the breaking up for us. just because you can see violence against children doesn't mean others and there are make the invisible visible. mike violence against children. this is d w news life from pope francis appeals to the world's cultural this christmas of midnight mass in rome he says fight the calls upon the faithful to give immigrants a generous wellcome the pontiff also compares the plight of today's migrants to the biblical figures of mary and joseph also struggled to find shelter and journey also

on this program clashes erupted in perugia in the country's ex leader better for the mahdi is prone to the politan for medical reasons protesters called the move an insult to people killed during the former president's decade in power. and is this the most expensive plastic christmas tree in the world some people in serbia certainly think so we find out how it has brought the shelves into political control to see. hello and welcome my name is christopher spring a good to have you with us in rome pope francis has used his christmas eve mass to issue a strong defense of immigrants saying that religious faith obliges believers to welcome lycra. it's addressing

a huge audience at some peter's basilica he described the desperation felt by those who flee their homeland and compared their plight to that of the biblical figures of mary and joseph. was already known as an outspoken reformer the pope had a clear message he compared mary and joseph journey to bethlehem with the mass migrations seen today. the holy couple had arrived he said at a place where there was no room for them to stay. he did use a pay many other footsteps hidden in the steps of joseph and mary. we see the tracks of entire families forced to set down to in our own day. we see the tracks of millions if you do not choose to go away. driven from their lands and leave behind that dia warned us but i received a zero coyote. faith said the pope demands that foreigners be

welcomed. some ten thousand worshippers joined the midnight mass amid the splendor of st peter's basilica. many more followed the service from the square outside where security had been stepped up the eighty one year old pontiff message went down well among the faithful i think that the pope signifies a lot of hope for a lot of people and he has the power to bring a lot of people together. to religion and through faith i hope that. people would be more forgiving. the words one another whatever their religion is more accepting. so that we would all live in harmony. the pope support for refugees has already put him at

odds with politicians later on christmas day francis will deliver his blessing to the city of rome and the world. at all be. well just months ago the iraqi city of mosul was in the islamic state stronghold a place drained of its residents as they fled the violence of bias extremists now vote with i asked driven out many are coming back including most christians on sunday hundreds of them attended the first christmas service since the city was liberated. i. i christmas mass in mosul. a year ago it would have been unthinkable back then the city was under the firm grip of the so-called islamic state. but since the militants were driven out in july more and more christians have been returning home . to us and are met with without peace there

is no life after update tree over islamic state messages that we missed old cold the peace the first in our hearts until it can be reflected on the outside. it's been six months since the iraqi army drove by as out of mosul replacing the militants flag with the national flag of iraq. but the city landscape has changed a little since the fighting ended large parts of mosul are still in ruins. and. we had such a nice house not anymore. when we came back everything had been looted even our children's clothes were gone and now it's into. this used to be a christian all finished before i asked took it either as a command post is that little good he said.

it's a somber service with tribute paid to those killed under i asked for. the first christmas mass in four years also brings hope of a peaceful future for mosul. a less space feel at the moment is afghanistan where at least six people have been killed in a blast in the capital kabul officials say a suicide bomber blew himself up in a busy square there an office belonging to the national intelligence agency it tech happened during the morning rush hour so-called islamic state has claimed responsibility earlier this month the group's militants also attacked an intelligence agency training center in kabul. we're going to catch up now at some of the other stories making news around the world. has banned planes belonging to the dubai eline emirates from landing in its capital tunis officials say they're responding to moves by the united arab emirates to block june is young women from

flying to transiting through the u.a.e. for security reasons the measure has spawned don't cry among gymnasiums. the president of guatemala jimmy morale is says his country will be following the u.s. example in a moving its embassy in israel to jerusalem to modern war on the nation this is a side with the u.s. and a united nations general assembly vote last week that rejected president donald trump is there. turning to peru now where the president has granted a medical pardon to the country's former leader talk for him already for he modi held an iron grip on power in peru throughout the nine hundred ninety s. but was later sentenced to twenty five years in prison for crimes including human rights abuses he remains a divisive figure in the country his pardon has touched off both celebrations and protests. outrage of the pardon among human rights and left wing activists alberto fujimori had been sentenced to twenty five years in jail for human rights abuses

