12/06/2014 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me Zeinab Badawi.

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil kicks off in just two hours.

But protests, although small, have not abated.

Ugly scenes in Sao Paolo mar the beautiful game

But the football fans gather regardless.

Just outside the stadium here, it is noisy, it is boisterous and the

Brazilian fans cannot wait for this World Cup to get underway.

Iraq's ministry of defence releases footage of government

air-strikes against jihadists who are now 25km outside Baghdad.

President Obama says he's considering what needs to

Our national security team is looking at all the options,

but there should also be a wake up call for the Iraqi Government.

There has to be a political component to this.

We hear about a festival in London component where music is being

prescribed and as therapy for anxiety sufferers.

The countdown to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is almost over.

Let's go straight to the BBC's Jon Sopel who's in Sao Paulo.

Welcome to bright sunshine, huge crowds on the street, and it seems

that everyone and everything has been painted yellow and green in the

colours of the Brazilian flag and the colours that the team will be

wearing on the pitch to face Croatia in two hours time. The journey has

been long and tortuous to this point, and it has been marred by

protests and complaints over in efficiency in the building and money

being wasted. Those protests have carried on the day, but in two

hours, the focus will switch to the football. We can hear from Archie

football correspondent. -- our chief football correspondent.

With the wait over and the world watching, this was

Just hours before the start of the World Cup year, further

clashes in Sao Paulo between authorities and a small group

Riot police using stun grenades and firing rubber bullets.

They treated a teacher like an animal, this man says,

they ignored his civil rights, they dragged him like an animal.

Here at the stadium preparing to host tonight's glittering

Opening Ceremony and the curtain raiser between

the hosts and Croatia, the heavy security presence amid concerns that

the protest may approach here as kick-off approaches.

What was billed as the dream World Cup has become

But now, the action is finally about to start here in Sao Paulo, the

authorities would be desperately hoping that this football mad

In a country where football is religion, these were the scenes

outside the stadium today, a full six hours before kick-off.

We have to think about all the good things that the World Cup

So, we are very excited about having the World Cup in Brazil.

We are really happy to be here and to make part of this party.

Last minute work on tonight's venue, just one of the stadia that FIFA

These temporary stands have never been tested at full capacity.

We had hard times in the planning process, but we are sure that we

infrastructure needed to guarantee World Cup preparation and all of the

the world with a very festive atmosphere,

Meanwhile, the Brazilian team hope to carry the hopes of a nation.

To say expectation was high was would be an understatement.

For them, it would only be winning it.

And then after, they have to win it well, because you'll always be

but a World Cup marred in problems and unrivalled in passion is here.

Ready or not, Brazil's moment in the sun has arrived.

It could be Tokyo, it is actually Sao Paulo. The biggest community of

Japanese come together to enjoy football and to share. In Sao Paulo,

little-known fact coming up, it has the biggest community of Japanese

people outside of Japan. It is like a little Japan in certain areas of

the city, as I found out. It could be Tokyo. It is

the city, as I found out. Sao Paulo. The biggest community of

Japanese outside of Japan, around Sao Paulo. The biggest community of

biggest city. There has Sao Paulo. The biggest community of

attracted other communities from the Koreans and the Chinese, and even

the stop and go signs have a familiar ring to them. And the local

community is laying out the red carpet for football fans like these,

that have journeyed from Japan to support their team in the World Cup.

This group is being put up for free in the local community centre. We

can be united with all of the Japanese here, because I came to

Brazil this morning and I feel very lonely, but to be here, I can feel

safe and be excited with every Japanese. So, I am really happy to

stay here. Who will win the World Cup? Japan! I am sure! You are 100%

sure? Yes! This noodle bar is helping to preserve some of the

traditions and culture in danger of being lost as third and fourth

generation immigrants become less and less interested in their Eastern

routes. My concern for the next generation is that the culture, the

tradition, the food, the way of life, this kind of single things

that is losing, because now, we are more Brazilian than Japanese. In the

World Cup, it is Brazil against Japan, who will you support? Oh!

Brazil! But these people that have just arrived from northern Japan,

they most decidedly will not be! That is the Japanese community, but

all of the nations are coming together at these fan those that

have been set up in key places. Let's go to be a aero. -- let us go

to Rio de Janeiro. What is the atmosphere like? With the amount of

people arriving here, it is a success. It is very crowded, lots of

people queueing behind me. It was orderly, but suddenly, an extra date

has been opened and people were charging through and now there are

masses of people trying to go in. It is a very festive atmosphere with

music booming inside. Concerts entertaining these fans before the

match kicks off. It is very loud here. Instruments may have been

prohibited inside the stadium, but people here have brought a horns and

whistles. It is very festive. Very festive. A couple of days ago, in

Rio, it didn't feel like the refuge numbers of football fans, has that

changed? Is there more of a foot maul atmosphere? -- football

atmosphere? , people bringing the Brazilian flags, bringing the

colours of Purcell, the people that are here, they seem to be very

excited for the World Cup. It varies from one part of the city to the

next. Earlier today I was at a demonstration in the city centre.

