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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

German newspaper editor accuses churches of left-wing bias Ulf Poschardt, head of one of Germanyʼs leading newspapers, has sparked a social media row over supposed left-wing bias in church sermons during Christmas. Churches have denied the claim. The editor-inchief of Die Welt, one of Germanyʼs leading right-wing newspapers, triggered a social media meltdown on Christmas by complaining about supposed left-wing bias in Germanyʼs Christmas midnight masses. Ulf Poschardt wondered aloud on Twitter on Christmas Eve: "Who would voluntarily go to a midnight mass if at the end of the sermon he thinks he spent the evening with the Jusos or the Green youth?" — referring to the youth organizations of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green party, who both represent the left wing of their centrist parties.

Germany: Rhine cruise ship hits bridge pylon causing injuries The "Swiss Crystal" passenger cruiser hit a motorway bridge pylon near Duisburg, injuring around 25 people. Another ship helped the passengers to safety.

The accident happened late Tuesday on theRhine River near the north-west German city of Duisburg. There were 129 people on board the ship when the vessel hit a supporting pillar of the A42 motorway. Four people were taken to hospital with serious injuries while 20 others were slightly hurt.

A police spokesperson told the Germanyʼs Deutsche Presse Agen‐ tur that none of the injuries appeared fatal. Another nearby ship helped to take the injured off the "Swiss Crystal." A number of fire department boats were also involved. The A42 is expected to remain closed on Wednesday as structural engineers carry out safety checks.

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Britainʼs Prince Harry scores radio interview with former US President Obama He also warned about the perils of social media

In his first interview since leaving office in January, Obama said he felt liberated despite missing the work of being president.

Brexit: Hard-liners angered by Royal Mailʼs refusal to release Brexit stamp British advocates of Brexit have slammed the UKʼs postal service following reports that it will not produce a stamp marking the countryʼs exit from the EU. Some MPs said theyʼd push Royal Mail to reverse its decision.

Conservative Brexiteers attacked Britainʼs Royal Mail postal service on Monday following reports in the press that it would not release a stamp commemorating thecountryʼs departure from the European Union, scheduled for March 2019. Pro-Brexit Conser-

vative ministers were quick to accuse the postal service of hypocrisy, saying that it had released a series of stamps celebrating Britainʼs accession to the European Community back in 1973. Speaking to the British press, David Jones, a former minister in Britainʼs Exiting the EU Department and a Conservative for Clwyd West, described the Royal Mailʼs decision as "outrageous," and said that he would write to the UK Business Secretary Sajid Javid, whohas oversight over the postal service, to complain.

Germany must allow third gender in registry of births, court rules An intersex person has won a court case to allow them to enter a third gender into the registry of births.

The case was appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court after failing at lower levels.

Germanyʼs Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday called for a third gender option in the registry of births.

Intersex people, who are neither male nor female, should be able to register their sexual identity as such, the Karlsruhe court ruled. The court found that the general right to the protection of personality in Germanyʼs Basic Law meant the register had to be altered to al-

low a third gender. The court ruled seven to one that lawmakers must create new legislation by the end of 2018 to allow for a third sex, providing the examples of "intersex," "diverse" or another "positive designation of sex." Another possibility raised was to scrap gender entries altogether. "Assignment to a gender is of paramount importance for individual identity; it typically plays a key role both in the self-image of a person and in the way in which the person concerned is perceived by others.

The gender identity of those persons who are neither male nor female is protected,"the court ruled.

Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels begin landmark prisoner swap The swap comes after a recommitment to a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, where over 10,000 people have been killed. A US decision to provide Ukraine with weapons has seen Russia warn the US is encouraging "new bloodshed." Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels began a landmark prisoner swap on Wednesday, following therecommitment to a ceasefirein the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine last week. It is the first prisoner since September 2016, and comes days before the New Year and Orthodox Christmas holidays.

Russian-backed eastern rebels released some 70 prisoners to Kyiv, while the Ukrainian side handed over about 250 rebels to the other side.

During Russian President Vladimir Putinʼs annual news conference of December 14, he had called on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to complete a prisoner exchange in war-ravaged eastern Ukraine by New Year’s Eve.

India still missing hundreds of fishermen after Cyclone Orkhi India is still missing 661 fishermen, almost a month after Cyclone Ockhi battered its southern waters, according to Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Most originated from coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala states. Sitharaman, replying in parliament Wednesday after allegations that authorities gave insufficient storm warnings, said 821 other people had been rescued by Indiaʼs navy, coastguard, and merchant vessels.

weather today BUDAPEST

0 / 7 °C Precipitation: 0 mm

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US and Poland strike $10.5 billion missile defense deal

Kalashnikov stays tight-lipped ahead of new US sanctions

The US has approved the $10.5 billion sale of a Patriot anti-missile system to NATO ally Poland. Eastern European NATO states have been ramping up their military capabilities in the face of perceived Russian aggression.