corruption and sanctioning death squads he also built a right wing populist movement that remains a potent force that we're totally opposed to the pardon because for him henri is a war criminal he sterilized women against their will had union leaders and journalists killed. in a dozen absolute indignation. we will never forget what he's done here and it was not out of anger to a current president pedro public. he had promised not to pardon for him ari then last week he survived a no confidence vote in congress which is dominated by fouhy mori supporters but it was in addition to his pardon is illegal the medical report that supposedly backing this decision is a fraud in fact it's all part of a political deal between the four he mores and could change his party we reject our current leaders decision. but foci mori also has

a large following supporters celebrated his release at the hospital where he didn't take an early on sunday straight from prison. he reportedly has cardiovascular problems. it's not going to be easy but we're extremely happy just as has been done for the best president of peru the man who gave us peace defeating terrorism folky mores daughter keiko came to visit her father in hospital she leads the popular force party that controls congress but is nonetheless in opposition. and. we appreciate the decision made by the government. we also hope to step enables and promotes reconciliation. and vast is what we're all hoping for. that meyer is about back to fool he mari may be rejoicing but his release has

reopened old wounds and debates about his legacy in the country. in german soccer the buddhist leader is enjoying a well earned winter break at the moment after one of the most compelling first halls of the season is there have been high profile sacking spectacular goals and huge controversy over the new video referee system that all means there's hardly been a dull moment is a look back now for you at the season so far. the comeback of the year so your pint is replace the sacked catalogue and return for a fourth stint as coach of byron munich in october seventy two year old trying to steady the ship and buyer now have an eleven point lead at the top of the bundesliga. bursey at dortmund also changed coaches after a flying start to underpay top bush dortmund season fell apart as they went eight

league games without a win the dutchman was fired in early december and replaced with x. cologne boss. and tossing them if to go back alone in a few days later i'm dortmund coach no would have believed such a story if it happens have happened when the mother used to live in sin it came through the ritz it was a kind of. still get had departed cologne with the side rooted to the bottom of the bundesliga having finished an impressive fifth and reached europe last season after top score anthony left for china and wasn't replaced their campaign nosedived with injuries also not helping. the sporting director and coach paid the price and relegation now back. in contrast second place childcare have been one of the positive surprises in the first half of the season thirty two year old coach to many go to disco has found the perfect mix there's been no magical football just hard work and a huge team spirit as shown by their incredible four all draw at darby rival's

dortmund having been down for now. the big talking point this term has been the video review trial rather than limit controversy the system has caused more confusion with the rules over its use unclear referees are in the spotlight more than ever. using video evidence is correct in their view but the way we have implemented it has been a catastrophe both internally and externally and that's what will surely hit the buffers and see what you want to feel like everything and for. ball it's important to keep your eye on the ball quite literally mind keeper robin said no won't be making that mistake again in this league clubs will hope to have a bit more focus for the second half of the season starting on january twelfth. turning to serbian seasonal festivities have been mobbed by outrage over an extremely expensive artificial christmas tree residents in the capital have joined

protests against the mayor there accusing him of corruption. tanenbaum oton and how green and how ridiculously expensive are your branches that's what some residents in serbia's capital belgrade are thinking after finding out this eighteen metre high plastic christmas tree cost eighty three thousand euros now far from rocking round the christmas tree on a happy holiday some of demonstrating next to it against what they see as corruption banners take aim at the city's mayor with slogans like eighty three thousand euros shame on you. mayor sydney's a molly says he wasn't aware of the cost and would cancel the deal but opposition groups claim he's involved in questionable use of public funds with a tree costing four times the amount of the one outside new york's rockefeller center. this is not only the most expensive plastic christmas tree in the world it's also an insult to belgrade citizens. forget christmas spirit someone town says

instead. the person who bought this christmas tree should be held responsible. but nobody it seems has yet got round to asking what the bulls and bows cost they could be in for a shock. well in the meantime it is christmas day across the globe so merry christmas to everyone celebrating. still very busy at the moment as they enter the final stretch of the well before they set off on their travels on christmas eve they made a stop in alexandria virginia the. families on the banks of the potomac river at the annual christmas show there before they set off on their worldwide mission to deliver presents saint nick and joined by the grinch on a jet ski he overcame his grumpy. spectators. just a quick reminder for you top story this hour pope francis has delivered

a strong defense of migrants that might midnight mass in rome he likened the migration of millions of people fleeing a. biblical journey mary and joseph to bethlehem. and news update from. the. time for the very best of all reporting this week in stories that something. isn't.