday when she walked off the set prior to her interview on "Good Day LA."

The reality star left the set of the LA-area morning show prior to her interview after one of the show's hosts mentioned Jesse and Kat's breakup during her introduction (after playing the aforementioned tattoo surprise clip).

"Dear GoodDayLA, thanks for the waste of a perfectly good morning. Lack of compassion n respect for each other never fails to dissapoint [sic] me," Kat Tweeted on Wednesday morning after the incident.

News of Kat's walk off quickly circulated online, with TMZ's headline claiming, "Kat Von D STORMS OUT of 'Good Day LA'" - an accusation Kat also used Twitter to combat.


"My apologies if I've offended anyone this morning," she Tweeted. "For the record: I did not storm off - I politely left w notice when GDLA broke their word.

"I didn't walk out because you used the clip we sent you- I walked out because of your disrespectful intro you guys 'snuck in,'" Kat also Tweeted to Jillian Barberie, one of "Good Day LA's" co-hosts.

Jillian immediately responded to Kat, Tweeting, "Why was it disrespectful? We said you guys broke up.

"We showed the clip your publicist sent. It showed you and Jesse," the co-host added. "Were we not supposed to mention you broke up?"

Kat responded with one final comment to Jillian.

"ps. Publicly disrespecting people for the sake of better ratings isn't something a person of compassion does," she Tweeted. "Good day.."



 

U.S DEBT TALKS DEADLINE: Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to end debate

Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to end debate on Sen. Harry Reid's proposal and move to a vote.

Washington .- Democrats and Republicans are "very close" to reaching a $3 trillion deal that would avoid a possible government default in coming days, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday.

"We had a very good day yesterday," the Kentucky Republican said, adding that the two sides "made dramatic progress" in negotiations on a deal that would cut government spending and raise the federal debt ceiling.

Another Republican senator, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, later told reporters he expected a Monday vote on a compromise.

"It feels like they're going to finish the deal today and then we'll have the vote tomorrow," Isakson said, adding he supports the plan under discussion.

Sen. Schumer: Still no deal

Reid, McConnell spar over debt progress

Debt ceiling crisis continues


Pelosi: GOP bill 'perfectly absurd' House Speaker John Boehner, meanwhile, advised his Republican caucus that serious issues remain under discussion, but to be ready for a possible conference call on Sunday to discuss a proposed deal.

Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration agreed that progress has been made, but noted negotiations continue on difficult issues.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, opened the Senate session Sunday by saying there was no agreement yet on raising the federal debt ceiling, but "we are cautiously optimistic."

"If there's a word right here that would sum up the mood, it would be relief -- relief that we won't default," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said on the CNN program. "That's not a certainty, but default is far less of a possibility now than it was even a day ago."

With the deadline to reach a debt ceiling agreement just two days away, congressional leaders and the White House are trying to complete the possible deal that would extend the debt limit through 2012 -- a presidential election year.

If Congress fails to raise the current $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by Tuesday, Americans could face rising interest rates and a declining dollar, among other problems.

Some financial experts have warned of a downgrade of America's triple-A credit rating and a potential stock market plunge. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped for a sixth straight day on Friday.

Without an increase in the debt limit, the federal government will not be able to pay all its bills next month. President Barack Obama recently indicated he can't guarantee Social Security checks will be mailed out on time.

In Afghanistan on Sunday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen was unable to assure U.S. troops they would get their paychecks following the August 2 deadline without a deal. Mullen said August 15 would be the first payday jeopardized if the United States defaults.

Last week, a Department of Defense official told on condition of not being identified that "it's not a question of whether, but when" military pay gets withheld if no agreement is reached.

Vice President Joe Biden arrived at the White House on Sunday morning, though no additional formal talks involving the administration and congressional leaders have been announced. A Democratic source told on condition of not being identified that Biden was engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations with both congressional legislators and the administration.

Initial news of a possible deal came shortly after the Senate delayed consideration of a debt ceiling proposal by Reid late Saturday night, pushing back a key procedural vote by 12 hours. When that vote occurred on Sunday afternoon, Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to end debate on the Reid proposal and move to a vote, extending consideration of the plan while negotiations continue.
The vote was 50-49, short of the super-majority of 60 required to pass.

Reid plans to insert a negotiated final agreement into the proposal once a deal has been reached. When it became clear that Democrats would lose Sunday's vote, Reid voted against his own plan in a procedural move to preserve the ability to bring it up again.

According to McConnell and other congressional and administration officials interviewed Sunday, as well as various sources who spoke on condition of not being identified, the deal under discussion would be a two-step process intended to bring as much as $3 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years.

Some sources provided differing targets for the total, ranging from $2.4 trillion up to $3 trillion.

A first step would include about $1 trillion in spending cuts while raising the debt ceiling about the same amount. The proposal also would set up a special committee of Democratic and Republican legislators from both chambers of Congress to recommend additional deficit reduction steps -- including tax reform as well as reforms to popular entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

The committee's recommendations would be put to a vote by Congress, without any amendments, by the end of the year. If Congress fails to pass the package, a so-called "trigger" mechanism would enact automatic spending cuts. Either way -- with the package passed by Congress or the trigger of automatic cuts -- a second increase in the debt ceiling would occur, but with an accompanying congressional vote of disapproval.

In addition, the agreement would require both chambers of Congress to vote on a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Such an amendment would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers to pass, followed by ratification by 38 states -- a process likely to take years.

