thought behind the past they leave for the people need to know what is happening in our series guardians of truth watch know on youtube, d. w documentary ah ah, this is dw news lie from berlin. pope francis leads palm sunday mass just a day after leaving hospital. there had been concerns that the pontiff would not have been well enough to attend events leading up to easter and the most important week in the christian calendar. also on the program absurd and destructive

ukraine's president will. autumn is lensky. react with fury. as russia takes charge of the un security council of presidency. it comes as keith makes plans to launch a counter offensive. and in sports, a gold keeping house or helps buy and unix, the title rivals, bruce your door to go back to the top of the boon this weekend. with 8 games left. this is ah a warm welcome to viewers around the world. i'm michael ok. cope francis is leading the palm sunday mass in the vatican saint peter's square. just a day after being released from hospital, the 86 year old spent 4 days receiving treatment for bout of bronchitis, but his said to be feeling better. a crowd of 30000 faithful have crowded into the square for the pontiff address. today's ceremony marks the beginning of

celebrations for the most important week in the christian calendar. joining me now here in the studio is d. w. religious affairs correspondent martin, gac to talk with me about the palm sunday mass in the vatican. martin, welcome to the program. this was a well time departure. i mean one day after basically leaving the hospital, the pope is saying mass. i mean, we have known for 2 days or so that he was actually in fairly good shape and that he had developed sort of out of the bronchitis you know, quite speedily. obviously he still has mobility problems and you will see that in the images of him leaving the hospital. but i think that it was understood even 2 days ago that he would most likely be leading the mass. so, you know, i think that this also talks to the resilience of this bow and how engaged he's with his, with his work, essentially,

even even in the face of ailments. this is the 1st palm sunday mass to be held. since the pandemic, tens of thousands of people are gathered in saint peter's square. what does this mean for worshippers? i think that it's obviously very important. i mean, people give great significance to, i mean, to keep in mind that the main element or the main object of the, of the church is in fact to bring together the congregation. so the congregation is very important and to be able to congregate at the vatican with. the pope is very important. that being said, i mean the, the vatican has been open for business in st. peter's has been open for business for at least a year, a year and a half now. so you know, i think that what would be interesting to see, and i don't know if you remember this, but there was this very famous image of the pope walking alone through st. peter to lead mass. i believe it was actually easter sunday. and now what we're going to cease back again, the vatican in full sort of, you know, in full page and, and full of people. i mean, in the sense it's very warming is

a very warming event. there's poetry to this very spot, a trick to this one can say d, w 's martin gag. many, many thanks. you're welcome. russia has taken over the rotating presidency of the united nations security council, sparking a furious reaction in ukraine. in his daily address, ukraine's president vladimir lensky deemed it absurd and called the council, a bankrupt institution. he says it ought to be reformed, so as not to allow a terrorist state to disrupt peace. savanski also called for russia to be held accountable for its actions in ukraine. meanwhile, on the front line, ukraine is managing to hold off russian troops. but civilians are still being urged to evacuate. a look now at what people are going through in the city of the fca, which has been left in ruins. driving through the battered streets in the eastern city of i've div curve with police are looking for those who want to leave. you put

a number for the last 4 months. this basement has been home to 73 year old. helena. but she's decided it's time to go with no single mother was i couldn't take it any more. our house is destroyed and i spent most of the time in the basement. them really? by yet. every one is afraid. every one. local officials say the town has been almost completely destroyed in recent weeks. what's his name was destiny? me situation has changed in the past month since the beginning of march of disco has been under aircraft bombing and artillery file bavaria. no. since then,

almost old buildings have been destroyed through no one is submitted. it would include in nearby shows, if ya, people working for the charity international lions clubs of awfully a trying to convince residents to move to safety o lever, who will give us volunteers say many are reluctant to go unless the be the biggest part of the job is convincing them the evacuation is the easy part, bucking of deep cur. it's an emotional departure for helena. a trained to safety, but far away from the place she calls home. earlier we spoke the defense analyst marina miran and asked her if she thought russia had the ability to wage an effective, large scale offensive on the ground. first of all are what we're seeing around buckman kind of di. of course, we have to understand that the ukranian armed forces have occupied

a defensive position sayer, especially when we're talking about the fee. of course, they created a fortress well prior to russia's invasion less here. so it is very difficult for russia because defense in this case is easier than taking of the of gov. also, given the fact that russia has suffered some setbacks and had to recalibrate its entire approach. we also have to bear in mind that russia had mobilize and these new recruits are probably not as good as the man power that the russians have lost . so there are all sorts of factors that need to be taken into account when assessing the situation. and obviously we know that the ukrainians happened pouring a lot of resources and manpower to defend buttoned and the situation is not decided as of yet. so we're seeing conflicting reports. we're seeing wagner planting the flag very close to the bottom, obsidian administration,

