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Head of Roman Catholic Church is First Pope to Visit Iraq; Police In Myanmar Clash with Protesters; Europe's Unified Vaccination Strategy is Splintering. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired March 05, 2021 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[10:00:25]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: We begin connecting you to an amazing moment. The Pope is in Iraq.

I'm Becky Anderson from our Middle East broadcasting hub in Abu Dhabi. Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD.

We are witnessing history this Friday. The man who says he's traveling as a pilgrim of peace is now the first Roman Catholic pope to set foot in Iraq,

a country where in recent times peace has been murdered time and time again.

Pope Francis stepping off the plane at the airport in Baghdad. He will tour Christian religious sites during a four-day visit that's raised hope for

Iraqi Christians but also concern inside the Vatican over the multiple risks involved.

Iraq is in the throes of a large spike in coronavirus cases and over the past three weeks, multiple sites housing the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq

have come under attack. The pope's first hours in country packed with events. We just saw his arrival.

He held a brief meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in the VIP hall of the airport. After that, a festive ceremony as he headed

out.

Crowds lining the streets as the pope's motorcade headed from the airport to the presidential palace. The presidential cavalry leading the pope's

vehicle through the Baghdad International Zone as it made its way to the palace.

The official welcoming ceremony happened there.

The pope calling this trip symbolic and a duty to fulfill. The ceremony followed by a private meet with the Iraqi president and a meeting with

civil and diplomatic officials.

The pope visited bishops, priests and others at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad, the same church where terrorists who were forerunners to

ISIS massacred 58 people back in 2010.

CNN's Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher is traveling with the pope and she joins me now from Baghdad.

This, a busy first day on what is a packed schedule over the next couple of days.

What do we know at this point?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Becky. You know, we've just arrived, first day in Baghdad. A lot of people did not

think this trip was going to happen.

I was on the plane. I was chatting with the Vatican's foreign minister, all of us on the plane. We were all saying it came together at the last minute.

But the pope was determined to come. He said it was his duty -- his duty to the Iraqi government. He'd given his word also to the Christians here and

to the Iraqi people.

And one of the important meetings which I think is going to show us the larger agenda for the pope is going to happen tomorrow in Najaf. It's a

private meeting with the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. And that is extremely important because he is the leader of the Shia Muslims.

And if you connect that meeting, Becky, which we won't have pictures on, we won't know a lot about. But if you connect that meeting to the meeting a

few years ago, you were there and I was there in Abu Dhabi with the head of the Sunni Muslims, the Imam al Tayeb. And they signed the great human

fraternity document, this document for peace between Muslims, Christians and all religions.

You'll begin to see a little bit of the pope's larger agenda in terms of religious dialogue here, meeting with two branches of Islam. And that's

going to be a key moment and also one of the reasons why Pope Francis really wanted to make this trip -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah, absolutely. You make a really good point. And clearly this trip extremely important to the pope. As you rightly pointed out, the risks

involved in this are quite something. Not least, those of security and of COVID. And yet the pope absolutely determined he would make this trip.

[10:05:02]

Delia, you spoke to him on the plane ride over. Any words of advice? I hope you can still hear me.

I think we've lost her. That's okay.

We'll see if we can get her back. Important stuff. Delia traveling with the pope from the Vatican to Iraq on what is this historic day.

We discussed the pope's visit to Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad in 2010. That became the site of the single worst massacre of Iraqi Christians

ever.

CNN's Ben Wedeman spoke to the survivors of that massacre who recounted a day of terror that they say forever changed the future of Baghdad's once

vibrant Christian community.

Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The image of Pope Francis Grace's the blast walls protecting Baghdad's Our Lady

of Salvation Church, the messages of brotherhood a facade perhaps to the bitter memory of the worst ever massacre of Christians in Baghdad.

Each one of these red squares represents the spot where somebody died in October 2010. A total of 58 people were killed in the attack.

Terrorists from the Islamic State in Iraq, the precursor to ISIS, burst into the church during evening mass.

Deacon Lewis Clements was inside and recalls the attackers made their purpose clear.

Their intention was evil. It was to kill he says. They considered everyone in the church and infidel deserving of death.

CNN's Arwa Damon reported from the church in the immediate aftermath.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: When the attackers stormed and half of the congregation came back here into this room trying

to keep themselves safe.