Schumer told that a main sticking point still under discussion was the trigger mechanism of automatic spending cuts in case Congress fails to enact the special committee's recommendations.

According to sources, cuts in the trigger mechanism would be across-the-board, including Medicare and defense spending, to present an unpalatable alternative for both parties in the event Congress fails to pass the special committee's proposal.

"You want to make it hard for them just to walk away and wash their hands," Gene Sperling, the director of Obama's National Economic Council, told. "You want them to say, if nothing happens, there will be a very tough degree of pain that will take place."

Preliminary reaction showed sensitivity to that pain. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, said the automatic spending cuts under a trigger mechanism should not affect Medicare benefits for senior citizens.

GOP leader 'confident' debt deal on horizon

Worried about debt ceiling

Sen. Hutchison speaks about debt crisis

Tea Party view of debt ceiling fight

National Debt

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Harry Reid

John Boehner

"The way we understand it's going to be worded is it does not affect beneficiaries. It would affect providers and insurance companies," Levin said. "That should be the case, because if it hits beneficiaries, you're going to lose lots of Democratic votes."

Meanwhile, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, an aide to former Republican President George W. Bush, warned that automatic spending cuts for the military under the trigger would put national security at risk.

"By exposing critical defense programs to disproportionate cuts as part of the 'trigger mechanism,' there is a clear risk that key defense programs will be hollowed out," Bolton said in a statement.

Overall, the agreement under discussion would increase the debt limit in two stages, both of which would occur automatically -- a key Democratic demand that would prevent a repeat of the current crisis before the next election.

McConnell, who appears to have become the lead Republican negotiator, said he is "very, very close to being able ... to recommend to my members that this is something that they ought to support."

The deal will not include tax increases, McConnell added, expressing a key demand of Republicans. Obama has pushed for a comprehensive approach that would include additional tax revenue as well as spending cuts and entitlement reforms to reduce budget deficits.

Reid, D-Nevada, said Saturday night that the delay in considering his proposal was additional time for negotiations at the White House.

His announcement capped a day of sharp partisan voting in the House and extended talks behind closed doors between congressional and administration officials. Concern continued to grow that Congress will fail to raise the nation's debt ceiling in time to avoid a potentially devastating national default this week.

Earlier Saturday, the Republican-controlled House rejected Reid's plan -- partisan payback for the Democratic-controlled Senate's rejection of Boehner's plan Friday night.

House members rejected Reid's plan in a 246-173 vote. Most Democrats supported the measure; every Republican voted against it.

For their part, Republicans continued to trumpet Boehner's proposal. The measure won House approval Friday, but only by a narrow margin after a one-day delay during which the speaker was forced to round up support from wary tea party conservatives.

Boehner's deal with conservatives -- which added a provision requiring congressional approval of a balanced budget amendment in order to raise the debt limit next year -- was sharply criticized by Democrats, who called it a political nonstarter.

Democratic leaders vehemently object not only to the balanced budget amendment, but also the GOP's insistence that a second debt ceiling vote be held before the next election. They argue that reaching bipartisan agreement on another debt ceiling hike during an election year could be nearly impossible, and that short-term extensions of the limit could further destabilize the economy.

Leaders of both parties now agree that any deal to raise the debt ceiling should include long-term spending reductions to help control spiraling deficits. But they have differed on both the timetable and requirements tied to certain cuts.

Boehner's plan proposed generating a total of $917 billion in savings while initially raising the debt ceiling by $900 billion. The speaker has pledged to match any debt ceiling hike with dollar-for-dollar spending cuts.

His plan would require a second vote by Congress to raise the debt ceiling by a combined $2.5 trillion -- enough to last through the end of 2012. It would create a special congressional committee to recommend additional savings of $1.6 trillion or more.

Any failure on the part of Congress to enact mandated spending reductions or abide by new spending caps would trigger automatic across-the-board budget cuts.


The plan also calls for congressional passage of a balanced budget amendment before the second vote to raise the debt ceiling.



Reid's plan, meanwhile, would reduce deficits over the next decade by $2.4 trillion and raise the debt ceiling by a similar amount. It includes $1 trillion in savings based on the planned U.S. withdrawals from military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Reid's plan also would establish a congressional committee made up of 12 House and Senate members to consider additional options for debt reduction. The committee's proposals would be guaranteed by a Senate vote with no amendments by the end of the year.

In addition, it incorporates a process based on a proposal by McConnell that would give Obama the authority to raise the debt ceiling in two steps while providing Congress the opportunity to vote its disapproval.

Among other things, Reid has stressed that his plan meets the key GOP demand for no additional taxes. Boehner, however, argued last week that Reid's plan fails to tackle popular entitlement programs such as Medicare, which are among the biggest drivers of the debt.

A recent CNN/ORC International Poll reveals a growing public exasperation and demand for compromise. Sixty-four percent of respondents to a July 18-20 survey preferred a deal with a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. Only 34% preferred a debt reduction plan based solely on spending reductions.

According to the poll, the public is sharply divided along partisan lines; Democrats and independents are open to a number of different approaches because they think a failure to raise the debt ceiling would cause a major crisis for the country. Republicans, however, draw the line at tax increases, and a narrow majority of them oppose raising the debt ceiling under any circumstances.