In a move likely to irk Russia, the US and Poland agreed on Friday a major arms deal that could see the eastern European NATO member soon begin conducting air and missile defense operations. As part of the $10.5 billion (€8.9 billion) sale, Poland is expected to receive 208 Patriot Advanced Capabilty-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, 16 M903 launching stations, four AN/MPQ-65 radars, four control stations, spares, software and associated equipment. Made by US defense contractor Raytheon, the missiles are reportedly designed to detect, track and engage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles and shortrange or tactical ballistic missiles. In a statement issued following the sale, the State Department said that: "A secure Europe capable of deterring air and missile threats and other forms of aggression promotes peace and stability within NATO and on the European continent."

New American sanctions are set to hit the Russian weapons industry.

But during a press tour to the home of the famous AK-47 rifle, questions about sanctions were met with defiance – and silence.

Tour de France winner Chris Froome fails doping test Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome has failed a doping test.

The British rider said that he took an increased dosage of asthma medication during another race on the advice of a doctor. The UCI, cyclingʼs world governing body, announced in a statement posted on its website on Wednesday that it had notified Chris Froome of an "Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF)" in excess of 1000ng/mg (*) in a sample collected during theVuelta a Espana," which he wonin September. According to Britainʼs The Guardian newspaper, a urine sample taken from Froome at the Vuelta was found to have twice the permissible limit of the asthma drug salbutamol.

Traditional Urdmurt plaid dresses, a log cabin in the snow, and lots of potatoes. Itʼs not what I had expected of the Russian Foreign Ministryʼs press tour of the Kalashnikov factory. The tour to the industrial city of Izhevsk, the capital of the Urdmurt Republic in the Western Urals, promised a rare glimpse of the company known for its

AK-47. But first, the handful of foreign journalists on the tour was treated to an unexpected lesson about Urdmurt culture — including a performance by former Russian Eurovision contestants Buratovskyie Babushki.

They sang renditions of famous pop songs in Urdmurt, the local language of the republic.

Europeʼs shocking failure to act on climate The European Union has agreed to emission reduction targets for 2030.

But far from fulfilling its duties under the Paris Agreement, environmentalists say Europe has abdicated its role as a climate leader.

The European Union has agreed a host of climate and energy targets this week: Itʼs set energy efficiency standards for new buildings, and agreed to climate targets for 2030. Europe has a history of progressive environmental legislation, and it political leaders often position themselves as climate heroes. Recently, French PresidentEmmanuel Macron appears to have moved in on German Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs traditional territoryas inter-

national climate champion, with public displays of support for climate science and attacks onUS President Donald Trumpʼs regressive climate policies.

But behind the bravado, is Europe doing enough to cut emissions? The short answer, environmentalists say, is no.

"Europe is so divided on climate issues, it doesnʼt play that leadership role any more," Wendel Trio, director of Climate Action Network Europe, told DW. On Thursday, the European Commission and European Parliament agreed to cut emissions from sectors not covered by the blocʼs emissions trading scheme by 30 percent compared to 2005. That impacts transport, buildings, waste and non-CO2 emissions from agriculture.

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China sales behind German carmakersʼ rosy third quarter Strong vehicle sales in the wordʼs most important car market have been essential in enabling German carmakers to end their third quarters on a positive note. Their dependence on China is expected to increase further.

Germanyʼs top carmakers would not have been able to present positive third-quarter results without a booming auto market in China, a study by consultancy EY showed Tuesday. It said China had long become the most important market for Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler, with one in three of their cars sold in the third quarter having gone to the Asian nation. To be more precise, the Chinese market accounted for 34 percent of Germanyʼs overall car sales between July and September, the highest ever rate logged so far. Back in 2010, only 23 percent of Germanyʼs quarterly car sales ended up in China.

Ousted Venezuelan opposition leader escapes house arrest, flees to Spain Ousted Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma has likened his escape to a film. He plans to take the fight against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro abroad.

The ousted opposition mayor of Caracas arrived in Spain on Saturday after orchestrating a daring escape from house arrest in Venezuela. Antonio Ledezma landed in Madrid from Bogota, Colombia, where he arrived a day earlier after slipping across the border. He was greeted by his wife and two daughters who live in Spain. Ledezma said he planned to organize resistance from abroad to President Nicolas Maduro, under whose rule millions of Venezuelans have suffered from shortages of food and other basic supplies. "I am going to travel the world to spread the hope of all Venezuelans to escape this regime, this dictatorship," Ledezma said. The 62-yearold opposition figure was removed as mayor of Caracas and arrested in 2015 on allegations he sought to topple Maduro.