:00:00. > :00:08.This is BBC World News Today with me Zeinab Badawi.
:00:09. > :00:16.The 2014 World Cup in Brazil kicks off in just two hours.
:00:17. > :00:19.But protests, although small, have not abated.
:00:20. > :00:22.Ugly scenes in Sao Paolo mar the beautiful game
:00:23. > :00:34.But the football fans gather regardless.
:00:35. > :00:42.Just outside the stadium here, it is noisy, it is boisterous and the
:00:43. > :00:48.Brazilian fans cannot wait for this World Cup to get underway.
:00:49. > :00:50.Iraq's ministry of defence releases footage of government
:00:51. > :00:52.air-strikes against jihadists who are now 25km outside Baghdad.
:00:53. > :00:54.President Obama says he's considering what needs to
:00:55. > :00:59.Our national security team is looking at all the options,
:01:00. > :01:03.but there should also be a wake up call for the Iraqi Government.
:01:04. > :01:10.There has to be a political component to this.
:01:11. > :01:15.We hear about a festival in London component where music is being
:01:16. > :01:30.prescribed and as therapy for anxiety sufferers.
:01:31. > :01:47.The countdown to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is almost over.
:01:48. > :01:53.Let's go straight to the BBC's Jon Sopel who's in Sao Paulo.
:01:54. > :01:58.Welcome to bright sunshine, huge crowds on the street, and it seems
:01:59. > :02:03.that everyone and everything has been painted yellow and green in the
:02:04. > :02:07.colours of the Brazilian flag and the colours that the team will be
:02:08. > :02:11.wearing on the pitch to face Croatia in two hours time. The journey has
:02:12. > :02:16.been long and tortuous to this point, and it has been marred by
:02:17. > :02:20.protests and complaints over in efficiency in the building and money
:02:21. > :02:25.being wasted. Those protests have carried on the day, but in two
:02:26. > :02:31.hours, the focus will switch to the football. We can hear from Archie
:02:32. > :02:36.football correspondent. -- our chief football correspondent.
:02:37. > :02:38.With the wait over and the world watching, this was
:02:39. > :02:43.Just hours before the start of the World Cup year, further
:02:44. > :02:50.clashes in Sao Paulo between authorities and a small group
:02:51. > :02:58.Riot police using stun grenades and firing rubber bullets.
:02:59. > :03:01.They treated a teacher like an animal, this man says,
:03:02. > :03:08.they ignored his civil rights, they dragged him like an animal.
:03:09. > :03:11.Here at the stadium preparing to host tonight's glittering
:03:12. > :03:13.Opening Ceremony and the curtain raiser between
:03:14. > :03:16.the hosts and Croatia, the heavy security presence amid concerns that
:03:17. > :03:21.the protest may approach here as kick-off approaches.
:03:22. > :03:24.What was billed as the dream World Cup has become
:03:25. > :03:30.But now, the action is finally about to start here in Sao Paulo, the
:03:31. > :03:33.authorities would be desperately hoping that this football mad
:03:34. > :03:44.In a country where football is religion, these were the scenes
:03:45. > :03:48.outside the stadium today, a full six hours before kick-off.
:03:49. > :03:52.We have to think about all the good things that the World Cup
:03:53. > :03:57.So, we are very excited about having the World Cup in Brazil.
:03:58. > :04:06.We are really happy to be here and to make part of this party.
:04:07. > :04:10.Last minute work on tonight's venue, just one of the stadia that FIFA
:04:11. > :04:20.These temporary stands have never been tested at full capacity.
:04:21. > :04:28.We had hard times in the planning process, but we are sure that we
:04:29. > :04:34.infrastructure needed to guarantee World Cup preparation and all of the
:04:35. > :04:35.the world with a very festive atmosphere,
:04:36. > :04:41.Meanwhile, the Brazilian team hope to carry the hopes of a nation.
:04:42. > :04:45.To say expectation was high was would be an understatement.
:04:46. > :04:48.For them, it would only be winning it.
:04:49. > :05:00.And then after, they have to win it well, because you'll always be
:05:01. > :05:09.but a World Cup marred in problems and unrivalled in passion is here.
:05:10. > :05:22.Ready or not, Brazil's moment in the sun has arrived.