Deuda de EEUU: Senado rechaza plan de Reid y nueva votación se aplazaría para el lunes

EEUU: Senado rechaza plan de Reid y nueva votación se aplazaría para el lunes

Reid no pudo sumar los 60 votos necesarios para hacer avanzar su propuesta, pero se estima que el plan será objeto de nuevas negociaciones con los republicanos que deriven en una posible votación mañana.

El Senado de Estados Unidos rechazó hoy el proyecto de reducción del déficit presentado por el jefe de la bancada demócrata en la cámara alta, Harry Reid, y se abrió así un nuevo compás de espera con negociaciones alrededor de ese mismo plan, y que pueden concluir con un acuerdo para elevar el techo del endeudamiento y evitar un default.

Reid no pudo sumar los 60 votos necesarios para hacer avanzar su propuesta, pero se estima que el plan será objeto de nuevas negociaciones con los republicanos que deriven en una posible votación mañana a las 7 (12GMT).

En una votación de 50 contra 49, el plan del líder de la mayoría del Senado, el demócrata Harry Reid, quedó a pocos votos de los 60 necesarios para avanzar en el organismo de 100 miembros.

En el campo de los republicanos, el presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, John Boehner, envió un correo electrónico sobre la deuda a sus colegas el domingo, indicando que las "conversaciones avanzan en la dirección adecuada, pero quedan asuntos mayores" pendientes.

Por su parte, La Casa Blanca permanece abierta a elevar el límite de deuda de Estados Unidos por unos días adicionales si los legisladores alcanzan un acuerdo y requieren de más tiempo para conseguir su aprobación en el Congreso, afirmó el domingo un funcionario.

Los republicanos y los aliados demócratas del presidente Barack Obama están negociando un pacto para elevar el techo de deuda de 14,3 billones de dólares antes del martes y evitar un moratoria de pagos, pero el tiempo se está agotando.

Incluso con un acuerdo a la mano, tomaría días superar los procedimientos legislativos y llevar el proyecto de ley hasta el despacho de Obama para que lo promulgue.

Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to end debate on Sen. Harry Reid's proposal and move to a vote.

Washington .- Democrats and Republicans are "very close" to reaching a $3 trillion deal that would avoid a possible government default in coming days, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday.


"We had a very good day yesterday," the Kentucky Republican said, adding that the two sides "made dramatic progress" in negotiations on a deal that would cut government spending and raise the federal debt ceiling.

Another Republican senator, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, later told reporters he expected a Monday vote on a compromise.

"It feels like they're going to finish the deal today and then we'll have the vote tomorrow," Isakson said, adding he supports the plan under discussion.

Sen. Schumer: Still no deal

Reid, McConnell spar over debt progress

Debt ceiling crisis continues

Pelosi: GOP bill 'perfectly absurd' House Speaker John Boehner, meanwhile, advised his Republican caucus that serious issues remain under discussion, but to be ready for a possible conference call on Sunday to discuss a proposed deal.

Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration agreed that progress has been made, but noted negotiations continue on difficult issues.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, opened the Senate session Sunday by saying there was no agreement yet on raising the federal debt ceiling, but "we are cautiously optimistic."

"If there's a word right here that would sum up the mood, it would be relief -- relief that we won't default," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said on the CNN program. "That's not a certainty, but default is far less of a possibility now than it was even a day ago."

With the deadline to reach a debt ceiling agreement just two days away, congressional leaders and the White House are trying to complete the possible deal that would extend the debt limit through 2012 -- a presidential election year.

If Congress fails to raise the current $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by Tuesday, Americans could face rising interest rates and a declining dollar, among other problems.

Some financial experts have warned of a downgrade of America's triple-A credit rating and a potential stock market plunge. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped for a sixth straight day on Friday.

Without an increase in the debt limit, the federal government will not be able to pay all its bills next month. President Barack Obama recently indicated he can't guarantee Social Security checks will be mailed out on time.

In Afghanistan on Sunday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen was unable to assure U.S. troops they would get their paychecks following the August 2 deadline without a deal. Mullen said August 15 would be the first payday jeopardized if the United States defaults.

Last week, a Department of Defense official told on condition of not being identified that "it's not a question of whether, but when" military pay gets withheld if no agreement is reached.

Vice President Joe Biden arrived at the White House on Sunday morning, though no additional formal talks involving the administration and congressional leaders have been announced. A Democratic source told on condition of not being identified that Biden was engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations with both congressional legislators and the administration.

Initial news of a possible deal came shortly after the Senate delayed consideration of a debt ceiling proposal by Reid late Saturday night, pushing back a key procedural vote by 12 hours. When that vote occurred on Sunday afternoon, Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to end debate on the Reid proposal and move to a vote, extending consideration of the plan while negotiations continue.

The vote was 50-49, short of the super-majority of 60 required to pass.

Reid plans to insert a negotiated final agreement into the proposal once a deal has been reached. When it became clear that Democrats would lose Sunday's vote, Reid voted against his own plan in a procedural move to preserve the ability to bring it up again.

According to McConnell and other congressional and administration officials interviewed Sunday, as well as various sources who spoke on condition of not being identified, the deal under discussion would be a two-step process intended to bring as much as $3 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years.

Some sources provided differing targets for the total, ranging from $2.4 trillion up to $3 trillion.