2000 people gathered to demonstrate against the World Cup and complain

about the cost of hosting. People are still divided. Maybe after this

match, maybe the excitement will take over after all. Julia, thank

you very much. Here, it is the noise of whistles, firecrackers,

helicopters overhead. Where ever I looked, but of traffic getting

everyone into the ground, because it is five minutes to the Opening

Ceremony. Get in touch with us on Twitter. You can comment on the

World Cup. From here, in Sao Paulo, in the bright sunshine, with all of

the excitement, back to the studio in London.

Thank you. The first match in the World Cup will start in just under a

couple of hours time. Let's bring you the latest now

on the crisis in Iraq, where insurgents from the hardline

jihadist group ISIS are pressing They're just 25 kilometres outside

the capital Baghdad, but now government forces are using

air raids to strike at them. The jihadists had captured Fallujah

earlier this year, but this week they seized Iraq's second biggest

city Mosul in the north and Tikrit - Meanwhile Kurdish fighters have

taken advantage of the power vacuum to seize

the important oil city of Kirkuk. President Obama has

in the past couple of hours said his national security team are exploring

all options, but he's urged the Shia-led government to address the

political aspects of the crisis. In the Kurdish countryside, a safe

haven for the latest displaced population. They left the city with

little, so all of the familiar machinery of an aid operation cranks

into gear. Many fled because they are afraid of the counterattack that

the Iraqi government has threatened to recapture the city. But many are

here also because they fear that the jihadis will arrive. The family of

murdered policeman. Three rolled Amira's father was shot and killed a

year ago. They were terrified even before the jihadis swept into the

city. The guns were growing louder. They left their bread baking in the

oven and ran away. This woman describes a harrowing escape.

TRANSLATION: The Army discarded their uniforms because of the

everyone. Soldiers and civilians. everyone. Soldiers and civilians.

has abated somewhat, everyone. Soldiers and civilians.

still a steady everyone. Soldiers and civilians.

encountered. Behind them, everyone. Soldiers and civilians.

the beginnings of what they are everyone. Soldiers and civilians.

calling the Islamic emirate. The jihadis want nothing but to redraw

the map of the Middle East. The faithful are rallied in the city. We

have vanquished the Americans and their allies, it occurs. God

willing, we will establish a state ruled under the Koran. Your soldiers

of Islam. The camera phone of one of the guard shows the Iraqi army's

captured soldiers. They are humiliated in defeat. The government

fightback has begun. This is cockpit video from Iraqi aircraft bombing

the city of Mozilla as the prime Minister promised they would. In the

capital, government loyalists rushed to join up. Baghdad is majority

Shi'ite macro, it is possible it could fall. -- majority Shi'ite.

Iraq ceases to be a single country. President Obama has been commenting

on the worsening security situation in Iraq. He said he isn't ruling

anything out when it comes to making sure the insurgents are not able to

get a permanent foothold. our consultations with the Iraqis,

there would be some short-term, immediate things that need to be

done militarily. The national security team is looking at all of

the options, but this should also be a wake-up call for the Iraqi

government. There has to be a political components to this,

government. There has to be a that Sunni and Shia people that care

about a functioning state, they can bring back security and prosperity

to all people inside of Iraq and they can come together and worked

diligently against these extremists and that is going to require

concessions on the part of both the Shia and Sunni that we have not seen

so far. Let us cross to Washington. Nothing is being rolled out, but

American troops on the ground in Iraq are being rolled out? Yes, they

are. A spokesman from the White House said they are not talking

about sending in combat troops. It is not absolutely everything on the

table. It's what is to be expected. America will not announce any plans.

