1986 FIFA World Cup the logo an unofficial motto was adopted: "El Mundo Unido por Un Balón" ("The World United by a Ball"). The official mascot of the 1986 World Cup was "Pique", a jalapeño pepper, characteristic of Mexican cuisine, with a moustache, a Colimote sombrero, and Mexican football team colours. Its name comes from "picante", Spanish for spicy, and was also a pun on the "PK" abbreviation of the football term penalty kick. The character caused a degree of controversy within Mexico for its ethnic stereotypes. Three teams qualified for the World Cup for the first time: Canada, Denmark and Iraq. Canada clinched
Niigata (city) earthquake, measuring 6.9 on Richter scale, rocked Niigata Prefecture. Though the earthquake was felt in the city, there was little damage, which allowed Niigata City to provide aid to the devastated areas. In May 2008, the city hosted the 2008 G8 Labor Ministers Meeting. On March 12, 2011, several hours after the massive 9.0 Tohoku earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Niigata and Nagano Prefectures experienced an estimated magnitude 6.6 earthquake. Niigata City features a humid subtropical climate, despite receiving more yearly snowfall than cities such as Moscow, Montreal or Oslo. The climate in Niigata City is characterized