A first step would include about $1 trillion in spending cuts while raising the debt ceiling about the same amount. The proposal also would set up a special committee of Democratic and Republican legislators from both chambers of Congress to recommend additional deficit reduction steps -- including tax reform as well as reforms to popular entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

The committee's recommendations would be put to a vote by Congress, without any amendments, by the end of the year. If Congress fails to pass the package, a so-called "trigger" mechanism would enact automatic spending cuts. Either way -- with the package passed by Congress or the trigger of automatic cuts -- a second increase in the debt ceiling would occur, but with an accompanying congressional vote of disapproval.

In addition, the agreement would require both chambers of Congress to vote on a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Such an amendment would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers to pass, followed by ratification by 38 states -- a process likely to take years.

Schumer told that a main sticking point still under discussion was the trigger mechanism of automatic spending cuts in case Congress fails to enact the special committee's recommendations.

According to sources, cuts in the trigger mechanism would be across-the-board, including Medicare and defense spending, to present an unpalatable alternative for both parties in the event Congress fails to pass the special committee's proposal.

"You want to make it hard for them just to walk away and wash their hands," Gene Sperling, the director of Obama's National Economic Council, told. "You want them to say, if nothing happens, there will be a very tough degree of pain that will take place."

Preliminary reaction showed sensitivity to that pain. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, said the automatic spending cuts under a trigger mechanism should not affect Medicare benefits for senior citizens.

GOP leader 'confident' debt deal on horizon

Worried about debt ceiling

Sen. Hutchison speaks about debt crisis

Tea Party view of debt ceiling fight

National Debt

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Harry Reid

John Boehner

"The way we understand it's going to be worded is it does not affect beneficiaries. It would affect providers and insurance companies," Levin said. "That should be the case, because if it hits beneficiaries, you're going to lose lots of Democratic votes."

Meanwhile, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, an aide to former Republican President George W. Bush, warned that automatic spending cuts for the military under the trigger would put national security at risk.

"By exposing critical defense programs to disproportionate cuts as part of the 'trigger mechanism,' there is a clear risk that key defense programs will be hollowed out," Bolton said in a statement.

Overall, the agreement under discussion would increase the debt limit in two stages, both of which would occur automatically -- a key Democratic demand that would prevent a repeat of the current crisis before the next election.

McConnell, who appears to have become the lead Republican negotiator, said he is "very, very close to being able ... to recommend to my members that this is something that they ought to support."

The deal will not include tax increases, McConnell added, expressing a key demand of Republicans. Obama has pushed for a comprehensive approach that would include additional tax revenue as well as spending cuts and entitlement reforms to reduce budget deficits.

Reid, D-Nevada, said Saturday night that the delay in considering his proposal was additional time for negotiations at the White House.

His announcement capped a day of sharp partisan voting in the House and extended talks behind closed doors between congressional and administration officials. Concern continued to grow that Congress will fail to raise the nation's debt ceiling in time to avoid a potentially devastating national default this week.

Earlier Saturday, the Republican-controlled House rejected Reid's plan -- partisan payback for the Democratic-controlled Senate's rejection of Boehner's plan Friday night.

House members rejected Reid's plan in a 246-173 vote. Most Democrats supported the measure; every Republican voted against it.

For their part, Republicans continued to trumpet Boehner's proposal. The measure won House approval Friday, but only by a narrow margin after a one-day delay during which the speaker was forced to round up support from wary tea party conservatives.

Boehner's deal with conservatives -- which added a provision requiring congressional approval of a balanced budget amendment in order to raise the debt limit next year -- was sharply criticized by Democrats, who called it a political nonstarter.

Democratic leaders vehemently object not only to the balanced budget amendment, but also the GOP's insistence that a second debt ceiling vote be held before the next election. They argue that reaching bipartisan agreement on another debt ceiling hike during an election year could be nearly impossible, and that short-term extensions of the limit could further destabilize the economy.

Leaders of both parties now agree that any deal to raise the debt ceiling should include long-term spending reductions to help control spiraling deficits. But they have differed on both the timetable and requirements tied to certain cuts.

Boehner's plan proposed generating a total of $917 billion in savings while initially raising the debt ceiling by $900 billion. The speaker has pledged to match any debt ceiling hike with dollar-for-dollar spending cuts.

His plan would require a second vote by Congress to raise the debt ceiling by a combined $2.5 trillion -- enough to last through the end of 2012. It would create a special congressional committee to recommend additional savings of $1.6 trillion or more.

Any failure on the part of Congress to enact mandated spending reductions or abide by new spending caps would trigger automatic across-the-board budget cuts.

The plan also calls for congressional passage of a balanced budget amendment before the second vote to raise the debt ceiling.

Reid's plan, meanwhile, would reduce deficits over the next decade by $2.4 trillion and raise the debt ceiling by a similar amount. It includes $1 trillion in savings based on the planned U.S. withdrawals from military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Reid's plan also would establish a congressional committee made up of 12 House and Senate members to consider additional options for debt reduction. The committee's proposals would be guaranteed by a Senate vote with no amendments by the end of the year.

In addition, it incorporates a process based on a proposal by McConnell that would give Obama the authority to raise the debt ceiling in two steps while providing Congress the opportunity to vote its disapproval.

Among other things, Reid has stressed that his plan meets the key GOP demand for no additional taxes. Boehner, however, argued last week that Reid's plan fails to tackle popular entitlement programs such as Medicare, which are among the biggest drivers of the debt.

A recent CNN/ORC International Poll reveals a growing public exasperation and demand for compromise. Sixty-four percent of respondents to a July 18-20 survey preferred a deal with a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. Only 34% preferred a debt reduction plan based solely on spending reductions.

