:00:09. > :00:12.This is BBC World News Today with me, Zeinab Badawi.
:00:13. > :00:17.the country's most senior Shia cleric issues a call to arms to
:00:18. > :00:29.As insurgents seize more towns, Iraq's most senior Shia cleric calls
:00:30. > :00:44.We will not be sending US troops act into combat in Iraq, that we are
:00:45. > :00:55.arranging other options. Ukrainian government forces regain
:00:56. > :00:58.control of the eastern city of Mariupol
:00:59. > :01:00.from pro-Russian separatists. Five insurgents were reported
:01:01. > :01:02.killed and at least four And attention on day two
:01:03. > :01:06.of the World Cup is turning to the much anticipated repeat of the
:01:07. > :01:08.2010 final - the reigning champions The final stage in the presidential
:01:09. > :01:14.election in Afghanistan on Saturday Abdullah Abdullah is
:01:15. > :01:28.the front-runner. Thousands of civilian volunteers,
:01:29. > :01:36.mostly Shias are seeking to take up arms against the militants
:01:37. > :01:39.from the extremist ISIS group - raising the spectre
:01:40. > :01:42.of all out sectarian war between after taking Fallujah in January
:01:43. > :01:55.and they've advanced rapidly seizing Mosul and Saddam Hussein's
:01:56. > :01:59.home town of Tikrit this week. The city of Samarra is surrounded
:02:00. > :02:04.by ISIS forces and fighting between Shia militias and jihadists
:02:05. > :02:08.has broken out in Diyala. They are now just 80 miles from the
:02:09. > :02:13.Iraqi capital in Diyala Province. Our Defence correspondent
:02:14. > :02:27.Jonathan Beale is in Baghdad. This was the US military
:02:28. > :02:33.headquarters in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, now taken over
:02:34. > :02:40.why ISIS. This unverified video shows the Islamist celebrating as
:02:41. > :02:47.they continued their advance. They are also strengthening their grip on
:02:48. > :02:52.Mosul, Iraq's second largest city. No sign yet of a government
:02:53. > :02:59.fightback. It is religious leaders who URL in the charge. Today, a
:03:00. > :03:10.representative of the most senior Shia Derek spoke out. People need to
:03:11. > :03:18.volunteer and join the security forces. And in the south of Iraq,
:03:19. > :03:24.young men have in signing up to fight the militants linked to
:03:25. > :03:29.Al-Qaeda. And the cost is not just the human misery of refugees fleeing
:03:30. > :03:37.their homes. It is hard to see how this cycle of the Aryan violence
:03:38. > :03:44.will end. ISIS propaganda videos worn they will show no mercy. We
:03:45. > :03:49.have received reports of the execution of Iraqi soldiers during
:03:50. > :03:57.the capture of Mosul and 17 civilians in one street. In Baghdad
:03:58. > :04:01.there is some security and order, but people aren't relying on
:04:02. > :04:05.government forces to protect them. Militias as well are making their
:04:06. > :04:11.mark. Even though there are soldiers from the Iraqi army, these militia
:04:12. > :04:16.have arrived. It shows there is little confidence in the government
:04:17. > :04:21.and they are taking control of the own security. The Iraqi prime
:04:22. > :04:31.minister faces his toughest challenge yet to keep this fractured
:04:32. > :04:39.nation together. The US secretary of state John Kerry says that they are
:04:40. > :04:47.considering all options. American combat troops on the ground has been
:04:48. > :04:57.ruled out. Frank Gardner has this report.
:04:58. > :05:12.Life under ISIS. The show of strength by the Sunni group who are
:05:13. > :05:16.threatening Baghdad. Washington is considering its response. We will
:05:17. > :05:23.not be sending US troops back into combat in Iraq, but I have asked by
:05:24. > :05:28.national security team to arrange other options and I will be
:05:29. > :05:33.reviewing those options in the days ahead. Iraq is no longer home to US
:05:34. > :05:40.combat troops, but the Pentagon still has a string of military bases
:05:41. > :05:46.across the region. It also has the use of airfields in nearby
:05:47. > :05:52.countries. The fighter jets in Bahrain. There are also undermanned
:05:53. > :05:58.drones that can loiter for hours over a target. They can carry out
:05:59. > :06:05.reconnaissance of fire missiles. But it is fast jets like these that Iraq
:06:06. > :06:17.are requesting. If deployed, they could have a big impact on the
:06:18. > :06:21.militia's advance. There could be a strikes or the movement of drones.
:06:22. > :06:27.This would be a disaster. The United States would not know who they are
:06:28. > :06:31.bombing. They will be driving popular alienation which is that you
:06:32. > :06:41.read of this problem. The dynamic of the war would also change, putting
:06:42. > :06:48.America on the side of Iraq's Shia dominated government and potentially
:06:49. > :07:13.making the West a target for ISIS fighters. In other news the
:07:14. > :07:23.Ukrainian crisis continues. Tell us more about the fighting today in
:07:24. > :07:30.Mariupol. It is a significant victory for the government forces if
:07:31. > :07:37.it holds. Mariupol has changed hands several times. The Ukrainian flag
:07:38. > :07:50.has been raised over several times. The Ukrainian flag
:07:51. > :07:55.so many setbacks. The Russians have a hold of the eastern parts of
:07:56. > :08:01.Ukraine. This could be a turning point, but that is not clear. There
:08:02. > :08:08.is fighting and tension and tension with Russia as well on the
:08:09. > :08:13.diplomatic front. You said Mariupol is a strategic city. Why is it
:08:14. > :08:18.important and where does it fit in relation to other significant places
:08:19. > :08:29.in the pro-Russian separatist areas? Mariupol is a port. It is the
:08:30. > :08:40.second-largest city in the Donetsk region. As we know, in the capital
:08:41. > :08:46.the process but is movement began when they took over the main
:08:47. > :08:50.government building. Mariupol is seen as an important city as it does
:08:51. > :08:55.revive the base seen as an important city as it does
:08:56. > :09:06.separatists. Now that the government has taken back control and move
:09:07. > :09:22.their operations back to marry Paul, it significant that a back to
:09:23. > :09:27.Mariupol, it is significant. How much difference will this make?
:09:28. > :09:32.There is a great deal of tension and there is fighting. We are seeing
:09:33. > :09:39.tensions with Moscow. The Ukrainians are preparing for the Russians
:09:40. > :09:46.possibly turning the gas off on Monday. That will escalate tensions
:09:47. > :09:55.between Moscow and Kiev. There is also ongoing tensions between Kiev
:09:56. > :10:03.and the separatist. Time now for some of the day 's other news. The
:10:04. > :10:08.US soldier held captive by the Taliban for five years has arrived
:10:09. > :10:14.back in the US. He is at an army Taliban for five years has arrived
:10:15. > :10:19.hospital where he will continue his next phase of recovery. Thailand's
:10:20. > :10:24.military government has lifted the curfew imposed last month, but
:10:25. > :10:34.political road tests and criticism of the queue remained banned by the
:10:35. > :10:47.raging. The committee has voted to retain a constitutional clause that
:10:48. > :10:54.prevents the poet Laureate from becoming president. The mere of
:10:55. > :11:00.Venice has designed after allegations of corruption.
:11:01. > :11:09.held with other officials over bribery claims regarding
:11:10. > :11:16.construction of barriers to protect the city. The second game of the
:11:17. > :11:21.World Cup has just finished. The defending champions Spain will take
:11:22. > :11:25.on the Netherlands in just a few hours. Let us go to a man in the
:11:26. > :11:34.midst of that exciting action, although it looks pretty calm behind
:11:35. > :11:39.you. Peter is on Copacabana Beach. That must be some hardship.
:11:40. > :11:46.Camarillo is a strong African team, but they were defeated by Mexico.
:11:47. > :11:50.That is right. Cameroon used to be one of the biggest African teams,
:11:51. > :11:54.but in recent years they have not been performing well and in the
:11:55. > :11:59.run-up to this World Cup they have had their problems. I do think the
:12:00. > :12:05.scoreline will be much of a surprise to African fans back home. Some more
:12:06. > :12:11.dodgy officiating situations. Cameroon had two goals ruled
:12:12. > :12:17.offside, but replays showed they should have stood. Luckily for
:12:18. > :12:25.Mexico they scored that goal and they did win by 1-0. The party is
:12:26. > :12:31.starting here at poke about Hannah -- is starting here at poke her --
:12:32. > :12:37.Copacabana beach. -- is starting here at poke her --
:12:38. > :12:45.Tension and passion finally released. This World Cup means so
:12:46. > :12:58.much to the players. The home team were stunned into silence after an
:12:59. > :12:59.own goal after ten minutes. There were some fine work in midfield that
:13:00. > :13:11.followed. Brazil were sluggish were some fine work in midfield that
:13:12. > :13:25.they were awarded a seemingly fortunate penalty. Neymar scored,
:13:26. > :13:31.just. Croatia felt aggrieved at half-time and Brazil were relieved.
:13:32. > :13:41.They will be hoping that fortune continues to favour them.
:13:42. > :13:46.That game ending 3-1 in favour of the host. Thousands of Brazilian
:13:47. > :13:51.fans packed the stadium in Sao Paulo for that game, but spare a thought
:13:52. > :13:56.for the thousands more who have come from all over the world. I mean,
:13:57. > :14:05.Ozil is not a cheap country to come to an full many fans, it is quite a
:14:06. > :14:06.distance. My colleague has been looking at the cost to attend this
:14:07. > :14:23.World Cup. tiring and also expensive. The cost
:14:24. > :14:28.of flights, hotels would put off many, but not the hardened football
:14:29. > :14:31.fan. Supporters from all over the world had begged, script and
:14:32. > :14:35.borrowed to get to this World Cup. They have gone online to check the
:14:36. > :14:41.cheapest hotels and flights and even though it is set to cost on average
:14:42. > :14:48.$16,000, they simply don't care about the money. Every penny, it is
:14:49. > :14:51.worth it, we have been planning this trip for two years. We had feared
:14:52. > :15:00.Arab money and it is definitely worth it. We got everything last
:15:01. > :15:05.winter, that is when we went online and booked everything up. We checked
:15:06. > :15:09.now and some of the flights to get to a city three hours away our
:15:10. > :15:15.$1500, so we are glad we got in early. At the moment, we had snow on
:15:16. > :15:27.the grounds in New Zealand so coming here, it is wonderful. You cannot
:15:28. > :15:32.put a price on having a good time. If your team does well, that is just
:15:33. > :15:42.a bonus. You pay your money to be able to say, I was there.
:15:43. > :15:48.A few hours ago, I was on the beach and I saw fans from Argentina, from
:15:49. > :15:52.Spain, from the Netherlands. My colleagues have seen fans from all
:15:53. > :15:57.over the world here in Brazil as well. Some of them, spending their
:15:58. > :16:01.life savings to get here. What we are waiting for now is the next
:16:02. > :16:06.game, it is a repeat of the final from 40 black years ago, the world
:16:07. > :16:14.champions Spain against Catalans. That game will be remembered for how
:16:15. > :16:19.rough the Dutch way, but we hope that this time around, we will see
:16:20. > :16:22.some good for football because both countries do play some beautiful
:16:23. > :16:26.football. That game is about to kick off in a few minutes. Back now to
:16:27. > :16:39.the studio in London. The long drawn out presidential
:16:40. > :16:42.election in Afghanistan reaches its climax on Saturday - a run-off
:16:43. > :16:45.vote between the two remaining The front-runner Abdullah Abdullah
:16:46. > :16:52.survived what appeared to be an assassination attempt a week ago,
:16:53. > :16:56.but there is hope that this election will mark a major milestone in
:16:57. > :17:12.the stabilisation of Afghanistan. Donkeys under armed guard, this is
:17:13. > :17:14.how elections look in Afghanistan. Here in the mountainous north-east
:17:15. > :17:16.of the country, Here in the mountainous north-east
:17:17. > :17:23.materials are being delivered by any means possible. Not everyone is
:17:24. > :17:28.happy to have been hired for their job but with rough tracks instead of
:17:29. > :17:36.tarmac roads, it is the only way people can exercise their democratic
:17:37. > :17:41.rights. We are working for one year for the whole election in Monday. On
:17:42. > :17:47.this issue, we are ready to consult these problems and we have good
:17:48. > :17:50.plans. This may look like a scene from redeemed times but many here
:17:51. > :17:56.hope these polls will put the country on a firm footing for
:17:57. > :18:00.generations to come. About a quarter of all provinces in Afghanistan
:18:01. > :18:03.generations to come. About a quarter relying on donkeys to get allotment
:18:04. > :18:06.yield to the right places. This problems have hired 300 donkeys and
:18:07. > :18:13.they are moving under heavily armed escort. The men with guns here as
:18:14. > :18:18.much to protect against ambush as to reduce the risk of election fraud.
:18:19. > :18:28.After three decades of war, this is considered one of the superpowers --
:18:29. > :18:33.safest parts of Afghanistan. In the capital, security is tighter than
:18:34. > :18:37.ever. Elite police units are on high alert. They are among the 26,000
:18:38. > :18:41.Afghan security forces alert. They are among the 26,000
:18:42. > :18:46.city where life is now overshadowed by the very real risk of suicide
:18:47. > :18:52.attacks. They were out on patrol today in a robust show of force. The
:18:53. > :18:57.Taliban, threatening to disrupt the second round of this landmark
:18:58. > :18:59.presidential race. How much more safe is Afghanistan but this round
:19:00. > :19:07.of elections, compared to the previous round? TRANSLATION: ahead
:19:08. > :19:11.of the second round of polling, we have had more threat than before
:19:12. > :19:13.because the weather is warmer and it is the traditional fighting season
:19:14. > :19:20.for the Taliban. My men are better prepared. The numbers of checkpoints
:19:21. > :19:25.have rapidly increased. Weapons, grenades and a suicide vests seized
:19:26. > :19:29.have rapidly increased. Weapons, night. Afghanistan's security forces
:19:30. > :19:32.are under orders to deliver a safe presidential race. The world is
:19:33. > :19:36.hungry for a successful story of transition.
:19:37. > :19:38.Older people should be encouraged to stay in work longer to boost
:19:39. > :19:43.their own pensions and to help the economy, according to new guidelines
:19:44. > :19:49.The number of older workers will increase substantially
:19:50. > :19:53.in the next decade, and the Pensions Minister says they're an untapped
:19:54. > :20:09.There is a sea change on their way in the workforce. In the coming
:20:10. > :20:15.decade, there will be 3.7 million more people between 50 and the state
:20:16. > :20:20.pension age. Many will be either employed or looking for work, a huge
:20:21. > :20:24.rise with big indications. We are moving to a world where retiring
:20:25. > :20:29.early with a big pension is something of the past so we will
:20:30. > :20:35.need to work longer but it is in business's benefit to retain
:20:36. > :20:40.productive workers. More of us are living longer, healthier lives but
:20:41. > :20:44.the government knows that this potentially a bigger burden on the
:20:45. > :20:48.state in terms of pensions and benefits. It wants as many of us as
:20:49. > :20:54.possible to expand our working lives too. That includes getting people
:20:55. > :20:58.back into work. At this job centre in Birmingham, they are piloting
:20:59. > :21:01.killer provision for job-seekers as those who lose their jobs in their
:21:02. > :21:09.50s and 60s tend to be an android longer. I have an adviser who looks
:21:10. > :21:11.after the over 50s and I find that beneficial because I have built a
:21:12. > :21:20.relationship with her and she understands my needs. There is a job
:21:21. > :21:28.out there for me, it is just getting to it first, there are so many going
:21:29. > :21:32.for it. I do get the feeling that when I apply for a job, the look of
:21:33. > :21:36.my age and thing, he is good for another three for years. To help
:21:37. > :21:43.encourage more of this, companies who value more advanced stuff, the
:21:44. > :21:45.government plans to appoint an older workers Champion and firms will be
:21:46. > :21:49.encouraged to allow flexible working, allowing staff to change
:21:50. > :21:54.work patterns or find alternative roles but some warn that working
:21:55. > :21:57.longer will not be suitable for all. Working longer is fine for people
:21:58. > :22:00.with is a genuine choice and where they are physically and mentally
:22:01. > :22:08.able but people should not be forced to carry on working simply because
:22:09. > :22:11.they cannot afford to retire. Working in our 60s and beyond looks
:22:12. > :22:14.set to become the new norm but that will create challenges when
:22:15. > :22:21.businesses, workers and the government like.
:22:22. > :22:25.More now on the developments today in Iraq that we have been reporting
:22:26. > :22:32.on. The advance by jihadists fighters from the ISIS cine
:22:33. > :22:34.extremist group are now about 80 miles outside Baghdad and today
:22:35. > :22:42.there have been clashes between them and Shia fighters. I have been
:22:43. > :22:47.joined by a professor of international relations at the
:22:48. > :22:52.London School of economic. Iraq already is in all other sectarian
:22:53. > :22:55.war, isn't it? The truth is, nobody talks about it. ISIS will not have
:22:56. > :23:02.done as well as it has by exploiting the sectarian side. Three years ago,
:23:03. > :23:10.ISIS was basically dying, on the verge of collapse. Now, there are is
:23:11. > :23:17.a surge. This is because of a deep sectarian fault line has emerged.
:23:18. > :23:22.The minority community that feels marginalised and excluded, and the
:23:23. > :23:28.Prime Minister who is accused of being a sectarian lead Prime
:23:29. > :23:34.Minister. A lot of finger-pointing at Newry malarkey, is there any
:23:35. > :23:37.possibility that he may just remove himself, seeing to be in the best
:23:38. > :23:42.interests of the unity of the government? One would hope so, he
:23:43. > :23:49.has been in power for too long. This is a personal defeat for him. A huge
:23:50. > :23:53.defeat. He made the fight against ISIS and he's betrayed himself as
:23:54. > :23:59.the one and only leader. It was under his watch that ISIS has
:24:00. > :24:03.surged. Under his watch that deep sectarian fault lines have emerged.
:24:04. > :24:09.It is his personal failure will stop he has mismanaged the economy and
:24:10. > :24:12.political system on it is broken. Do you think people behind the scenes
:24:13. > :24:20.like the Americans will quietly put pressure on him to do that,
:24:21. > :24:27.step-down? Absolutely. The Americans, they are sending messages
:24:28. > :24:37.differently, they did not even tell President Mubarak to go in Egypt.
:24:38. > :24:42.One development that might come out of this particular dark moment in
:24:43. > :24:46.Iraq's history is for the political past to rise up and to find an
:24:47. > :24:54.inclusive government, new leadership. What about the
:24:55. > :24:58.mainstream Sunni Arabs, not the Kurds who are obviously sunny but
:24:59. > :25:04.they are not Arab. Who do they dislike more, ISIS, these extreme
:25:05. > :25:12.jihadists to go around executing people, or this year led government?
:25:13. > :25:16.Where are the cine Arab moderates now? They are pressed between the
:25:17. > :25:22.Iraq of ISIS and a significant segment of cine opinion. That is
:25:23. > :25:28.deeply polarised and feels marginalised and excluded. The
:25:29. > :25:35.policies of the Prime Minister did not count. Some tribal leaders,
:25:36. > :25:42.members of Parliament who basically call on the Americans and said in a
:25:43. > :25:51.public conference and asked the Americans to come back. This tells
:25:52. > :25:56.you how desperate they are. ISIS is a very tiny fringe group, it would
:25:57. > :26:07.not have done as well but the support of the community. We have
:26:08. > :26:14.seen them cheering ISIS in other places despite the fact they are
:26:15. > :26:26.still extremist. We know what they are going to do, they did it in
:26:27. > :26:32.2003. The likelihood of the militias coming out and being armed again? It
:26:33. > :26:36.was suggested to being a peace brigade rather than a militia. The
:26:37. > :26:39.aunt -- the most important element is to come and fight ISIS and the
:26:40. > :26:43.extremists. But for now from me
:26:44. > :27:05.and the rest of the team, goodbye. There will be some reasonable
:27:06. > :27:06.weather around for most of us. Generally