:05:23. > :05:31.It could be Tokyo, it is actually Sao Paulo. The biggest community of
:05:32. > :05:36.Japanese come together to enjoy football and to share. In Sao Paulo,
:05:37. > :05:42.little-known fact coming up, it has the biggest community of Japanese
:05:43. > :05:48.people outside of Japan. It is like a little Japan in certain areas of
:05:49. > :05:50.the city, as I found out. It could be Tokyo. It is
:05:51. > :05:53.the city, as I found out. Sao Paulo. The biggest community of
:05:54. > :06:02.Japanese outside of Japan, around Sao Paulo. The biggest community of
:06:03. > :06:08.biggest city. There has Sao Paulo. The biggest community of
:06:09. > :06:12.attracted other communities from the Koreans and the Chinese, and even
:06:13. > :06:18.the stop and go signs have a familiar ring to them. And the local
:06:19. > :06:22.community is laying out the red carpet for football fans like these,
:06:23. > :06:27.that have journeyed from Japan to support their team in the World Cup.
:06:28. > :06:32.This group is being put up for free in the local community centre. We
:06:33. > :06:35.can be united with all of the Japanese here, because I came to
:06:36. > :06:42.Brazil this morning and I feel very lonely, but to be here, I can feel
:06:43. > :06:49.safe and be excited with every Japanese. So, I am really happy to
:06:50. > :06:59.stay here. Who will win the World Cup? Japan! I am sure! You are 100%
:07:00. > :07:04.sure? Yes! This noodle bar is helping to preserve some of the
:07:05. > :07:08.traditions and culture in danger of being lost as third and fourth
:07:09. > :07:15.generation immigrants become less and less interested in their Eastern
:07:16. > :07:18.routes. My concern for the next generation is that the culture, the
:07:19. > :07:26.tradition, the food, the way of life, this kind of single things
:07:27. > :07:31.that is losing, because now, we are more Brazilian than Japanese. In the
:07:32. > :07:40.World Cup, it is Brazil against Japan, who will you support? Oh!
:07:41. > :07:48.Brazil! But these people that have just arrived from northern Japan,
:07:49. > :07:52.they most decidedly will not be! That is the Japanese community, but
:07:53. > :07:57.all of the nations are coming together at these fan those that
:07:58. > :08:08.have been set up in key places. Let's go to be a aero. -- let us go
:08:09. > :08:12.to Rio de Janeiro. What is the atmosphere like? With the amount of
:08:13. > :08:18.people arriving here, it is a success. It is very crowded, lots of
:08:19. > :08:22.people queueing behind me. It was orderly, but suddenly, an extra date
:08:23. > :08:28.has been opened and people were charging through and now there are
:08:29. > :08:33.masses of people trying to go in. It is a very festive atmosphere with
:08:34. > :08:41.music booming inside. Concerts entertaining these fans before the
:08:42. > :08:44.match kicks off. It is very loud here. Instruments may have been
:08:45. > :08:50.prohibited inside the stadium, but people here have brought a horns and
:08:51. > :08:57.whistles. It is very festive. Very festive. A couple of days ago, in
:08:58. > :09:02.Rio, it didn't feel like the refuge numbers of football fans, has that
:09:03. > :09:11.changed? Is there more of a foot maul atmosphere? -- football
:09:12. > :09:16.atmosphere? , people bringing the Brazilian flags, bringing the
:09:17. > :09:21.colours of Purcell, the people that are here, they seem to be very
:09:22. > :09:28.excited for the World Cup. It varies from one part of the city to the
:09:29. > :09:31.next. Earlier today I was at a demonstration in the city centre.
:09:32. > :09:36.2000 people gathered to demonstrate against the World Cup and complain
:09:37. > :09:40.about the cost of hosting. People are still divided. Maybe after this
:09:41. > :09:54.match, maybe the excitement will take over after all. Julia, thank
:09:55. > :09:58.you very much. Here, it is the noise of whistles, firecrackers,
:09:59. > :10:04.helicopters overhead. Where ever I looked, but of traffic getting
:10:05. > :10:07.everyone into the ground, because it is five minutes to the Opening
:10:08. > :10:16.Ceremony. Get in touch with us on Twitter. You can comment on the
:10:17. > :10:20.World Cup. From here, in Sao Paulo, in the bright sunshine, with all of
:10:21. > :10:29.the excitement, back to the studio in London.
