this is d.w. news live from berlin the u.s. and iran trade verbal blows at the munich security conference draws to an end iran's foreign minister mohammad javad zarif condemns u.s. policy on iran accusing washington of ignoring his country's right to self-determination this after u.s. vice president mike pence demands a tougher stance on iran from europe also coming up. the most senior catholic cleric to be defrocked in modern times the vatican expelled the former u.s. cardinals from the priesthood over sexual crimes against adults and children his

expulsion comes as the church prepares for a summit on sex abuse cases. welcome to the program i'm marion evans dean. iran's foreign minister mohammad reeve has delivered a defined speech at the munich security conference he condemned calls for washington for the european union to abandon the iran nuclear deal and accuse the u.s. of trying to exercise undue influence on the middle east his remarks rounded out a contentious conference where german chancellor angela merkel and mike pence also advanced opposing visions on iran and the direction of their nation's foreign policy. what it has to do more for iran's foreign minister mohammad javert sorry for sharply criticized the u.s.

and dismissed vice president mike pence this recent demand that the e.u. withdraw from the nuclear treaty with iran which mr pence repeated scores. when he added gently demanded that europe must join the united states in undermining its own security and breaking its obligations but german foreign minister assured his iranian counterpart in direct talks in munich that germany and the you want to stick to the agreement as long as iran does the e.u. wants to enable trade with iran but serif suggested europe has to do more or. europe needs to be ridding to get rid. if it wants to swim against the dangerous part of us unit after this i european leaders are already feeling the pressure from the us and mike pence of

the n.t. during the security conference. the time has come for our european partners to stop undermining us sanctions against this murderous revolutionary regime. chancellor mackler refused to withdraw from the treaty germany feels that it is the only way to money iran's nuclear program here's the view had it was like oh my do we help our common cause our common aim of containing the damaging or difficult influences of iran by withdrawing from the one remaining agreement. or die or do we help it more by keeping the small anchor we have in order to maybe exert pressure in other areas. and welcome the european commitment but called for more action he added that the nuclear treaty is appropriate at the best that can be achieved how much longer. earlier we spoke to ian bremmer president and founder of the

eurasia group we asked him about the fallout from the widening rift between the e.u. and the us. the fallout is that the europeans are increasingly acting in a transactional way that if the if they want to work with the americans want to work with them they're going to have to get something in return if they don't then they don't i mean it's not the trust the common values the common strategy that of course was present when the transatlantic relationship came together after world war two it's really gone now and i think that what you see on display at this munich security council is a feeling of human failure of both collectively in being able to respond to global challenges like climate and cyber and unwinding geopolitical order but also a very deep fragmentation in the transatlantic order you mentioned iran and russia are clearly the i.n.f. treaty clearly u.s. withdrawal from syria from afghanistan trade issues i mean pretty much everything that vice president pence was talking about and go america was talking about there

was no overlap between those two speeches that's quite something and it's unprecedented here at the going to security conference that was in bremmer president and founder of the eurasia group speaking to a short time ago now u.s. president donald trump has threatened to release captured fighters from the so-called islamist states if europe doesn't take them then this comes after trump's shock december announcement that the militant group had been defeated and that u.s. troops would be withdrawn from syria in a tweet trav called on britain france germany and others to quote take back over eight hundred isis fighters that we captured in syria and put them on trial he said the alternative is quote not a good one and that we would be forced to release them. it's. pope francis has expelled former u.s. cardinal theodore mccarrick from the priesthood the move came after vatican officials found him guilty of sexual abuse against adults and minors and kerik is

the highest ranking catholic cleric to receive the sanction in modern times the announcement was made just days before the pope hosts a church summit on preventing child abuse the punishment handed down to this american cleric is unprecedented the former archbishop of washington theodore mccarrick solicited sex from aspiring priests and abused at least two minors between one nine hundred seventy and one nine hundred ninety. he had already been stripped of his status as a cardinal last july in itself a bombshell for the church father bad haagen caught the vatican you say the move is a good thing. is a. lot is quite clear in this regard the problem in the past was that it wasn't applied the issue was covered up people look the other way now it simply gone through official channels with a very prominent figure it's not a papal decision but it really should be. the. last summer pope francis ordered an

investigation into mccarrick the vatican reached its verdict on january eleventh mccarrick subpoenas were rejected beginning this thursday leaders of bishops conferences from around the world will meet with pope francis for four days in rome on the agenda abuse in the catholic church and how to protect children critics accuse the pope of doing too little too late in dealing with allegations of abuse victims of charge the battery can with not paying enough attention to their claims . with me in the studio for more on this is dave is religious affairs correspondent martin gox so hello to you martin so this punishment is of course significant but listen we know there have been thousands of cases of abuse within the church so why is either mcharg the first former cardinal to be dismissed over these things well by and large i mean we do not really have a precedent i mean a modern bresson for