They had barricaded the door but the attackers were throwing grenades in. There's blood on the walls here. People have been leaving candles

throughout the evening.

Here we were told the residue of one of the grenades exploded and all over the ceilings and the walls just splattered with blood.

WEDEMAN: Deacon Clements shows us exactly where he was cowering on the floor with his son and dozens of others taking cover during the attack.

Shrapnel ripped into his head.

We stayed here for four hours in terror and fear he recalls. We had surrendered to fate and put our lives in the hands of the Virgin Mary.

Grainy amateur video shows the panic and trauma moments after Iraqi anti- terrorism troops stormed the church. The massacre was the final straw for many of Baghdad's Christians.

Since the attack, almost everyone is left says Nathan Anwar (ph), a survivor. Before mass was held three times in the morning and twice in the

evening. Now, there's just one massive a day.

The specter of terror has receded for now yet corruption, political paralysis, chaos and perceived discrimination have left the Christian

community desperate for help.

We need someone to stand with us, says Deacon Clements, because we live in a jungle, a jungle controlled by political monsters, a jungle in need of

saints.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, Ben Wedeman with us from Baghdad to connect us to the big picture of the pope's history-making visit and what it means to Iraq's

Christian community. And your report there reflecting one man who said that we need someone to stand with us.

Well, clearly, having the pope on the ground is a good start. What's -- what's the mood, Ben?

WEDEMAN: The mood is one of happiness that Iraq has reached the point where the pope who announced his visit back in December can come. Keep in

mind, for instance, that when an American president visits Iraq, it's a secret until the moment he lands. He doesn't really go around very much.

And he's very quickly gone.

So the pope is spending four days here, three full days. Three very full days, and his schedule has been announced, and he can do it.

And, therefore, yes, for instance, in late January, there was that double suicide bombing here in Baghdad that killed dozens of people. There's still

danger here.

[10:10:01]

There's still coronavirus here.

But Iraq has reached a point where indeed somebody like this can come and spend many days here and visit many different places.

For Christians who, yes, their numbers have dwindled dramatically from around a million and a half in 2003 to maybe 300,000 now. But the fact the

pope is coming here really focusing the world's attention on this ancient community. And then there's the big picture of, for instance, in the summer

of 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the now dead self-declared caliph of ISIS, declared you will conquer Rome and control the world.

I was here in Baghdad in the fall of 2014 when ISIS was just on the outskirts of the city. Things looked really grim back then for Iraqis. But

today you have the pope, the bishop of Rome, has come to Iraq to carry out this visit.

So it really does -- nobody thinks that Iraq's problems, many problems, will be solved. There's still intense anger at the mismanagement of the

country, at the rampant corruption. But there is a feeling that perhaps Iraq may some day turn the corner and become the country that it should be,

a prosperous, wealthy country.

So nobody thinks problems are about to be solved, but it does provide a glimmer of hope for a country that for 40 years suffered through wars,

sanctions and waves of terrorism -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Let's just remind ourselves, Ben, you make a very good point. 18 years after the U.S. invasion in 2003, you are rightly pointing out, not

that this is necessarily a watershed. I don't think that's what you're saying but you're saying there's the possibility perhaps, the seeds perhaps

of a different future for Iraq going forward.

Of course, this isn't just a trip to Christian sites. It's a wider trip than that. And so, we talked yesterday, Ben, at this time about the sense

of a universal welcome. Not just from the Christian community, correct?

WEDEMAN: Yes. Many Iraqis, Muslims, Christians, whatever, have expressed happiness.

And it's important to remember that, you know, the impression of some sort of chasm between Islam and Christianity is perhaps a little incorrect. You

have Muslim goes to Christian shrines. Christians go to Muslim shrines. These are religions that are not diametrically opposed. In this part of the

world, they've lived side by side for centuries.

And therefore, there's a sense of pride that this is the country that is the birthplace of the Patriarch Abraham and Pope Francis will be visiting

that birthplace, Ur, tomorrow. Abraham, of course, is revered by Muslims, Christians and Jews.

So it's a shared legacy that people have here and, yes, there have been some voices of unhappiness with the visit of the pope from some of the

militias, for instance, but ordinary Iraqis are delighted to have the pope here in Iraq, regardless of their religion -- Becky.

