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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Italy prepares for 2018 elections with dissolution of parliament In a move aimed at preparing for 2018 elections, the president is expected to dissolve the legislatu
After several failed governments since the last elections, Italians are hoping for stability and economic growth.
How a hard Brexit could hurt Germany: Reckoning with the worst that may befall Despite the endless media coverage and fevered political rhetoric, no one yet knows for sure what is ultimately going to happen with Brexit. But should Germany really be scared of a messy outcome? Brexit means Brexit. At least thatʼs what UK Prime Minister Theresa May has told us several times.The problem with that is, 18 months on from the referendum, no-one seems to know what that crucial ʼBrexitʼ bit itself means. Hard, soft or medium-boiled? Rare or well done? Or, to borrow another impenetrable phrase of Mayʼs — a ʼred, white and blue Brexitʼ? With a year of difficult negotiations past and another
one ahead, every outcome is still on the table, including what is surely the nightmare scenario for all parties — that in March 2019, the UK leaves the EU, the customs union and the single market without a deal, or with one that significantly changes the status quo. Were that to happen, what would it mean for Germany? Europeʼs largest economy has been inextricably bound to the continentʼs second largest one for decades. A sundering is inconceivable. Yet out of a clear blue sky, it has emerged as a troubling reality that German business leaders, economists, trade unionist and industry representatives must face.
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
303/2017 • 29, December 2017
US and Poland Kalashnikov stays tight-lipped ahead of strike $10.5 billion new US sanctions New American sanctions are set to missile defense hit the Russian weapons industry. deal But during a press tour to the home 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."
Serena Williams to return to tennis in Abu Dhabi
of the famous AK-47 rifle, questions about sanctions were met with defiance – and silence.
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.
France faces challenges as it embraces offshore wind power France has launched its first offshore turbine to curb reliance on nuclear and reach climate goals — France could become Europeʼs second-largest wind energy producer after Germany. But the transition brings problems. Offshore wind energy produces more — and more reliable — energy than previously thought, a new study shows. Offshore wind facilities in the North and Baltic seas generate energy on 363 days of the year — more than the 340 days previously indicated, says the study commissioned by the Bremen-basedFraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Tech-
nology. This amounts to a nearly constant source of energy from offshore wind, the study points out. The wind energy industry sees this as a clear sign for building out offshore capacities, also to carry forward the ongoing transition to renewable energies to reach climate protection goals. Conservationists continue to harbor concerns over theimpact of offshore wind development to both birds and marine species. And in the meantime, France is moving forward with building out its offshore wind capacity, having recently launched the Floatgen turbine — a three-year, €25million ($29-million) pilot supported by a European consortium of businesses and research groups.
The former world number one will make her comeback this month after birth of her first child. The 36-yearold will take on the reigning French Open champion. American tennis star and former world number one Serena Williams is set to make her comeback on December 30 after birth of her first child. The 36-year-old will play her first competitive match in 11 months in the United Arab Emirates.
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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. He was later put under house arrest due to health issues. Ledezma was one of the opposition leaders who led protests against the government in 2014, which also resulted in the arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. He remains under house arrest.