than journalist own holdaway speaking to us from erbil iraq thanks very much for the update. british iranian aid worker now the names are gary rat play of hers had her elektra like tracking device removed at the end of her 5 year prison sentence over disputed spying charges her case has highlighted long running tensions between britain and iran and field international outrage we spoke to antonio puller the c.e.o. of thomson reuters and the gallery radcliffe's former employer to get his take on the news. it's a positive development let's put it this way but he's also it with a certain extent than expected that it will but because it's the end with a 5 year term prison prison sentence and so she was due some sort of information so some developments was expected in this after the article to. come off the set especially is especially welcome use. more my i'm joined by london correspondent charlotte chel some pill charlotte tell us a little bit more about this case a bit more about the background. that was she's a british iranian air a worker back as she was arrested in turan in 2

i'm joined now by journalist owen holdaway who's in iraq following the pope's visit oh and the pope has met with the grand ayatollah ali sistani why is that meeting so significant i think because of the way starting actually within. a lot he's essentially the head of the largest beaten into the shia community of iraq i think the fact that they're doing a dialogue between the 2 of them is extremely important was the lead also sustain itself very reclusive and rarely get political or public statements so i think the fact that both also leads raids that need you know being 11 united iraq and all iraqis bridge regardless bait on of what should live together in peace i think that really emphasizes when he has it and not quite within the country and also within the right what have the glitz what about non christians how are they reacting to the pope's visit. i mean very much so i mean i think they're very very happy the fact that they showcase a different side of iraq iraq tends to be thought of you know this as a very sectarian country with a lot of conflict between the different ethnic grou

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 si

foreign journalist owen holdaway speaking to us from in iraq thanks very much for the update it's. and as to myanmar now where protesters are out on the streets again to continue their demonstrations against last month's military coup tens of thousands are marching with the largest protests in the city of mandalay it follows police raids targeting opposition leaders where a number of people were arrested witnesses have described hearing shots during those raids it comes as the chinese government says it's willing to work with the relevant parties to ease tensions journalist a man joins me now from yang gone police have stepped up raids overnight to have we say much violence there today. yes although we haven't seen quite as much violence as we saw earlier in the week and on last sunday there has been quite a lot more violence that we saw in the last few days during the night raids quite a number of people reported seeing their neighbors being taken who were down subsequently beat and in fact you saw that one local and national league for democracy ward official was actually killed

now i'm joined by journalist owen holdaway who is an arab bail following the papal visit iowan the pope met with one of the most powerful figures and shiite islam grand ayatollah ali al sistani why was his meeting so important. i think it's extremely important because as you say he's one of those powerful shiite leaders in the not just in iraq iran that whole middle east so i think the meeting of them if you can a joint message of unity and was extremely important you know and also signals a lot of that ship follows that you know to actually go along with that with there are christian brethren of iraq sort of very strong message also additionally the the ayatollah is very private man makes political statements or actually involve himself in so the fact that he came out and said and said this joint statement with you i think it's really really powerful so that several times since his arrival already in pope francis has denounced extremism and violence in the name of religion but realistically what can we achieve on this trip as far as interfaith dialogue goes i think one of communitarian

journalist owen holdaway speaking to us from erbil iraq thanks very much for the update. let's turn on some other stories making news around the world this hour iran has released british iranian aid work as a name doesn't in zakari ratcliffe she was jailed in 2016 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 and jal 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 k. figures in the antique who protest movement they've been calling for a return to democracy since the military seize power almost 5 weeks ago. the u.s. senate has approved president joe biden's $1.00 trillion dollar coronavirus relief plan it includes direct payments of $1400.00 to most americans democrats narrowly won the vote without any republican support the house of representatives is expected to approve the bill next week. brazil is seeing a major surge in cov

journalist owen holdaway is an herbal and joins me now on many historic and symbolic firsts there for the pope honest trip to iraq what is his message to the people in the country i think essentially some to our last address when he when he said peace and unity between a different nature and he also really wanted to push forward the message. his notion of the cues to communicate the rock which is something part of. the arts. the 1st papal visit ever it is of course hugely significant for christians and iraq what does it really mean for them though do they expect to see a lasting change coming from this. i mean i think particularly the visit here in northern iraq you know to characterise those sort of areas were very important because that means you have completely devastated when i as took over mosul in parts of nineveh so i think his message to them is the christians here or it's a move broadly you know that this it will be more of i think a good effect on him a community into a sort of ground that will politically you know it's not going to disarm the militias it's not going to stop

