with. faces date over the news live from berlin pope francis celebrates a historic mass in the iraqi city of erbil thousands of the faithful have packed the city's friends over riri stadium for a chance to see that front if it comes after francis made an impassioned denunciation of religious fanaticism to bring you live coverage of the mass.

i'm rebecca ritter's welcome to the program pope francis's historic trip to iraq is culminating right now with a mass in front of thousands of the faithful in the city of erbil some $10000.00 christians packed the city's friends of hariri stadium for a chance to see the pope the event is going ahead despite the risk of spreading coronavirus vatican and iraqi organizers have promised to enforce social distancing measures fat health health experts worry the mass could become a super spreader event. of more on that and the pope's visit to iraq i'm joined by journalist owen holdaway in erbil and by the religious affairs correspondent martin gak here in berlin i want to start with you we will get to the importance of this mass and of the tour in general but 10000 people at this mass tell us more.

i mean i think basically back at the start it's important for some social distance disunity. we vaccinated but it has been a lot as you said in your introduction it's been multiple warnings about this the. other events and then there is a big issue as well with the rock it's out of sight if i can exist in 3 and it's almost $14000.00 deaths so it's a real risk that this event my own might end up exacerbated an ordinance very much better made to the health system indeed any mention of the pope himself has been vaccinated and the entourage that's of course excellent that you will the response what responsibility will the vatican take if this does indeed turn out to increase the spread of coronavirus. i mean i said joe i don't i don't think there's a lot they can do you know i think they made since you know it was a quick visit and the health care warnings were there but our you know i think that that's essentially a sense that they're arguing for or suppose that you know the suit in order to

showcase a different sort of a raft but it is a very risky risky thing to do through a new pandemic and a bad leader even it is a historic event as you just mentioned martin let's turn to you because what was the point of the main message for the people of northern iraq today. i think the high load has been the reconstruction of the reconstitution of the christian community i mean the pictures of the bible talking you know. basically destroyed church among the ruins were sourced really in my mind very very powerful and i think sort of seen. in general in the journal approach of the vatican to the strip which it's you know receptive to doing. the dignity of the christian community in iraq which is being of course atari violence and out of the same. inductor remote or so it's sort of the ongoing violence among other things

sectarian. indeed and i mosul and kara caution no doubt the most dangerous parts of this journey own what's the security situation there during the pope's visit stream. security particularly this leg of the you know it's probably the most dangerous part of that you know as that's the most was the 4 miles so strong how do you think our cost as well that goes from so tell us on in terms of us operationally though they're not they don't have the capacity to know when they want any sort of an attack so i think i think it's his fans if he should be something very very very tight security and also i think quite safe at the moment. the minute you touched on a little bit this is such an important i would imagine for such an important visit for christians in iraq what does this to it mean for christians but also been on christians. well they need. to have some 30

in western in western what we would call really western power structures i mean the most the most you know the most visible figure that has visited iraq in a very long time so i mean i think to some degree this is very good for the christian communities the catholic community chiefly among them but also the christian communities that are not nothing i mean the nation because he operates in so to some degree as an advocate for those community said well but at the very same time that actually how did i you know the position of iraq the context of. you know current. crisis in the region but also sort of finish that it's coming back from the ashes were actually just. you know what you've got to be as can be can be i think of some degree to that the results of our iraq i'll just briefly we're saying pictures of the mass now that it's happening and

it's underway what's happening it was it left on the shuttle what's happening what is the pope doing for the rest of the day and tomorrow i mean it basically is having he's having a sit in the head to head the mass here and this is final combination of events think that he flies direct act like that maybe meeting if you have issues before flying flying out tomorrow morning so it's not number one on the. on it on his schedule this essentially kind of culmination of the so-called pilgrimage pilgrimage piece or i'm quite a combination of is own hole the way in abbeville and monjack parts invent thanks very much to give us he. or all of them. i have been stark differences from country to country in both the approach of the corona virus and the rollout of vaccines when i want to take a look at the consequences of a pandemic that has left no one unaffected even in the most remote corners of the earth. a danish boat pushes through the arctic ice to make sure remote communities

in greenland get their vaccine the autonomous territory has used its island status to its advantage closing its borders and suffering new york over 1000 relly to death as a result. on the other side of the world another island is reaping the benefits of its isolation as policy australians celebrated the famous gay and lesbian mardi gras festival at a packed sydney cricket ground. britain didn't use it status in the same way and suffered a heavy death toll but no uncoupled from the e.u. it has had a free hand to introduce vaccination as it sees fit and it is progressing fast. is that. he. will need that. in germany by contrast vaccination is proceeding at

a snail's pace people have been snapping up the wrap itself tests that have just hit the shelves but many were left empty handed. but phone nothing maybe they weren't delivered on. the vaccine situation is bleaker in many of the world countries the world health organization warned heavily hit brazil but to slovenly could have consequences beyond its borders the concern is not just about. you know brazil neighbor it's almost a whole. lot in america many countries i don't know except. means if is no. you know serious then it will continue to affect all the neighborhood and beyond. rwanda was one of 14 countries to receive their 1st doses from the w h o's kovacs program medical workers were among the 1st in line to receive it.

