Entertainment

• Friday, January 3rd 2014 - 23:21 UTC

  Brazil wants no surprises: creates elite force to support police during the World Cup

  

  Brazil has created a special riot force to help police control demonstrations expected during the World Cup later this year. Colonel Alexandre Augusto Aragon, who heads the elite National Security Force, was quoted in local news on Friday as saying that 10,000 riot troops selected from state police forces throughout Brazil will be deployed in the 12 cities hosting World Cup games June 12-July 13.

• Friday, January 3rd 2014 - 06:07 UTC

  FIFA takes no risks: Aggreko will provide power solutions in all World Cup stadiums

  

  FIFA announced the appointment of Aggreko as a Branded Licensee for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. As part of this agreement Aggreko will provide temporary broadcast power solutions for the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and the stadiums in all twelve Host Cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

• Friday, December 27th 2013 - 05:07 UTC

  World Cup 2014: Brazil most expensive stadium has a leaking roof

  

  Reports from stadium operators in Brazil have revealed that the most expensive of the 12 stadiums built or renovated for the 2014 FIFA World Cup has a leaking roof, less than eight months after it was finished.

• Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 07:37 UTC

  FIFA calls on Brazil to work flat-out in the months ahead of World Cup June 12 kick-off

  

  FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke says there is a huge amount still to do in preparations for the World Cup. In his end-of-year statement on FIFA.com, the Frenchman urges Brazil 2014 organizers to work flat out in the months before the June 12 kick-off in Sao Paulo to deliver on their promises.

• Monday, December 16th 2013 - 17:01 UTC

  Following another death, Brazilian labor court orders partial stop in Amazon stadium

  

  A Brazilian labor court ordered a partial stop to construction on the Arena Amazonia in the jungle city of Manaus after the death of a worker who fell off the stadium's roof again raised safety concerns ahead of the 2014 soccer World Cup.

• Wednesday, December 11th 2013 - 00:00 UTC

  World and FIFA shocked by violent incidents at a Brazilian championship match

  

  Shocking violence at a Brazilian championship match is not an indication of what can be expected when the South American country hosts next year's World Cup, FIFA and Brazilian government officials have declared.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:57 UTC

  FIFA announces 358m dollars of prize money for the 2014 Cup

  

  The 32 teams at next year's World Cup finals will share a total fund of 576 million dollars, including a prize-money pot of 358m with the winners taking home 35m, FIFA said on Thursday. The amount of money made available to the countries taking part has increased 37% from the 420m on offer at the 2010 finals in South Africa.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:45 UTC

  Brazilian authorities admit to have learnt from Confederations Cup protests

  

  Brazilian authorities say they've learned from demonstrations during the Confederations Cup not to let protesters get too close to stadiums at the upcoming World Cup. Andrei Augusto Rodrigues, security head for major events at Brazil's justice ministry, acknowledged that police misjudged the threat to public safety at Rio de Janeiro in June at the final of the Confederations Cup, a World Cup warm-up.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:38 UTC

  Maracana, July1950, when Uruguay silenced 200.000 Brazilian fans at the Cup's final

  

  Pele, the only person to win three World Cups as a player, said Brazil will enter next year’s tournament with more humility than when the country last hosted soccer’s greatest event in 1950. On 16 July that year Brazil was shocked 2-1 by Uruguay in the final game at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium in what is considered as a national tragedy by some Brazilians.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:30 UTC

  FIFA nervous about Cup stadiums; Brazil argues brides are never on time for marriage

  

  Brazilian government has brushed aside the importance of more delays in completing 2014 World Cup stadiums, saying that missing FIFA's deadline will not affect the country's ability to successfully host next year's tournament.