ANDERSON: And let's give those ordinary Iraqis a voice on a day like today.

Thank you, Ben.

The future could be co-existence, is what we -- what the pope talked about when he was here in the UAE in 2019. And that's a path he continues to

follow and something that he continues to promote.

Coming up in our next hour, we speak to Paolo Fontani, who is the UNESCO representative in Iraq about history and heritage and the importance of

rebuilding a country decimated by terrorism and war.

I want to get you up to speed on the other stories we're following on our radar this hour. Human Rights Watch says Eritrean forces massacred more

than 200 people in Ethiopia's Tigray region in November. It happened over a week in a town where militia fought against or fought back against the

Eritrean invasion. They described a 24-hour killing spree in which troops went house to house shooting men and boys. The group is adding to calls for

an investigation into atrocities in Tigray.

[10:15:02]

The U.S. is reaffirming its opposition to an International Criminal Court investigation into possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories. The

White House said that that was one of the issues Vice President Kamala Harris and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed during a

Thursday night phone call. Another topic? Increased cooperation on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brazil's president says if it were up to him, the country would never have any lockdowns. Jair Bolsonaro told supporters that the lockdown policy has

not worked anywhere in the world. Brazil has 260,000 deaths due to coronavirus, second only to the United States.

I'm afraid the week ends with more bloodshed in Myanmar after a month of the protests there show no signs of slowing despite a crackdown by police.

Coming up, we speak with a journalist about what is going on there.

Also ahead, Europe's vaccine rollout disaster. What members states are doing now to take care of their own.

And Moldova becomes the first European country to get vaccines from the global COVAX system. I'll be speaking with the country's president. That

coming up in the next hour.

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ANDERSON: We turn now to the overdrive for power by some leading to the senseless killing of others, protests in Myanmar again turning deadly.

Police there have reportedly opened fire on protesters in the city of Mandalay killing one man. Police are also using rubber bullets and stun

grenades to break up protests in Yangon. Protesters have been on the streets since the military coup on February the 1st.

These protesters sang and chanted slogans including the stone age is over, we are not scared. Myanmar's neighbors and countries around the world are

pleading with the military junta to release political prisoners, including democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

CNN's Paula Hancocks has been following the developments on this for weeks and has more details on Friday's bloodshed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, yet again this Friday we are seeing loss of life on the streets of Myanmar. There have been many

peaceful protests around the country. One in particular in Mandalay, we understand, from "Reuters" quoting eyewitnesses did turn violent as

security forces fired upon the crowd. At least one young man has been killed there, according to the Reuters News Agency.

And this is really continuing what we have seen since Sunday. The level of force that security forces are using against protesters has increased.

[10:20:02]

There's no doubt about that as we've seen the death toll increase as well. And even the death toll the United Nations is trying to keep a tally of.

Many activists on the ground believe that the number is actually far higher than that.

Now we did hear from the human rights group Amnesty who said, quote, everything points to troops adopting shoot to kill tactics to suppress the

protests. Again, this is something we've been hearing from activists and also from families of those who have been killed during the protests on the

ground. Amnesty also going on to say the silence of the military leadership does push them towards a consensus that actually this was authorized by the

military leadership, although nothing has been publicly said on that at this point.

Now the international condemnation continues. We know the U.S. Department of Commerce has put the department or the Ministry of Defense and Home

Affairs in Myanmar on a trade black list along with some more of those businesses which are controlled by the military, trying to stem the funds

going to the military within Myanmar.

This is something we have heard many activists calling for more of. They want the funds to stop going to the military in the hope that that will

make them pull back from what they're doing on the streets -- Becky.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Let's talk now with journalist Thin Lei Win, founder of the Myanmar Now Independent News Services.

Good to have you with us.

You have staff on the ground. You yourself are in Rome as we speak tonight. Describe how it feels to witness what is going on in Myanmar right now.

THIN LEI WIN, JOURNALIST: Thanks for having me, Becky. I guess I should just like to clarify a little bit that I did found Myanmar Now, but I'm no

longer managing it, but I'm still in touch with former colleagues, one of whom was arrested on Saturday while still doing her job. She was live

streaming the protests and she was arrested and we understand that she is currently in jail awaiting charges.