The Iraqis say they cannot do it on their own. I spoke to the Iraqi

ambassador in Washington and he said they needed help. He said the help

was needed yesterday. President Obama says there is a political

component to this crisis that needs to be addressed. Yes. This was

diplomatic language for saying that they feel the government has been

too favourable towards the Shia majority and has not been

welcoming, has not allowed for representation and inclusion for the

Sony my jollity -- for the minorities in the country. As we

know, the use of air power alone does not win wars, so they have to

be some kind of political process. It is also possible that America are

saying we are willing to assist you, but on these conditions. It is not

going to be a blank cheque. We know the Iraqis have been asking for some

time. There was a report in the New York Times that the government had

asked specifically for air strikes previously and that that request had

been turned down by the White House. I did put that to the Iraqi

ambassador, but he did not want to comment. There needs to be a

comprehensive solution though, even if air strikes are a component of

it. Thank you. Russia has dismissed claims that three tanks crossed into

Ukraine from the Russian border. It is said the tanks entered Ukraine

via a checkpoint on the border. Arsen Avakov said that the tanks

engaged with Ukrainian army personnel. Let us bring you some

news in brief. It is claimed that the fourth woman

found hanged in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was not raped.

A court in Pakistan has approved a request by the former president

General Pervez Musharraf to leave the country, subject to a possible

Mr Musharraf is currently on trial for treason.

He denies the charges and has described the accusations

The British comedian and actor Rik Mayall, who died suddenly

earlier this week, suffered "an acute cardiac event" after a

A post mortem examination had proved inconclusive, the West London

Rik Mayall, star of comedy shows like The Young Ones died on Monday.

Spain's King Juan Carlos will not attend the swearing in of his son

as monarch to avoid drawing attention away from him,

King Juan Carlos announced his abdication two weeks ago after

His son Felipe will take over from him next Thursday.

Jean Claude Juncker's campaign to become the next president

of the European Commission has taken a hit, following the decision

by his campaign manager to accept a job with

Huge divisions are developing among the countries that make up the

EU over who should be offered one of the EU's most important jobs.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has publicly backed Mr Juncker, the

Here's our Europe Correspondent Matthew Price with more.

This is the EU's civil servants. It's the European commission. This

place runs the union under the direction of the EU's 28 member

states and the European Parliament and on the 13th floor is where the

commission president chose his meetings. The current Portuguese

politician in charge of these office soon, so enter a former prime

minister of Luxembourg as the main contender. Why? Jean Claude Juncker

was the main candidate and at the Parliament they are saying he is the

automatic choice. Not necessarily so, said the member states who want

to nominate their favourite candidate. For now, Mr Juncker is

the choice of the German chancellor Angela Merkel, but David Cameron

does not want him holding the rains. It usually takes weeks to find a

candidate they can all agree on, but this time round it is arguably more

important. The next European commission president will have two

deal with growing anti-EU sentiment right across the union, especially

in Britain, which may in the coming years old a referendum on whether to

leave altogether. Now, anxiety is the most common form

of mental illness with millions suffering from it worthwhile. It is

now at the heart of a London Festival of music, film and visual

arts. Anxiety Fanfare is being showcased and it is the work of

composer Jocelyn Pook. In a moment I will be speaking to him, but first,

here is an excerpt from the rehearsal this morning. Anxiety.

Hustle and bustle. Not to -- flutter and flurry, the worry, the pain.

Anxiety. That was very nice music, a taste of what to expect. I have made

the composer Jocelyn Pook what inspired you to write such music?

Well, the deadline of the peace. I was under a lot of pressure with the

deadline. I mean, actually, this was about everyday anxiety. There was

plenty of inspiration around me. The people I work with and I was

exploring it in terms of what everyone experiences. Insomnia when

stressed, for example. At one point or the musicians were complaining

they had not or the musicians were complaining

and bustle of city life. I started the peace with the

and bustle of city life. I started and traffic and

and bustle of city life. I started from anxiety? I think there is

plenty of knowledge about music therapy, which is used in

plenty of knowledge about music years. Music is very therapeutic in

plenty of knowledge about music singing is then repeat it. Again, in

physiological ways as well as allsorts of

physiological ways as well as there is the enjoyment of singing

together with other people. I felt that very strongly with the choir.

together with other people. I felt It is a kind of release, but when we

together with other people. I felt about the kind of anxiety that

everyone gets if they are anxious about a dental appointment, for

example. You are talking about something

example. You are talking about Absolutely. About mental illness --

it is about mental illness, compulsive worrying. I feel as if I

am borderline in terms of the things I write about. What do people who

suffer from anxiety say to you about the effectiveness of music as

therapy? I have had lovely feedback from the choir. They were very high

on the whole experience. It is fantastic for them to be performing

at the Wigmore Hall. It is an amazing opportunity. You have had

good feedback? Yes. They were expecting it to be gloomy and dark.

It did not sound cacophonous at all. I shall have a listen. Thank you for

coming in to talk to us The football World Cup will soon be

kicking off in Sao Paulo, but Brazilian police have used tear

gas to disperse a small crowd The protesters have been trying to

march as close as they could to the Arena Corinthians, where

the opening ceremony and the first We have seen a lot of sunshine in

the South today, but that