1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,599 Speaker 1: So Europe we go and Kevin Gray from the UK, Hello, Gavin, 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:05,680 Speaker 1: Hi there. So it's a bit of a worry about 3 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 1: Pope Frank. 4 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:11,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, very much so. And the latest from the Vatican 5 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 2: is that he has asked for Catholics to pray for him. 6 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 2: He's now known to be suffering from double pneumonia. An 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 2: update yesterday was deeply worrying, saying that the eighty eight 8 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 2: year old's condition had worsened, that it continues to be critical, 9 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 2: and that both his lungs were infected with this strain 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 2: virus that he's got. So I'm afraid the situation is very, 11 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 2: very tense and fraught, as you can imagine, well wishes 12 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 2: praying outside the hospital as we speak, dozens of people 13 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 2: lighting candles, leaving them at the foot of a nearby 14 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,639 Speaker 2: statue of the late John Paul the Second. Now the 15 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: eighty eight year old Pope was admitted to hospital on 16 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 2: the fourteenth of February. He'd been experiencing breathing difficulties for 17 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 2: several days. He has had problems with lung infections before 18 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 2: developing pleurisy. That's that information around the lungs, which is 19 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 2: quite painful. It got that as an adult, but also 20 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,639 Speaker 2: having had a part of one of his lungs removed 21 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: at the age of twenty one. But yeah, I'm afraid 22 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 2: the updates now becoming more and more worrying for everyone, 23 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 2: and lots of people wishing him well. As I said, 24 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,199 Speaker 2: dozens gathered outside the hospital as. 25 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: We understand that the Venican is going to make a 26 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: statement on his condition in about one hour's time, so 27 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:25,839 Speaker 1: we will bring that to you ran about a quarter 28 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: to seven this morning. Meanwhile, we've got an election in 29 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: Germany and the question is will Germany kick right? 30 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's looking like it will. The polls close 31 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 2: in just over ten minutes time. We should then get 32 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: a sort of an initial an initial forecast about what 33 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 2: that polling will hold. And actually in the past these 34 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 2: exit poles in Germany have been pretty accurate. We do 35 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: think there's going to be a big swing to the 36 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 2: right and far right. Why well, because big topics of 37 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 2: the immigration and also the stagnant economy have been major 38 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 2: players in this campaign. Now, I'm afraid to say that 39 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 2: the Germany has suffered from several terrorist or terrorists related 40 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,799 Speaker 2: attacks over the last few months, vans being cars being 41 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 2: driven into crowds, stabbing incidents, and in the last three 42 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 2: or four incidents certainly it has been somebody from either 43 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 2: Syria or Afghanistan seeking asylum or having been promised he 44 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 2: would be deported and then not being deported. So big 45 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 2: question marks about the country inviting in over a million 46 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: people as part of it sort of the helping those 47 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 2: in Syria and Afghanistan. And of course the far right 48 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 2: has gained support as well from people like Elon Musk 49 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 2: and Donald Trump who are being quite proactively supporting them. 50 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 2: But fifty nine million Germans eligible to vote, and the 51 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 2: interesting thing is twenty percent were undecided ahead of the 52 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 2: election day. Other parties have said they will never work 53 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 2: with the far right. However, if the far right gains 54 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 2: a sufficient vote, it's going to be very very difficult 55 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 2: for other parties to coalesce in order to get a 56 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 2: working majority with a coalition government. So I'm afraid the 57 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 2: next few hours are going to be very very interesting. 58 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, And the CDU used to be Angela Merkel's party, 59 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: and that's now Frederick k Metz's party. And he's actually 60 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 1: got a hardline against migration all of a sudden, which 61 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: shows that he's also seen with the wind Blows at 62 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,079 Speaker 1: the Moment. For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, 63 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: listen live to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, 64 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.