a cardinal to be stripped or the from you know we have to make sure that people understand that he actually sort of when you supposed us a cardinal in july of last year so technically speaking he was the frog once he had already become essentially a former cardinal i mean nonetheless this is an extremely significant step by the by the congregation of the office of the doctrine of the faith which is not the pope himself but the pope had to actually give the go ahead so to say precisely because it's such a high standing figure somebody that within the catholic church of the u.s. was really at the very very pious writing of the very highest friend so right before you know we're about to have this summit on sexual abuse or summit on the protection of children is what the vatican scalding it which will start on thursday and will come to an end next sunday the seems this seems to be a very very strong opening shot warning shot perhaps talking about things to come

and see that the church wants to take in relationship so do you really see this as a shift in how the catholic church it will be dealing with sexual abuse in the future i don't think that this itself is. a major change i mean in the sense that you know in some senses quite ornamental the somebody that no longer count and really has been essentially out of office for a year i mean he was leaving he's leaving no and i'm not sure what happens after this but he was leaning eastern kansas in a rural community in a monastery so quite clearly this was no longer a few years. that had a new political muscle. once again and somebody that is very high up it was very happy in the ranks and it's a name that is very fresh in the memory of everybody that has been following this story i think that what we need to pay attention now we see whether this will be followed up with policy and protocols coming out of the summit next week or whether there's just flesh and blood and this is something that will have actually no follow up all right so you say it's symbolic it's a positive sign but then what would it take to indicate that the catholic church is

really ready to reform itself but can you know i don't think i think it's been clear now for essentially twenty years the catholic church cannot reform itself twenty years is a very very long time to attack a problem that has not been attacked there is one main question that continues to be the one that they're catholic church is not answering is when will they turn everything's to national authorities and their east no sign of self yet the but will become church policy or idea of these religious affairs correspondent martin gawked many thanks for your in science your welcome. let's get you up to speed now on some of the other stories making news around the world at least nine people have been killed in a fire that swept through a crowded slum in the bangladeshi port city of chittagong the blaze broke out during the night while residents were asleep more than two hundred homes were destroyed authorities says the cause of the fire is being investigated. in serbia

thousands turned out for anti-government protests across the country crowds in the capital belgrade rallied outside parliament and repeated calls for president of xander to change to resign using him of stifling democratic freedoms in this mint began in november after an opposition leader it was attacked by an unknown assailants. the german town of loving and has cracked the world record for the largest ever meeting of smurfs with a total of two thousand seven hundred sixty two blue have. it's counted revelers dressed up as characters from the belgian comic franchise and hardy to this song from the sixty year old cartoon series. all right time for a look at saturday's bundesliga action and stood guard are having a dreadful season they're stuck down the bottom in dire need of points but against top four side lives to get was not meant to be even though there was

a new face on the streetcar bench to help save the season. stuttgart were hoping that new sporting director thomas hitzlsperger would be the lucky charm against like sick but the home fans were disappointed just six minutes in use of pals and scoring his eleventh of the season with a whole lot of help from a calamitous stuck up defense. budget in contrast to last weekend's three nil loss they should fight to get back into the game a careless handball from video bomb spotted by the v.a.r. gave stephen soup of the chance to convert from the spot. his first goal since joining on loan in january. at the break hitzlsperger had reason to be hopeful effort and passion were clearly on display in the second half they had the first big chance to see about thwarted by an excellent peter kulash he saved.

instead it was like sick with the luck paulsen pulled his opponent down but was awarded a foul in his favor the resulting free kick converted accidently by muscles of its two one like sick with a big helping hand from the referee. around fifteen minutes from full time leipsic sealed the away when you sort of pulse and scoring his fifth brace of the campaign to make it three one it's the fiftieth goal still got sleepy defense has conceded this season. and some just the boys showed fight and discipline but that was a mission to keep a shake and they did that for most of the game but in possession they moved the ball up the pitch quickly so lots of positives today isn't a but it seems for now coach michael finds hill will remain in his job alongside his respect despite a run of six losses in seven games. let's have a look at the bun just think of results so far on match day twenty two there's that

hair to have berlin brain result and as. saw hoffenheim dominated hand over leipsic beach should guard both port had their way with mines shotgun freiburg share the spoils on friday by a munich squeaks past spork and sunday frankfurt phase bloodbath and liver coups and lock horns with door and monday's sees nuremberg take on legal leaders dortmund . ok a table turnus tournament using slippers instead of paddles was held in western japan on saturday with men women and mixed doubles teams taking part have a look at this. more than three hundred people gathered in the spa village of ten months of corrie onsen to enjoy a bizarre take on one of the nation's most beloved sports participants are with cozy footwear rallied served and smashed as best they could organizers say they hope to stage the event again next year it looks like lots of fun.

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