According to the poll, the public is sharply divided along partisan lines; Democrats and independents are open to a number of different approaches because they think a failure to raise the debt ceiling would cause a major crisis for the country. Republicans, however, draw the line at tax increases, and a narrow majority of them oppose raising the debt ceiling under any circumstances.

 

Ottawa deports alleged Peruvian war criminal Manuel De La Torre Herrera

Ottawa deports alleged Peruvian war criminal

OTTAWA, CANADA.- Ottawa has deported Manuel De La Torre Herrera, one of 30 alleged war criminals, and says a second suspect is no longer in Canada.

The Canada Border Services Agency said on Sunday that Manuel De La Torre Herrera, 57, has been removed from the country following his arrest in Toronto on July 25. He is suspected of involvement in war crimes or crimes against humanity as part of a brutal regime in Peru.

Meanwhile, the CBSA said another alleged war criminal, Illandaridevage Kulatunga of Sri Lanka, is "no longer in Canada," though it did not offer further details. Calls to the CBSA were not immediately returned.

Earlier this month, the CBSA posted a list of 30 alleged war criminals who are thought to be in Canada. Five arrests have since been made based on tips from the public.

"We are sending a strong message to those who are in our country illegally: we will not back down in our efforts to find and remove them from Canada," said Public Safety Minister Vic Toews **when/to who?. "We continue to take the necessary measures to protect the safety and security of our families and communities."

JOE ARROYO: La sombría historia detrás de su muerte

La historia involucra acusaciones de explotación del artista. Su biógrafo desenreda la madeja.


Fueron palabras de alto calibre: "Lo mataron, a mi papá lo mataron".



La frase la pronunció Eykol Arroyo -la tercera hija de Álvaro José Arroyo-, en el mismo instante en el que se enteró de la muerte de su padre, el pasado 26 de julio frente a la Clínica La Asunción, de Barranquilla.



No mencionó nombres, pero su frase aludía al sombrío final que tuvo su padre, en el cual los principales protagonistas son su última esposa, Jacqueline Ramón; su último representante, Luis Ojeda; los excesos y descuidos que tuvo el propio artista y que pudieron haber sido evitados, los sentimientos de culpa de los amigos que hoy aseguran no haber tenido el valor para salvar al genio de una tragedia anunciada y los conflictos legales que ahora aparecen tras un jugoso legado musical.



Sin embargo, para entender cuándo y cómo comenzó la ruina del Joe Arroyo, el más prolífico cantante e intérprete de la música nacional de los últimos 50 años, habría que ahondar en dos realidades definitivas de su vida: su salud y su estabilidad emocional, ambas seriamente afectadas por los quebrantos.



Una historia cantada



Para nadie fue un secreto que el Joe fue adicto al bazuco por más de 35 años. De hecho, según confesó años atrás su compañero de tarima Wilson Manyoma, "fue en 1977, en un viaje a Perú, cuando entró en su vida esa candela prohibida".



Y tal como lo testifican varios de sus allegados, el 'Maestro' jamás pudo hacer un corte definitivo con el vicio. Incluso, EL TIEMPO pudo establecer que Arroyo estuvo esclavizado por ese 'humo callejero' hasta sus últimos días. "Yo lo llevé a San Salvador, que es una 'olla' aquí en Barranquilla, una semana antes de que cayera en la clínica a finales de mayo. Y hasta dejó un radiecito que llevaba", declaró un taxista de la ciudad.



De la misma manera, el 'Centurión de la Noche' (como se le conoció) sufrió a lo largo de su vida varias enfermedades que incluyeron hipertiroidismo, diabetes, severas afecciones pulmonares, frecuentes fatigas musculares y complicaciones cardiacas y renales, que fueron las que lo llevaron a la tumba.



Por otra parte, Arroyo recibió duros golpes emocionales que lo arrastraron a un hoyo sin salida: el 31 de octubre de 2001, tras un ataque al corazón, su hija Tania falleció a la edad de 26 años. Luego, el 21 de junio de 2002, murió su madre, Ángela González, y en la mitad de ambas tragedias, el Joe rompió con su más larga y profunda historia de amor: Mary Luz Alonso, quien hoy afirma: "Me equivoqué, cometí errores, dejé a mi negro y ahora lo lamento. Pero sé que él siempre me amó, porque lo dijo muchas veces en los últimos meses y en público, porque nos volvimos a encontrar y, por eso, Jacqueline nos lo prohibió a todos, hasta a sus hijas".



Según Jimmy Peña, amigo personal del Joe y coordinador de las giras de su orquesta en EE. UU., "desde aquella ruptura (con Mary), el hombre perdió el brillo de sus ojos, se volvió un hombre triste, su carrera decayó, en medio de su soledad se juntó con Jacqueline Ramón y, luego, nadie pudo salvarlo".



El legendario Fruko, uno de los mejores amigos del difunto Joe, también declaró: "Desde que se casó con ella nunca pude hablar con mi hermano. Sin explicación alguna, nos separó".



Después de tres años de noviazgo, el Joe Arroyo se casó con Jacqueline Ramón el domingo 30 de enero de 2005. "Entonces, todo se complicó. Todo fue misterio, ostracismo y oscuridad. Miles de veces intenté acercarme para abrirle los ojos, pero no pude. Hoy ya es muy tarde", admitió 'El Checo' Acosta, otro de sus amigos íntimos, quien, junto a otras leyendas de la música costeña, como Juan Piña, Tom y Javier (cantantes del grupo Bananas), fueron vetados por Ramón el pasado 6 de julio, cuando quisieron saludarlo en la Clínica La Asunción.