now joined by journalist owen holdaway his in the air bill following the papal visit high on the pope met with one of the most powerful thinkers and shiite islam grand ayatollah ali al sistani why was as meeting so important he was extremely important because as you say these words powerful shortly but not soon iraq iran that whole middle east so i think the meeting of them to give a joint message of unity armas streaming importantly and also signals a lot that's cheerful as to you know to actually go along with that with their own christian brethren of iraq sort of a very strong message was additionally the arts for a very private man growing makes political statements or a few of them so the fact that he came out and said so. i think it's really really really powerful so several times since his arrival already pope francis has denounced extremism and violence in the name of religion but realistically what can he achieve on this trip as far as interfaith dialogue goes. i think one of communitarian level you know social level one of these theories very powerful because it suits you bu

i'm joined now by journalist owen holdaway who's in iraq following the pope's visit the pope has met with the grand ayatollah ali sistani why is that meeting so significant i think because of the way starting actually within. he's essentially the head of the lodge beaten into she can see their ox i think the fact that they're doing a dialogue between the 2 of them is extremely important was the leader also says donna so he's very reclusive and rarely gives political or public statements so i think the fact that both also reiterated the need you know being 11 united iraq and all iraqis bridge regardless bait on of what should live together in peace i think that really emphasizes that when he has of the not quite within the country and also within the right what typically is what about non-christian so how are they reacting to the pope's visit. i mean very much so i mean i think they're very very happy the fact that they showcasing a different side of iraq's army iraq tends to be thought of you know this as a very sectarian country with a lot of conflict between the different ethnic gr

journalist owen holdaway is an arab oil and joins me now many historic and symbolic firsts there for the pope on this trip to iraq what is his message to the people in the country i think essentially it's something else when he said peace and unity between it and he also maybe the message. which is part of. the 1st papal visit ever it is of course hugely significant for christians and iraq what does it really mean for that though do they expect to see a lasting change coming from this. i mean i think particularly the visit here in northern iraq you know to characterise those sort of areas were very important because there kristie been as you were completely devastated when i as took over mosul and parts of nineveh so i think his message to them is the christians here all it's a move broadly you know that this it will blow it up i think good effect on and i'm a community and an interfaith sort of ground that will politically you know it's not going to disarm the militias it's not going to stop this. there were operational in certain areas of this country more than the urban areas but

now i'm joined by journalist owen holdaway his an arab bail following the papal visit heigho and the pope met with one of the most powerful figures and shiite islam grand ayatollah ali al sistani why was this meeting so important. i think it's extremely important because as you say he's one of the most powerful shiite leaders in the not just in iraq iran that ram whole middle east so i think the meeting of them to give a joint message of unity and was streaming important you know and also signals a lot of that ship follows that you know to actually go along with that.

the journalist own holdaway is in erbil and he joins me now and what have the people what has the pope rather been saying to the people of iraq this morning. basically he's going to bring the message that it's going since the start of his trip he's searching about reconciliation and talking about all punk rock stuff i'm not from violence is that sets the same way that uses message to if you can also live with live side by side with you with your go up on the other face of this country so yes essentially it's writing about all this is obviously a huge deal for christians in iraq want it what essentially does it mean to them i think it's extremely important particularly coming to the north which was very much decimated by the attacks by the by the borders of the islamic state and then take the local it's out of mosul and power party which is that are very strong government pristine area that's what must've x. there's a lot of a lot of christians don't came here so i think his message is well words for a long distance return home to areas such as carroll or areas in about where they where

journalist holdaway is an arab oil and joins me now any a story and symbolic 1st there for the pope honest trip to iraq what is the message to the people in the country i think essentially. what he said peace and unity between and it made me also really want the message. which is. at.

i'm joined now by journalist owen holdaway who's in bill in iraq oh and what's been the pontiff main message for the papal of northern iraq today. i think the visit particularly to carry conscious it's very symbolic that time was completely decimated by the state in that i cannot say when they think they took a town i mean even during the liberation of the church in that section on they completely burnt out so it's very symbolic things came back then i gave the speech in that church so real sick notes that christine community of northern iraq to return and rebuild rebuilt rebuilt their lives some of the largest in the north of the country. yeah i mean it's a pretty incredible to say those pictures of the pope tearing around those 4 miles strongholds you know me as the saying character. this must undoubtedly be their most dangerous part of the journey. yeah exactly i mean when you know going into these areas we've got you so you see it was for myself i said stronghold so him going to this area it is very very definitely riskier papa trick on terms of price operationally they're not th