:10:30. > :10:32.Thank you. The first match in the World Cup will start in just under a
:10:33. > :10:38.couple of hours time. Let's bring you the latest now
:10:39. > :10:40.on the crisis in Iraq, where insurgents from the hardline
:10:41. > :10:43.jihadist group ISIS are pressing They're just 25 kilometres outside
:10:44. > :10:47.the capital Baghdad, but now government forces are using
:10:48. > :10:50.air raids to strike at them. The jihadists had captured Fallujah
:10:51. > :10:53.earlier this year, but this week they seized Iraq's second biggest
:10:54. > :10:58.city Mosul in the north and Tikrit - Meanwhile Kurdish fighters have
:10:59. > :11:02.taken advantage of the power vacuum to seize
:11:03. > :11:08.the important oil city of Kirkuk. President Obama has
:11:09. > :11:11.in the past couple of hours said his national security team are exploring
:11:12. > :11:14.all options, but he's urged the Shia-led government to address the
:11:15. > :11:33.political aspects of the crisis. In the Kurdish countryside, a safe
:11:34. > :11:40.haven for the latest displaced population. They left the city with
:11:41. > :11:46.little, so all of the familiar machinery of an aid operation cranks
:11:47. > :11:50.into gear. Many fled because they are afraid of the counterattack that
:11:51. > :11:55.the Iraqi government has threatened to recapture the city. But many are
:11:56. > :12:03.here also because they fear that the jihadis will arrive. The family of
:12:04. > :12:08.murdered policeman. Three rolled Amira's father was shot and killed a
:12:09. > :12:13.year ago. They were terrified even before the jihadis swept into the
:12:14. > :12:18.city. The guns were growing louder. They left their bread baking in the
:12:19. > :12:25.oven and ran away. This woman describes a harrowing escape.
:12:26. > :12:30.TRANSLATION: The Army discarded their uniforms because of the
:12:31. > :12:40.everyone. Soldiers and civilians. everyone. Soldiers and civilians.
:12:41. > :12:42.has abated somewhat, everyone. Soldiers and civilians.
:12:43. > :12:47.still a steady everyone. Soldiers and civilians.
:12:48. > :12:47.encountered. Behind them, everyone. Soldiers and civilians.
:12:48. > :12:53.the beginnings of what they are everyone. Soldiers and civilians.
:12:54. > :13:01.calling the Islamic emirate. The jihadis want nothing but to redraw
:13:02. > :13:05.the map of the Middle East. The faithful are rallied in the city. We
:13:06. > :13:10.have vanquished the Americans and their allies, it occurs. God
:13:11. > :13:21.willing, we will establish a state ruled under the Koran. Your soldiers
:13:22. > :13:25.of Islam. The camera phone of one of the guard shows the Iraqi army's
:13:26. > :13:31.captured soldiers. They are humiliated in defeat. The government
:13:32. > :13:35.fightback has begun. This is cockpit video from Iraqi aircraft bombing
:13:36. > :13:40.the city of Mozilla as the prime Minister promised they would. In the
:13:41. > :13:46.capital, government loyalists rushed to join up. Baghdad is majority
:13:47. > :13:53.Shi'ite macro, it is possible it could fall. -- majority Shi'ite.
:13:54. > :13:59.Iraq ceases to be a single country. President Obama has been commenting
:14:00. > :14:02.on the worsening security situation in Iraq. He said he isn't ruling
:14:03. > :14:05.anything out when it comes to making sure the insurgents are not able to
:14:06. > :14:20.get a permanent foothold. our consultations with the Iraqis,
:14:21. > :14:27.there would be some short-term, immediate things that need to be
:14:28. > :14:31.done militarily. The national security team is looking at all of
:14:32. > :14:38.the options, but this should also be a wake-up call for the Iraqi
:14:39. > :14:42.government. There has to be a political components to this,
:14:43. > :14:46.government. There has to be a that Sunni and Shia people that care
:14:47. > :14:50.about a functioning state, they can bring back security and prosperity
:14:51. > :14:55.to all people inside of Iraq and they can come together and worked
:14:56. > :15:00.diligently against these extremists and that is going to require
:15:01. > :15:11.concessions on the part of both the Shia and Sunni that we have not seen
:15:12. > :15:19.so far. Let us cross to Washington. Nothing is being rolled out, but
:15:20. > :15:25.American troops on the ground in Iraq are being rolled out? Yes, they
:15:26. > :15:31.are. A spokesman from the White House said they are not talking
:15:32. > :15:44.about sending in combat troops. It is not absolutely everything on the
:15:45. > :15:50.table. It's what is to be expected. America will not announce any plans.