It's been horrific to see the footage and image just coming in through -- you know, I've heard people describing it as a war zone. But I think I just

want to emphasize that that is not, you know, what we're seeing is not a war zone. It's actually a massacre. It's a slaughter by the security forces

against unarmed protesters.

And it is a very grim but in a way determined atmosphere. We have seen day after day, protesters, despite the dangers coming back again and again,

just to show how angry they are and that they are not going to stop. And that's the feeling and impression that I'm hearing and seeing.

ANDERSON: And that determination, are you hearing that it will continue? Is there any sense that these protesters will give up any time soon?

WIN: Well, it's hard to say, but the sense that I am getting is that they are not willing to give up, at least not for a while. I think, in a way,

this is my interpretation. The military is trying to sort of instill the fear back into the public.

For about ten years now, you know, Myanmar is now connected, Myanmar public is now connected and there's a lot more freedom that they've experienced

and they are not willing to give it up, and I think the shootings and the harassments and all that that is happening is the military's way of trying

to bring that fear back. But I think people are not willing to give up just yet. That's what I've been told.

ANDERSON: How concerned are you that things could get much worse. That the military will effectively enforce its rules on these protesters? I'm

talking about whether you think this could get a lot worse and a lot deadlier.

WIN: Yes, Becky. Very concerned. Not just me. I think many people, both inside and outside the country because we have seen time and again, right,

that the Myanmar Tatmadaw has never hesitate to turn its guns on its own people and we've also seen the deployment of the very notorious troops.

There are two light infantry divisions, the 77th and 33rd, both of whom -- one of whom was involved in the crackdown of the 2007 revolution shooting

protesters, including monks.

The other light infantry division was involved in the clearance operations against the Rohingya. They have now been deployed and witnesses have said

they have seen those troops in Mandalay and Yangon, two of the largest cities.

[11:25:08]

So there's real fear that it could get even worse.

ANDERSON: The U.N. special envoy who has been trying to get into the country now for a period of time spoke yesterday or Wednesday to the

military and warned them they would be isolated by the international community. There will be further sanctions and urged them to open the

country up to observers and to pull back. To which the military said effectively, we don't care. We're used to not having very many friends. We

run things.

Does that response surprise you? And who is it in the international community who will support the military as far as you are concerned?

WIN: So, I -- no, I wasn't surprised by the military's response because that is how they would respond anyway. Even if they have some doubts about

what's going to happen, they need to put up their veneer, right? They need to pretend that things are going well. So that is how they would respond

anyway.

Whether they would really be able to withstand the kind of pressure, that's another matter. Obviously, you would need pressure not just from

international, but from regional neighbors, right? We're talking about ASEAN. We're talking about countries like Thailand, which in itself

suffered a coup seven years ago and whose coup leader who is now the prime minister very close military to the Myanmar coup leader, Min Aung Hlaing.

Or Singapore which has a lot of business interest. Japan, South Korea, again, business interest and humanitarian aid. And, of course, countries

like China and Russia which still, if I remember correctly, still support the military in terms of selling arms.

They need to get on board. And I'm not seeing it at the moment.

ANDERSON: You said that you hope that this is a period of transformative change.

Very briefly, do you hold a sense of optimism that things can change for the better, briefly?

WIN: Yes. And part of the reason why I'm feeling that is because the young generation that is really pushing that is just cutting across all these old

allegiances around ethnic and race and religion. They come from all walks of life. They're from all different ethics groups. They are talking about

taboo subjects, about the rights for ethic minority groups, including the Rohingya, the need for a better political system, the kind of things that

have not been able to talk out loud in public just a month ago.

So I am hoping that once this is all over, this transformative change is going to make sure that Myanmar is a much more inclusive and empathetic and

equitable country.

ANDERSON: It's a pleasure having you on. Thank you very much indeed for joining us today.

WIN: Thanks for having me, Becky.

ANDERSON: Up next -- signs of desperation in Europe's disastrous vaccine rollout. Even as coronavirus numbers head the wrong way. A live report from

Paris for you is up next.

Despite a severe shortage of COVID vaccines in Germany, many people are refusing the one that is now available for ages 65 and up. We'll take you

to Berlin.

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[10:31:05]

ANDERSON: The European Union's unified vaccination strategy is splintering. Just as some parts of Europe see a spike in coronavirus cases.