and attacking the ukrainian flanks like iran chrome over. so it's still not decided and it remains to be seen now whether the ukrainian side can indeed defend those 2 places. ukraine has held on to back moody even when most thought that the city was about to fall. how do you explain this resilience? is it down to better equipment, better train soldiers, better strategies? i guess it's down to, to manufacturers, as i said before. and it's also down to the morale and the political imperative to hold. because it's important for the lensky to be able to show that his forces are capable of resisting russia's advances on the one hand. on the other hand, it creates more credibility when it comes to weapons deliveries and ammunition deliveries. and of course, the western coalition has been trying desperately to provide ukraine was,

let's say artillery shells to create some, some sort of parity because intensive artillery battles. on the other hand, from a military perspective, there is a lot look for ukraine despite what we have been hearing. because the, the fear is on. and this is coming from the korean military that the entire line of defense would collapse. so it is vital for ukraine to hold the city and also in the kind of the informational spectrum they, the ukrainians don't want russia to be able to claim that victory because it would be the 1st victory for the russians after so many setbacks. so they're all sorts of important things which are combined in this one city that the ukrainians are holding to. that was marina muran, defense analyst at kings college, london to finland. now heading to the polls to elect a new government, it's been a close res, so far between the 3 main parties, social democrat,

prime minister of santa moran is hoping to secure a 2nd term in office, but she's facing a strong challenge from the far right. i finished my minister son amarion, cast her ballad early as did almost 40 percent of finished voters, a record. but it will come down to the last minute to see if mar, in social democrats can pull ahead of their 2 main rivals. the conservative coalition party and the populace fins, party with nato membership in hand. the impact of neighboring russia's war on ukraine has not dominated debates. finished. voters are focused on finances. the fact that the all public finances are embellished in some countries is not the nice you've, it's would move the pollution mean feel under these. that's not going well. this a huge service deficit i and the into, to extend that. now the amount fealand is paying on its dep, this amounts to do some of our ministry spots, et cetera, et cetera. though, finish public debt at 72 percent of g. d. p is far lower than the eurozone average

. it's uncomfortably high for finland. taking over in 2019 santa marin, successfully navigated finland through cove, it, and into nato. but while she's extremely popular abroad, thanks in part to a leaked video last year of her dancing with friends, her economic moves are criticized at home debt, climbed under her watch yet. she's campaigning on continued social spending. i think the main issues that people are thinking, our economy a public, this also public services, education, social and health care and social benefits. i think people are thinking about their ordinary life. martin's opponents are more fiscally cautious. head of the coalition party bet that he ordered will insist steep and if it's must be cut to bring down the dead. and he's leading poles with that position. the fins party is anti immigrant and euro skeptic. they're sitting in 2nd place. son, amarion says the social democrats would refuse to create

a government coalition with them. their party platform calls for pulling finland out of the european union in brussels fins aren't so worried about anti you sentiment. but the environment and the economy does a big maturity of fins who are for their you so the to fins cannot really on their own. go out, i want to have those a moderate kind of people who are thinking about also about environmental issues. and that not only about themselves, and we have an aging population in general. so costs are going to go up. taxes are probably gonna go up with hard financial decisions ahead analyst tommy hoot than and says the only thing certain about the outcome is that whoever wins is going to be very unpopular in the buddhist leger by a munich coach, thomas took or saw his new side beat his former club for a she adored man for 2. it was one of the biggest matches in german football for years with dorman going into the game in 1st place. but an awful goal keeping the

shake helps, and barn back to the top. not since the champions league, final of 2013 has a meeting between these 2 old rivals. being such a high stakes affair, torment were flying high before the fixture, but in 23 disastrous minutes were brought crushing down to earth. why ins opener on 13 minutes, was the result of a surreal gold keeping blunder from dormant stopper cagle, colby, a long bull by dialing from a corner from inside the by a half catastrophically, misjudged by the keeper. it was a nightmare star for the swiss. and worse was on its way a simple corner saw dockman suffer their next set back when mattie's de leaks had out was turned home by thomas miller. and 5 minutes after that, miller made it 3 when a luckless kobus buildable at his feet. after diving to stop leroy semis,

long range effort 23 minutes into his career as buoyant coach thomas to who could hardly believe his luck, while dalton's dreadful 1st half had put their season's work in jeopardy. the 2nd 45 brought yet more goals, starting with a full full, the host, courtesy of kings. we c'mon then following this foul on g. bellingham, in the bye, and bolts em rachel fly. it hung a spot take to make it for one. but it was a goal, more of consolation than of consequence, much like dorman, 2nd schooled by tanya marlyn in the 19th minute. da damage, of course, had long since been done. disaster for dormant as by and retake top spot in the buddha's legal with 8 games left to play. and here's a reminder of the top story we're falling for you at this hour. hope francis is

leading pon sunday mass just a day after leaving hospital phone and treatment for bronchitis. tens of thousands of worshipers are in attendance and we will end it there. coming up next reporter takes a look at how playing sports can help slow down the effects of parkinson's. don't forget there's more news on our website. that's d, w dot com. and of course on our social media, our handle there as expected. at the wb's. michael ok. thanks for watching. ah. enjoying the view and come to take a look at this tv highlight school every week in your inbox. subscribe now. oh, people in trucks injured when trying to flee the city center.