Tampoco es un secreto que el último lustro en la vida del Joe sólo fue penumbra. Sus presentaciones se convirtieron en la lamentable exposición de un hombre enfermo que, muy a pesar de sus dolencias, siempre quiso entregarse.



Pero en las tablas, su garganta y su memoria fallaron y todo terminó en un espectáculo deprimente y angustioso en el que el público, tal vez por el afán de registrarlo eternamente, siempre lo perdonó.



Ángel Thorrens, empresario y amigo del Joe por más de 25 años explicó: "La prioridad de quienes tenían el control de su vida fue la tarima por encima de la salud. Arrastraron a un hombre gravemente enfermo por los escenarios de Colombia con el fin de cumplir contratos por los que ya habían recibido anticipos".



Cuesta abajo



Luego de que, durante los últimos años, el Joe visitó varias veces las clínicas del país -una realidad que siempre se quiso maquillar-, su grave estado de salud comenzó a hacerse evidente el pasado 25 de mayo cuando aterrizó de emergencia en la Clínica del Caribe con un paro cardiorrespiratorio, que ameritó una reanimación de urgencia. Allí estuvo a segundos de morir.



Aquella vez, el representante Ojeda declaró a los medios de comunicación que se trataba de algo sin importancia: "Un bajón de azúcar, que ya fue superado". Sin embargo, en medio de la negación, el diagnóstico clínico se reveló al día siguiente: un edema pulmonar por el que tuvo que ser remitido a la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) de La Asunción, donde llegó intubado, respirando con ayuda de ventilación mecánica.



El Joe, un hombre que a lo largo de su vida estuvo en diferentes ocasiones al borde de la muerte, fue estabilizado una vez más y dado de alta el domingo 29 de mayo, un día antes del lanzamiento de la telenovela basada en su vida.



Al día siguiente, todo estaba listo para la premier televisiva en su apartamento en Barranquilla, así que, junto a familiares y miembros de la prensa, el músico vio el primer capítulo. La sorpresa para los periodistas fue ver que en su casa le servían vino, horas después de salir de cuidados intensivos, con el claro fin de que se viera de buen semblante.



Así comenzaron 27 días de penosas presentaciones por varias ciudades del país, incluidas Medellín -adonde fue a promocionar la novela que lleva su nombre en el programa de RCN The Suso's Show- y Bogotá, donde ofreció un angustioso concierto en el Downtown Majestic, al que acudieron los protagonistas de la serie de dicho canal. El Checo Acosta recuerda: "Casi me muero de la impresión. Lo vi muy mal. Lo cargaron dos personas para entrarlo y cuatro para sacarlo".



En la UCI, y más contratos



El 27 de junio, afecciones pulmonares y renales lo llevaron de vuelta a la UCI de La Asunción. Pero seguían las mentiras: "Él está en su apartamento, no sé cuál es el afán de decir que está mal", dijo entonces Jacqueline Ramón a EL TIEMPO.



Mientras tanto, su representante, Ojeda, continuaba firmando contratos. José Arteta, empresario barranquillero, denunció: "Me dijo que estaba bien y que iba a salir pronto de la clínica. Me pidió un adelanto para un concierto que tendría lugar el 30 de julio en Barranquilla y, al día de hoy, no han devuelto la plata. Quién sabe cuántos contratos más hicieron".



Consultado por EL TIEMPO, Ojeda negó ese contrato y dijo que "eso fue de bacanidad" y que "se hizo de manera verbal". Sin embargo, el contrato existe, tiene la firma de Ojeda y Arteta y el adelanto aún no se ha devuelto. Ojeda, de paso, advirtió a EL TIEMPO de "meterse en graves problemas si se publica esta información".



El 2 de julio, las hijas de Mary Luz y el Joe, Eykol (23 años) y Nayalive (22), quisieron visitar a su papá, pero la señora Ramón dio la orden de que nadie ingresara. Tres días después, Ramón habló en La W y dijo: "El Joe está estable. Lo digo yo, que soy la esposa". También dijo que era mentira que se les hubiera negado la entrada a las jóvenes: "ellas no han querido ir (a la clínica)". Y concluyó: "están por interés".



Pero todo se agravó y Álvaro José Arroyo nunca más se volvió a levantar de su lecho. A las 7:45 de la mañana del 26 de julio, el Joe murió en una cama de la clínica La Asunción. Eykol, su hija, manifestó: "Ya no lo pueden utilizar más. Por fortuna, mi papá ya descansó".



En los últimos días del Joe, y luego de su deceso, EL TIEMPO intentó comunicarse con Jacqueline Ramón pero ella nunca respondió.



Chelito de Castro, amigo de vieja data del desaparecido ídolo caribe, le contó a EL TIEMPO la siguiente historia: "Meses atrás, me entró una llamada del Joe, lo cual fue una sorpresa, si se tiene en cuenta que en los últimos 6 años nunca me lo pasaron. Me dijo, pasito, que estaba visitando a escondidas a su gran amor, Mary, y me la soltó:



-Me quiero morir, mi hermano, me quiero morir.



-No me digas eso, a mí no me dejan visitarte. ¿Por qué no te vienes a mi casa inmediatamente?, dije.



-Tú sabes que no puedo. Sólo me quiero morir".