we hope that this vaccine will help us to reduce the number of people infected or killed by covert 19 and that it will eradicate the pandemic completely. in the chinese city if we run the place where it all started the cherry blossoms are in bloom it certainly feels as if the pandemic is all but over in china beijing recently set an economic growth target of over 6 percent this year as it looks to the future well people in other countries hope for signs of spring amid corporate nineteen's long winter of discontent. let's turn now to some other stories making news around the world this hour iran has released british a rainy an aid worker now as the names of gary radcliffe she was jailed in $26.00 days for allegedly plotting to overthrow the regime the case has become a matter of major diplomatic disagreement between britain and iran iran has

repeatedly detained foreigners until nationals on charges campaigners and governments say are unfounded. people have turned out to demonstrate across me and maher after a series of overnight raids targeted key figures in the anti coup protest movement they've been calling for a return to democracy since the military seized power almost 5 weeks ago. protesters in bangkok have defied a ban on public gatherings to call for the release of their detained leaders they said they set photos of thailand's king alight as they held a vigil outside the criminal court the protest movement emerged last year calling for reforms to the monarchy and the constitution. me u.s. senate has approved president joe biden's $1.00 trillion dollar coronavirus relief plan includes direct payments of $1400.00 to most americans and democrats now really won the vote without any republican support the house of representatives is expected to approve the bill next week.

in the bundesliga the match up between by and munich ambrosio dortmund known as a day classic didn't disappoint league leaders by and one for 2 as robert levin dusky his hat trick helped them come back from a to nil down and help him out shine his dorman rival. this edition of to classic it was all about the strikers byron's robert love and dusty was on course to break the record for the most goals in a book does leave his season drop and on the other hand we're missing key players to injury piling the pressure on striker holland but the norwegian thrives on a challenge and in just the 2nd minute his strike took a deflection of the wrong boat sank and. plucked in yellows taking a short lead at the allianz arena. yes that was soon after dortmund where injury nyad talking as are making his 1st start since october darted behind the bar and defense to set up. a flying counterattack showcasing dortmund their best it was 2

nil with less than 10 minutes. but by and i used to come in from behind and excellent work from leroy sand i allowed love and dusty to half the deficit before the half hour mark. quick thinking and quick feet from sinai had by and back in the game and then a needless filed by enough mood to who gifted by in a penalty dusky stepped up thank. the outcome was never in doubt the scores were level going into half the time. dortmund clung on to a draw throughout the 2nd half until with just 2 minutes to go by and took the lead . gorecki has been a colossus in midfield this season and he again came through for the champions just in time. there were enough seconds on the clock for by him to inflict more misery on dortmund that i don't see completed his hat trick against his former club and

crept ever closer to a record setting goals tally. the faces on the dortmund bench set it all for him to no luck they found themselves vanquished for. by and remain at the top of the table thanks to the man who can seemingly rescue them from any situation. 11 dusky now has a 31 point as they get goals this season he needs just 10 more from bines 10 remaining games to be get mahler's longstanding record this is how the polish striker rated his science performance against orton and. we know that the maybe the 1st 1520 minutes we didn't play but after 2nd goal that's how we can see that we're not ok now we have to push forward to have to try to score the 1st goal and the 2nd half we had this game under control and we know it ok come on boys we have to try to score the other goals because we want to get to 3 points and we did so i think that was something special and to be sure everyone that we we want to stay on the

1st those. but 2nd place like fish kept up the pressure on bond with a comfortable 3 victory in fribourg lead at half time thanks to christopher. who was gifted his goal by the home defense and life has added 2 more goals after the break with emil forsberg bagging the pick of the pair the women's lives as remain 2 points behind by an at the top of the table. let's take a look at the other bundesliga results so far this match day champions league hopefuls evolves slipped up at hoffenheim fellow top 4 chases frankfurt were held by stuttgart leverkusen edge merchant bloodbath and heads of berlin picked up their 1st win in 10 games on friday shell drew nil nil with minds and there are 2 games on sunday when you know in berlin will hope to keep up their push for european places of bielefeld. and finally some truly cool news for you

a russian swimmer. crossover has claimed a new record for the longest under a rock on the ice swim at a frozen lake moscow wearing just a bathing suit a swimming calf and an underwater mosque a 40 year old from moscow covered 101 to make his beneath the ice without surfacing for 2 minutes and 17 seconds truly breathtaking stuff you're watching news we'll have more headlines at the top of the hour thanks very much for watching. while your people forced to hide in trucks. there are many things that. there are many answers.

and there are maybe.