:15:51. > :15:56.The Iraqis say they cannot do it on their own. I spoke to the Iraqi
:15:57. > :16:08.ambassador in Washington and he said they needed help. He said the help
:16:09. > :16:15.was needed yesterday. President Obama says there is a political
:16:16. > :16:21.component to this crisis that needs to be addressed. Yes. This was
:16:22. > :16:26.diplomatic language for saying that they feel the government has been
:16:27. > :16:32.too favourable towards the Shia majority and has not been
:16:33. > :16:46.welcoming, has not allowed for representation and inclusion for the
:16:47. > :16:57.Sony my jollity -- for the minorities in the country. As we
:16:58. > :17:01.know, the use of air power alone does not win wars, so they have to
:17:02. > :17:06.be some kind of political process. It is also possible that America are
:17:07. > :17:11.saying we are willing to assist you, but on these conditions. It is not
:17:12. > :17:17.going to be a blank cheque. We know the Iraqis have been asking for some
:17:18. > :17:21.time. There was a report in the New York Times that the government had
:17:22. > :17:27.asked specifically for air strikes previously and that that request had
:17:28. > :17:31.been turned down by the White House. I did put that to the Iraqi
:17:32. > :17:37.ambassador, but he did not want to comment. There needs to be a
:17:38. > :17:43.comprehensive solution though, even if air strikes are a component of
:17:44. > :17:49.it. Thank you. Russia has dismissed claims that three tanks crossed into
:17:50. > :17:58.Ukraine from the Russian border. It is said the tanks entered Ukraine
:17:59. > :18:11.via a checkpoint on the border. Arsen Avakov said that the tanks
:18:12. > :18:24.engaged with Ukrainian army personnel. Let us bring you some
:18:25. > :18:32.news in brief. It is claimed that the fourth woman
:18:33. > :18:37.found hanged in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was not raped.
:18:38. > :18:40.A court in Pakistan has approved a request by the former president
:18:41. > :18:42.General Pervez Musharraf to leave the country, subject to a possible
:18:43. > :18:45.Mr Musharraf is currently on trial for treason.
:18:46. > :18:47.He denies the charges and has described the accusations
:18:48. > :18:55.The British comedian and actor Rik Mayall, who died suddenly
:18:56. > :18:58.earlier this week, suffered "an acute cardiac event" after a
:18:59. > :19:02.A post mortem examination had proved inconclusive, the West London
:19:03. > :19:06.Rik Mayall, star of comedy shows like The Young Ones died on Monday.
:19:07. > :19:14.Spain's King Juan Carlos will not attend the swearing in of his son
:19:15. > :19:16.as monarch to avoid drawing attention away from him,
:19:17. > :19:20.King Juan Carlos announced his abdication two weeks ago after
:19:21. > :19:31.His son Felipe will take over from him next Thursday.
:19:32. > :19:33.Jean Claude Juncker's campaign to become the next president
:19:34. > :19:36.of the European Commission has taken a hit, following the decision
:19:37. > :19:38.by his campaign manager to accept a job with
:19:39. > :19:42.Huge divisions are developing among the countries that make up the
:19:43. > :19:45.EU over who should be offered one of the EU's most important jobs.
:19:46. > :19:48.The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has publicly backed Mr Juncker, the
:19:49. > :20:06.Here's our Europe Correspondent Matthew Price with more.