Así quedan los derechos de sus canciones



EL TIEMPO estableció que los derechos de las canciones de Joe Arroyo fueron cedidos a la sociedad Joeson Music, que Jacqueline Ramón (como suplente) constituyó con el propio Álvaro Arroyo González (como principal) y su hermana, Marianela Ramón. "El suplente asumirá las funciones del principal en caso de incapacidad física mental de carácter definitivo o muerte del principal", dice el documento de constitución.

Joe Arroyo, al lado de su última esposa, Jacqueline Ramón, hoy en el ojo del huracán tras las fuertes acusaciones de familiares 

Álvaro José Arroyo, más conocido como Joe Arroyo, nació en Cartagena el 1 de noviembre de 1955. Es considerado uno de los más grandes intérpretes de la música caribeña de Colombia.

En 1971 tiene su gran oportunidad cuando firma para Discos Fuentes, y es reclutado por Julio Ernesto Estrada, el bajista, cantante, compositor y productor de Fruko y su Tesos. Con esta orquesta alcanzó gran fama. Luego grabó con el grupo The Latin Brothers y en 1981 fundó su propia orquesta: La Verdad.

'Rebelión', 'El Caminante', 'Confundido', 'Tania' (dedicada a su hija) y 'El Ausente' son algunas de sus canciones más conocidas.

Mary Luz Alonso, ex esposa de Joe, explica: "A esta firma, tengo entendido, han pasado todo el capital del Joe, incluidos los aportes de Sayco que dejaron de llegarles a mis hijas años atrás, y que eran los que había asignado el Juez Segundo de Familia como parte de la cuota de los alimentos de las niñas".

La directora jurídica de Sayco, Vivian Alvarado Baena, explicó que hubo un par de contratos de cesión de los derechos a la empresa Joeson Music. "No todas las canciones están sujetas a esta cesión: algunas pertenecen en un 50% a Joeson y el otro 50% a Discos Fuentes. Pero en otras, todos los derechos son de Joeson Music".

Luis Ojeda, representante de Arroyo, dijo: "Nunca tuve nada que ver con el dinero del maestro. No tengo nada que responder".

Con reportería de Andrés Artuz, corresponsal de EL TIEMPO en Barranquilla.


MAURICIO SILVA GUZMÁN

CRONISTA DE EL TIEMPO

El Joe es África, es América, es todo el Caribe, es costa Atlántica colombiana, es Cartagena, es Barranquilla, es Santa Marta, es Palenque y es un poco de pueblos intermedios.

Es mar y río, que es definitivo. Es negro, indio y blanco. Y también es -y esto va para los creyentes- la clara demostración de que, en efecto, sí hay algo más por allá.

Designación divina. ¿De dónde viene la inspiración? ¿De allá arriba? ¿De aquí abajo con ayuda de arriba? ¿De la pura raíz? El Joe lo respondió en el 2004 para la revista Rolling Stone:

"La forma mía de inspirarme es muy bonita. Sucede cuando me estoy durmiendo pero todavía, en realidad, estoy consciente; allí me llegan unas ideas divinas, sublimes, que muchas veces se pierden. Desde hace mucho tiempo yo tengo una grabadora al lado de la cama y cuando llega, ¡zaz!, le meto la idea. Y al día siguiente, 'mierdaaaaa, qué es esto'. Por ejemplo, Catalina del mar me la soñé enterita. Igual que la soñé, así la escribí. Ahora, la verdad, cuando yo me propongo componer, no compongo ni papa".

¿Genio? Ya no hay duda. No solo porque puso su voz en 47 álbumes, o porque es autor de 98 canciones editadas, o porque es el creador de más de 40 éxitos que lograron el primer lugar en diferentes listas del país, o porque es el artista con más recopilaciones musicales en la historia del disco colombiano.

No solo por eso, sino porque lo de Arroyo es único, auténtico y particular. ¿Alguien que se le parezca? Muy difícil. Nadie cantó como él, nadie bailó como él, nadie compuso como él. Antes que otra cosa, digámoslo bien claro: el Joe es genial por esa irresistible sabrosura que emana de sus poros, que contagia, que seduce, que arroba y que, sin escalas, obliga a desatar los pies.

"Es su sabor -dice Fruko-. La genialidad del Joe está en el sabor y eso, lamento informarlo, muy pocos lo tienen en tan descarada cantidad". Jairo Varela, creador y líder del grupo Niche, con quien tantas veces compartió tarima, lo define así: "Es un genio musical. El simple hecho de nunca haber ido a un conservatorio y de haber plasmado de esa manera sus canciones, lo hacen genio. Es único y no va a nacer otro igual. Él tiene su propia manera de concebir la canción, de cantarla, de exteriorizarla. Él hace dos notas y uno sabe que es él y nadie más. Además, todo lo que representa la costa Atlántica está en él, aun cuando es imposible ubicarlo como salsero o músico del Caribe o representante del sonido de la costa Caribe colombiana. En realidad es todo eso y más. Es un ícono de la música latinoamericana".

Su grito de batalla

Pruebas de la singularidad las hay muchas y, como todos los genios, el Joe también se inventó a sí mismo. Así que desde muy temprano encontró en un extraño sonido de su garganta -al que él mismo llamó el caballito- su más reconocible sello personal: "Pues eso me salió en la playa. De niño siempre cantaba contra del viento, porque esa es la manera de crear resistencia en la voz. Allá lo saqué y, sí, es una contracción de mi garganta. En realidad es un sello mío que muchas personas han tratado de imitar. Quiero contar que yo hice la de Caruso con mi grito: en un estudio de grabación partí una copa de cristal con mi voz".