The E.U. has been plagued by manufacturing delays, supply shortages and distribution challenges, and some member states now reaching outside the

bloc for help from countries like Israel, China and Russia.

That as the row with drug giant AstraZeneca intensifies over vaccine supply. France now says it may follow Italy and block COVID vaccine

shipments. Earlier, Italy invoked E.U. powers for the first time to block the export of a quarter of a million of vaccine doses to Australia. The

E.U. is blaming AstraZeneca's systematic under-delivery on its contract.

Meanwhile, the world health organization says coronavirus cases are rising in parts of Europe despite a year of lockdown and restrictions.

For more on all of this, let's get you to Paris now and to CNN's Melissa Bell.

My team, Melissa, spoke with an Italian MP earlier who supported the government's decision to impose this export ban on AstraZeneca vaccines

leaving the E.U. bloc. This is what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIA QUARTAPELLE, ITALIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: The European Union has agreed to the move that Italy has done because confidence is not of a state but

all the member states, the confidence on exports and imports. I think there are the extremes to go forward. I think that we are in a position to put

pressure on the firm. I think the European Union and member states will demand transparency from the firm in a different manner than we have so

far. I think this is the next move that we should wait for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Okay. So just how significant is this decision by Italy, and it does seem likely that France will follow suit. Let's start there.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Becky. We've already heard from the European commission through the voice of its spokesman saying the

message that's been sent by the manufacturer of the vaccines is now clear. They have to live up to their contractual obligations because this is what

it's all about. That MP that we just heard from pointing out earlier on as well that whilst Italy had had more than 20,000 new cases yesterday, the

equivalent figure in Australia was -- but it isn't about that.

What it is about is the severe vaccine shortage in so many European countries, made all the worse of course is desperation to get more

AstraZeneca vaccines kept within the European Union by the fact that the advice of so many member states has now changed.

Becky, remember that so many have said can't be used for people over 65. That led to a situation. Many European countries where because they had

shortage of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, they were looking at vaccinating with the AstraZeneca supplies younger people leaving their more

vulnerable populations, the priority groups that European countries wanted to vaccine. That's now changed.

So those doses of AstraZeneca are desperately needed by Europeans and they are determined to keep them inside their borders.

ANDERSON: Right. So the incremental story here is that Italy has invoked these E.U. powers in order to stop the export of those AstraZeneca vaccines

from the bloc. It doesn't really matter where they were going. The point is that this is the incremental story here and France may follow suit.

The biggest story here is it is, and as we've been discussing this for weeks, what many are calling this unmitigated disaster that is Europe's

vaccine rollout, Melissa.

BELL: That's right. It isn't something that European governments like the Italian government under the leadership of Mario Draghi are under severe

pressure because of that slow rollout, that catastrophic rollout that is slow because Europe insisted on coordinating everything.

Remember in the beginning, member states had gone it alone. And in the beginning, that's what they did. Europe was slow to coordinate. Insisted on

coordinating and it was that coordination that led to the slow process of the contracts being signed and then we've seen all the difficulties from

the deliveries that have flowed from that.

It isn't simply that the governments ever under pressure from their people because they need to get their vaccination rollouts improved because

they're doing so poorly and going so slowly. The COVID figures are rising. It's been confirmed by the World Health Organization who said we've seen

the number of new cases falling in Europe.

That's now changed. They are once again rising. Restrictions are going to grow in countries like Hungary but here in France as well. It's also that

this is leading to a splintering of the E.U.

So, that very decision to coordinate vaccines is now leading to such pressures. The vaccine rollout has essentially failed in so many parts as a

result that you're seeing countries look elsewhere. So, Austria and Denmark looking to Israel to look at their future vaccine procurement. Countries

like Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary all now looking to deliver the Chinese and Russian vaccines rather than the three vaccines that have been

approved by the European medicines agency.

You're quite right. It isn't that Europe has failed to deliver what it promised to deliver which is an official procurement, the deliver policy.

It is now that countries within the European Union are simply going it alone.

ANDERSON: Melissa Bell, always a pleasure. Thank you for your analysis and insight. Extremely important as we continue to follow this story.

Germany trying to pick up the pace of its vaccine rollout. Making a U-turn on the AstraZeneca vaccine. First, the country didn't approve the drug for

65 and up but now it has. Still many Germans are refusing to take it despite an overall shortage of COVID vaccines in the country.

Senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen explains the change in guidance and why Germany needs all the doses it can get.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Thomas Buchhammer just got his first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine.

Himself, a medical doctor, he says he has no sympathy for Germans who shun AstraZeneca's vaccine.

THOMAS BUCHHAMMER, MEDICAL DOCTOR: I think people in Germany are just too spoiled, just reminds me of children playing on a playground and

complaining about a candy and thinking they deserve another candy, because someone tells them it's better.

PLEITGEN: Germany's vaccination committee initially approved AstraZeneca's vaccine only for people 65 and younger, hurting public trust in the

product. Those running this vaccination center in the state of a Brandenburg, which administers both the Pfizer/BioNTech and the AstraZeneca

vaccine, tell us early on, barely anyone wanted AstraZeneca, but that is now changing.

People were reluctant to make appointments, he says, not many people wanted to get vaccinated with AstraZeneca.

And the spokesman for the physician's association says, my impression on what the numbers tell us is that the acceptance of the AstraZeneca vaccine

is rising. We can see that with the bookings.

Germany's numbers are damning, according to CNN's calculations only a little over a quarter of the AstraZeneca doses delivered to Germany so far

have actually been used.

Germany's a vaccine committee has only now approved AstraZeneca for all age groups. A move that German Chancellor anticipating as she was announcing an

extension of the country's pandemic lockdown measures.

ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): It will probably be the case that the expert panel on vaccine use, and we will happily follow

here will approve AstraZeneca for older age groups.

All this, in a country suffering from a severe lack of available vaccines.

Sibylle Katzenstein, a general practitioner in Berlin, says she has been lobbying authorities to allow her to administer a vaccine to some of her

patients with severe pre-existing conditions.

DR. SIBYLLE KATZENSTEIN, GENERAL PRACTITIONER: It would have been nice if I had at least 10 vaccines in my fridge. It would've -- it did cost me a

lot of time and frustration and in the end, these people who need it didn't get vaccinated. So, why don't they distribute AstraZeneca to doctors and we

vaccinate?

PLEITGEN: The German government now says it will allow G.P.s to administer vaccines but only starting in late March. As the German public goes

increasingly angry at what many view as a severely botched vaccine rollout.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Right.

Britain's Prince Philip is being transferred back to a private hospital after undergoing what Buckingham Palace calls a successful heart procedure.

[10:40:01]

Queen Elizabeth II's 99-year-old husband will continue to receive treatment for a number of days. The duke of Edinburgh was originally admitted to the

hospital 18 days ago for an infection. He was later briefly transferred to a specialist cardiac unit.

Ahead on the show, troubling times at Anfield. Liverpool defeated for a fifth time in a row on home turf. "World Sport" is just ahead.

ANDERSON: All right. Welcome back.

Liverpool fans, including CONNECT THE WORLD's copy editor, Liverpool super fant Brent Darvis, not happy at the moment. The Reds suffering a fifth

consecutive home defeat on Thursday against Chelsea. That is brutal. And that means the defending Premier League Champions remain a dismal seventh

in the English Premier League table.

"WORLD SPORT's" Patrick Snell joining me now. What is going on?

PATRICK SNELL, WORLD SPORT: Oh, Becky. To be a Liverpool fan right now, these are concerning times. This is an unprecedented part of their history.

Never before in the club's proud near 130-year history have they ever lost, Becky, five consecutive home league games. I think that really does speak

volumes.

In fact, it's seven matches now winless. What is normally known as fortress Anfield. We're breaking it all down for you in just moments. These are

unthinkable times for Liverpool fans. No question, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah, absolutely. Tough times.

More from Patrick after this short break. We'll be back after that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORT)

SNELL: Sunday's big derby in Madrid. And, Becky, as I send it back to you, also the Manchester derby as well on Sunday. But as we all know, city

appear to have the title already wrapped up, don't they?

(LAUGHTER)

ANDERSON: And what is it. The beginning of March, isn't it? Unbelievable. What a performance this season, it really is.

Although Manchester United having a good run. So, who knows? Who knows?

Thank you, sir.

SNELL: Yeah, thank you. All the best.

ANDERSON: CONNECT THE WORLD is back after this.

END