Car-ramming at German Christmas market in Magdeburg leaves 4 dead, dozens injured. Suspect under investigation; motive unclear. Chancellor Scholz to visit the site today.
The death toll from a car-ramming at a German Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg rose to four on Saturday, according to German newspaper Bild, after a Saudi man was arrested on suspicion of ploughing a car into the crowd.
Scores of people were injured in the attack on Friday evening, which came amid fierce debate over security and migration during an election campaign in Europe's largest economy in which the far right is polling strongly.
The Bild report said 41 people were critically injured, 86 were receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries and another 78 sustained minor injuries.
German authorities are investigating a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who has lived in Germany for almost two decades in connection with the car-ramming.
The motive remained unclear and police have not yet named the suspect. 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. The magazine did not say where it got the information.
Germany's domestic intelligence agency declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
Germany's FAZ 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."
Andrea Reis, who had been at the market on Friday, returned on Saturday with her daughter Julia to lay a candle by the church overlooking the site. She said that had it not been for a matter of moments, they may have been in the car's path.
"I said, 'let's go and get a sausage', but my daughter said 'no let's keep walking around'. If we'd stayed where we were we'd have been in the car's path," she said.
Tears ran down her face as she described the scene. "Children screaming, crying for mama. You can't forget that," she said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to visit Magdeburg later on Saturday.
A leading member of Scholz's Social Democrats in the Bundestag parliament warned against jumping to conclusions and said it appeared the attacker did not have an Islamist motive.
Despite the fact that many months have passed since the tragedy, Russia stubbornly refuses to admit guilt for the downed AZAL plane. Those responsible...
OpenAI has sharply raised its projected cash burn through 2029 to $115 billion, according to The Information. This marks an $80 billion increase from ...
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday urged Russia’s aerospace industry to step up efforts to develop booster rocket engines and expand the cou...
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, a central mediator in ceasefire talks, dismissed Israeli suggestions that Palestinians leaving Gaza amounts ...
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday ordered an all-out response after hundreds of South Korean nationals were detained in a U.S. immigrat...
Four days after a car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg left five dead and over 200 injured, mourners gathered to pay tribute as debates over security and political responses intensified, casting a shadow over Germany’s Christmas celebrations.
A Saudi doctor with anti-Islam views drove into a Magdeburg Christmas market, killing five. Investigations are ongoing as the tragedy stirs Germany's immigration and security debates.
Saudi man investigated in deadly Magdeburg Christmas market attack, reigniting debates on security and migration in Germany's election season.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, a central mediator in ceasefire talks, dismissed Israeli suggestions that Palestinians leaving Gaza amounts to “voluntary displacement,” calling the idea “nonsense.”
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday ordered an all-out response after hundreds of South Korean nationals were detained in a U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai car battery plant in Georgia.
The Israeli military on Saturday urged Palestinians in Gaza City to flee south as its forces pressed deeper into the territory's largest urban centre, warning that operations were underway across the city.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 6th of September, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that India and Russia appear to have been “lost” to China after their leaders met with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, before later clarifying that Washington had not lost New Delhi.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment