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BBC news 2014-06-13

BBC News with Julie Candler

The first match of the Football World Cup is being played at the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, with the host nation and Croatia are leveled half time with one goal each. The Brazilian star Neymar equalized 29 minutes into the game after an early own goal put the Croatians ahead as silence to hit into enthusiastic crowd. Tens of thousands of fans in yellow and green had earlier watched the opening ceremony. Matthew Kenyon is in Sao Paulo. “The opening ceremony without the usual speeches from either politicians or football officials after the country’s president was booed at the opening of the Confederation’s Cup 12 months ago. With the usual colorful affair reflecting Brasil, its people and the 31 visiting nations, and it was watched by a gathering crowd, some of whom chanted against FIFA in particular at the end of the event. The stadium area was heavily secured and protests met by tear gas and strong police tactics continued elsewhere in Sao Paulo. But the Wold Cup 2014 is now officially underway and the eyes of Brasil and the world are on the football.”

President Obama says his national security team is looking at all options including military ones to help the Iraqi government counter the Islamist insurgency as its overrun much of north Iraq this week. Mr. Obama said Iraq needed the help of the United States if it was to overcome the territorial gains made by the al Qaeda offshoot ISIS. “What we’ve seen over last couple days indicates the degree to which Iraq’s gonna need more help, so my team is working around the clock to identify how we can provide the most effective assistance to them. I don’t rule out anything, because we do have a stake in making sure that these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in either Iraq or Syria.” Reports say the Iraqi government has mounted airstrikes against the ISIS militants who seized the cities of Tikrit and Mosul.

The Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine have used tanks for the first time since the start of the conflict in the region two months ago. Steve Rosenberg reports. “According to his spokesman, Petro Poroshenko told President Putin it was unacceptable that tanks had got into Ukraine from Russia. Earlier, Ukraine Interior Minister claimed that separatist rebels have managed to bring three tanks and other military equipments across the border to fight Ukrainian forces. An official at the Russian Foreign Ministry told the BBC the minister was being inventive and the information was fake. But President Poroshenko has held a meeting with his defense chiefs about the situation. Meanwhile, violence continues.” An explosion has been heard in the center of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. One witness said he saw a van in flames in front of one of the city administration building has been taken over by Pro-Russian separatists.

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The International Criminal Court says the former President of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo is to be put on trial for crimes against humanity. Mr. Gbagbo, who denies the charges, has been in custody at the ICC since 2011. Mary Harper reports. “The court said that it had analyzed mountain of material including a hundred witness statements and 22,000 pages of documentary evidence. There was, it said, sufficient evidence against Mr. Gbagbo for him to stand trial. He faces four charges of crimes against humanity, including murder and rape. The offenses were allegedly committed during a conflict which broke out in Ivory Coast after a disputed election in 2010. Prosecutors say Mr. Gbagbo masterminded a plan to stay in power, through what they describe as carefully planned and deadly attacks.

US defense officials say the American soldier freed last month in a controversial prisoners swap with the Afghan Taliban will be flown home on Friday from Germany where he has been receiving medical treatment. No details were given about Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s return. The Obama administration was criticized over its decision to swap five Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo for the release of Sgt. Bergdahl. As news just in, Bowe Bergdahl is now en route to the United States, the Pentagon confirmed he boarded a US military aircraft in Germany earlier today.

The American actress sang civil rights campaign. Ruby Dee has died in New York. She was 91. Ruby Dee was one of the most prominent black actresses in Hollywood in 1950s and 1960s and the first black woman to play lead roles in the American Shakespeare Festival.

Shark fin will be in future off the menu at a major resort in Singapore. The American owned Marina Bay Sands is the latest Singapore based company to boycott consumption of the traditional delicacy following years of lobbying by animal rights activists.

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