At least five people were killed and more than 200 injured in a car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, officials said, and a Saudi man was arrested on suspicion of driving into the crowd.
The Friday evening attack on the market comes amid a fierce debate over security and migration during an election campaign in Germany, where the far right is polling strongly.
"What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people ... with such brutality," Chancellor Olaf Scholz said as he laid a white rose in honour of the victims at a church in the city.
"We have now learnt that over 200 people have been injured," he added. "Almost 40 are so seriously injured that we must be very worried about them."
German authorities are investigating a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who has lived in Germany for almost two decades in connection with the attack. Police searched his home overnight.
The motive remained unclear and police have not yet named the suspect, although he has been named in German media as Taleb A.
A Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the attacker after he posted extremist views on his personal X account that threatened peace and security.
Der Spiegel reported that the suspect had sympathised with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. It did not say where it got the information.
Germany's domestic intelligence agency declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
The Saudi suspect is considered to hold "Islamophobic" views, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Saturday. She said that while she did not want to speculate about the motive, "the one thing" she could confirm was that he had expressed an "Islamophobic" stance.
Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper said it interviewed the suspect in 2019, describing him as an anti-Islam activist.
"People like me, who have an Islamic background but are no longer believers, are met with neither understanding nor tolerance by Muslims here," he was quoted as saying. "I am history's most aggressive critic of Islam. If you don't believe me, ask the Arabs."
Magdeburg, 130km south-west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt and has about 240,000 residents.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that "the anticipation of a peaceful Christmas was suddenly interrupted" by the tragedy. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "profoundly shocked" and he "shares the pain of the German people".
But the leader of the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany, Alice Weidel, wrote on X: "When will this madness stop?"
Eight years ago a Christmas market in Berlin was attacked. On December 19, 2016, an Islamist extremist ploughed through the crowded market with a lorry, killing 13 and injuring dozens more. The attacker was killed days later in a shoot-out in Italy.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said late last month that there were no concrete indications of a danger to Christmas markets this year, but that it was wise to be vigilant.
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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