:20:07. > :20:14.This is the EU's civil servants. It's the European commission. This
:20:15. > :20:19.place runs the union under the direction of the EU's 28 member
:20:20. > :20:23.states and the European Parliament and on the 13th floor is where the
:20:24. > :20:27.commission president chose his meetings. The current Portuguese
:20:28. > :20:34.politician in charge of these office soon, so enter a former prime
:20:35. > :20:45.minister of Luxembourg as the main contender. Why? Jean Claude Juncker
:20:46. > :20:49.was the main candidate and at the Parliament they are saying he is the
:20:50. > :20:53.automatic choice. Not necessarily so, said the member states who want
:20:54. > :21:01.to nominate their favourite candidate. For now, Mr Juncker is
:21:02. > :21:07.the choice of the German chancellor Angela Merkel, but David Cameron
:21:08. > :21:13.does not want him holding the rains. It usually takes weeks to find a
:21:14. > :21:19.candidate they can all agree on, but this time round it is arguably more
:21:20. > :21:22.important. The next European commission president will have two
:21:23. > :21:28.deal with growing anti-EU sentiment right across the union, especially
:21:29. > :21:44.in Britain, which may in the coming years old a referendum on whether to
:21:45. > :21:48.leave altogether. Now, anxiety is the most common form
:21:49. > :21:53.of mental illness with millions suffering from it worthwhile. It is
:21:54. > :22:02.now at the heart of a London Festival of music, film and visual
:22:03. > :22:10.arts. Anxiety Fanfare is being showcased and it is the work of
:22:11. > :22:14.composer Jocelyn Pook. In a moment I will be speaking to him, but first,
:22:15. > :22:38.here is an excerpt from the rehearsal this morning. Anxiety.
:22:39. > :22:59.Hustle and bustle. Not to -- flutter and flurry, the worry, the pain.
:23:00. > :23:07.Anxiety. That was very nice music, a taste of what to expect. I have made
:23:08. > :23:13.the composer Jocelyn Pook what inspired you to write such music?
:23:14. > :23:20.Well, the deadline of the peace. I was under a lot of pressure with the
:23:21. > :23:27.deadline. I mean, actually, this was about everyday anxiety. There was
:23:28. > :23:34.plenty of inspiration around me. The people I work with and I was
:23:35. > :23:44.exploring it in terms of what everyone experiences. Insomnia when
:23:45. > :23:45.stressed, for example. At one point or the musicians were complaining
:23:46. > :23:57.they had not or the musicians were complaining
:23:58. > :24:01.and bustle of city life. I started the peace with the
:24:02. > :24:22.and bustle of city life. I started and traffic and
:24:23. > :24:25.and bustle of city life. I started from anxiety? I think there is
:24:26. > :24:33.plenty of knowledge about music therapy, which is used in
:24:34. > :24:33.plenty of knowledge about music years. Music is very therapeutic in
:24:34. > :24:44.plenty of knowledge about music singing is then repeat it. Again, in
:24:45. > :24:50.physiological ways as well as allsorts of
:24:51. > :24:52.physiological ways as well as there is the enjoyment of singing
:24:53. > :24:56.together with other people. I felt that very strongly with the choir.
:24:57. > :24:57.together with other people. I felt It is a kind of release, but when we
:24:58. > :25:05.together with other people. I felt about the kind of anxiety that
:25:06. > :25:09.everyone gets if they are anxious about a dental appointment, for
:25:10. > :25:15.example. You are talking about something
:25:16. > :25:25.example. You are talking about Absolutely. About mental illness --
:25:26. > :25:37.it is about mental illness, compulsive worrying. I feel as if I
:25:38. > :25:45.am borderline in terms of the things I write about. What do people who
:25:46. > :25:51.suffer from anxiety say to you about the effectiveness of music as
:25:52. > :26:02.therapy? I have had lovely feedback from the choir. They were very high
:26:03. > :26:07.on the whole experience. It is fantastic for them to be performing
:26:08. > :26:17.at the Wigmore Hall. It is an amazing opportunity. You have had
:26:18. > :26:24.good feedback? Yes. They were expecting it to be gloomy and dark.
:26:25. > :26:25.It did not sound cacophonous at all. I shall have a listen. Thank you for
:26:26. > :26:34.coming in to talk to us The football World Cup will soon be
:26:35. > :26:38.kicking off in Sao Paulo, but Brazilian police have used tear
:26:39. > :26:41.gas to disperse a small crowd The protesters have been trying to
:26:42. > :26:45.march as close as they could to the Arena Corinthians, where
:26:46. > :27:07.the opening ceremony and the first We have seen a lot of sunshine in
:27:08. > :27:09.the South today, but that