Y el Joe también creó un mundo sonoro a semejanza de sus ilusiones. Tan especial fue su 'tumbao', tan particular, que hasta los críticos tuvieron que inventarse el término 'joesón' para denominar su golpe, para ubicarlo en el contexto Caribe, para comprender el universo de un poeta espontáneo que nunca aprendió a leer el pentagrama y quien, solo con su voz, les transmitió a sus músicos: "Métele aquí práquete, práquete, práquete", sin más.

El 21 de julio de 1991, EL TIEMPO publicó la explicación que el Joe dio sobre ese invento musical llamado 'joesón': "Es básicamente una ensalada cuyo ingrediente principal es el chandé. A este patrón básico, a la vez, le incluyo ritmos diferentes. Pero aunque el 'joesón' siempre tiene el mismo patrón, el ritmo no tiene que ser necesariamente igual. Un ejemplo: Te quiero más se diferencia por el golpe. En este caso, tiene más golpe que la soca. Como el ritmo es una mezcla, a las composiciones les voy agregando notas a mi gusto para ir tapando huecos. De esta forma se construye un ritmo afrodisíaco bastante negroide. Para entender un 'joesón' es necesario bailarlo, allí es donde se notan las diferencias...".

En marzo del 2004, para la revista Rolling Stone, aportó algo más sobre el tema: "Para mirar bien atrás, el 'joesón' empezó con la canción Manyoma, que es de Fruko, pero que tiene mis arreglos.

Allí nació ese golpe, pero en realidad se hizo fuerte cuando yo llevaba cuatro años con mi banda. Es un sonido que tiene soca, salsa, sonidos africanos, cumbia, brisa del mar y un 50 por ciento que nace de mí, pero que no tengo ni puta idea qué es".

Al lado de los grandes

La crítica de música latina y caribeña del periódico The New York Times, Daisann McLane, escribió para la edición del domingo 6 de mayo de 1990 un artículo sobre las nuevas generaciones de la música de este lado del continente. Cuando habló del crédito colombiano dijo: "Desde que Joe Arroyo formó su propio grupo, ha ampliado su música y ha incluido elementos de todas las partes del Caribe, de Colombia y de África. En su primer álbum exitoso en Estados Unidos, publicado en 1988 y que tituló 'Fuego en mi mente', y en su siguiente lanzamiento, titulado 'En acción', Arroyo saltó de la salsa al merengue y de ahí a la soca, al zouk y a la cumbia -la música afro indígena española de su tierra-. Ningún otro artista del Caribe cubre tanto territorio. La lírica de sus canciones refleja la historia del Caribe. 'Rebelión' ('No le pegue a la negra') puede situarse al lado de cualquiera de las letras escritas por Bob Marley y Mighty Sparrow sobre la esclavitud y sus consecuencias.

La sobresaliente voz de Joe Arroyo es la que mantiene cautiva a la audiencia internacional. Arroyo, poderoso tenor lleno de espíritu, podría cantar tranquilamente en cualquier iglesia de negros de Estados Unidos, al lado de Al Green. Cuando canta a capella, como lo hace en la canción 'A mi Dios todo le debo', Arroyo levanta literalmente a sus oyentes. En su concierto en el Palladium, en Manhattan, los seguidores de Arroyo respondieron lanzándose al aire unos a otros. Privilegiado en su voz, rumbero desde niño en calles y salones de baile, mantiene la esencia de la música afrolatina añadiéndole la sabrosura de los tiempos que le ha tocado vivir. Apasionado de Ismael Rivera y Benny Moré, admirador de Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz, su música es definida como tremenda, caliente y tropical".

Deja 47 álbumes

Su producción suma cerca de 47 álbumes. Como compositor, se destacan 'Tania', 'Flores silvestres' y 'Palenque' (con Fruko). Con La Verdad: 'Me le fugué a la candela', 'Mary', 'Tumbatecho', 'Musa original', 'Rebelión', 'La noche', 'Fuego en mi mente', 'Te quiero más', 'Tal para cual', 'En Barranquilla me quedo', 'A mi Dios todo le debo', 'Noche de arreboles', 'Pa'l bailador' y 'El centurión de la noche'.

Álvaro José Arroyo González (also known as Joe Arroyo or El Joe; Cartagena de Indias, 1 November 1955 – Barranquilla, 26 July 2011) was a Colombian salsa and tropical music singer, composer and songwriter. Considered one of the greatest performers of Caribbean music in his country.

Background information

Birth name: Alvaro Jose Arroyo

Also known as El Joe, & Joey

Born 1 November 1955(1955-11-01)

Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar, Colombia

Died 26 July 2011(2011-07-26) (aged 55)

Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia

Genres Joeson, Salsa, tropical, Cumbia

Occupations Singer-songwriter, record producer, musician,

Instruments Vocals

Years active 1969–2011

Labels Tito Puentes, Panasonic


This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Arroyo and the second or maternal family name is González.

Álvaro José Arroyo González (also known as Joe Arroyo or El Joe; Cartagena de Indias, 1 November 1955 – Barranquilla, 26 July 2011) was a Colombian salsa and tropical music singer, composer and songwriter. Considered one of the greatest performers of Caribbean music in his country.