here in washington, the us government looks set to avoid a looming shutdown after the house passed a spending bill at the eleventh hour — you can see live pictures there from the floor of the us senate — where senators are preparing to take their own vote on the bill. and in germany, authorities are investigating a deadly attack on a christmas market. let's begin with that developing story in germany, where a car ploughed through crowds at a christmas market, leaving at least two people dead — including a small child — and injuring over 60. emergency services and police are still in attendance — and all hospitals are preparing for a mass casualty event. the suspect is said to be a 50 year old doctor who's a saudi

national and who has been in germany since 2006. the incident took place in a market in the centre of the city of magdeburg in east germany. with more, here's frances read. confusion, chaos. there are passers by tending to those injured on the ground. what sounds like children crying. and adults too. people are looking round, bewildered at what has just happened. eyewitnesses say a car drove at speed straight into dozens upon dozens of people. just a few hours ago, this market was bustling with people shopping and socialising in the days before christmas. ambulances and emergency services scrambled to help those they can, taking people to hospital and treating at the scene. hospitals in the area told to deal with a mass casualty event.

translation: this is a terrible tragedy, it's a catastrophe - for the city of magda bird and germany in general. for this to happen christmas market is hard to comprehend. attacks on citizens in germany are nothing new. eight years ago an articulated lorry bowed into a busy christmas market in the heart of berlin, killing 12 people and injuring many more. tonight, german police have arrested a doctor from saudi arabia who has been in germany since 2006. they believe an explosive device was in the car and investigators are now on site. but now they work to save lives in what the bbcs damian mcguinness is based in berlin — i spoke with him injust the last hour about the latest from magdeburg.

i think what officials are still sayin- i think what officials are still sayin is i think what officials are still sayin- is at i think what officials are still sayin- is at least i think what officials are still sayin- is at least two still saying is at least two dead, one of them a small child and it sounds like as many as 70 people could be injured. 15 possibly seriously. and you are talking about a large number of injured their and some people are in a serious condition and this is a serious situation to look at, really and that is very worrying for relatives and the people involved. there have been a few more updates of the last few minutes and the suspected explosive which were thought to possibly be in the vehicle have turned out not to be there in the police have said no explosives were found and there've also been plenty of fake news reports being thrown around about shootings or bomb threats and officials of said be very wary about any potential related news which sounds very dramatic on social media, apparently there's a lot of fake news being spread in

relation to this event and it is creating lots of emotions around people and people are believing all sorts of false things that has something to watch out for in the next few hours and very tragic situation for people in that city of magdeburg but is receiving earlier, nothing new, sadly. it is not far from where earlier, nothing new, sadly. it is not farfrom where i'm standing now in 2016, 12 people died as a lorry drove into the christmas market here in berlin and that shifted the debate to and that shifted the debate to a certain extent about migration, unfortunately because the perpetrator was in asylum—seekers and that really sparked off or exacerbated a rise of the far right at the time. and linking this particular tragic event to whether or not, depending on the back under the perpetrator, whether that will park that sort of debate in germany going

forward —— spark. we sort of debate in germany going forward -- spark.— forward -- spark. we know anything — forward -- spark. we know anything further _ forward -- spark. we know anything further about - forward -- spark. we know anything further about the | anything further about the individual that is been arrested in relation to this? do we know anything about motive or background? we don't know anything — motive or background? we don't know anything about _ motive or background? we don't know anything about motive, - motive or background? we don't know anything about motive, we know anything about motive, we know that he was a 50—year—old doctor originally from saudi arabia who had been in germany for a long time for around 20 years, working in the region. and it appears that he was acting on his own. police say they have no, so far, no evidence that he had any links to extremism of any sort and, he doesn't appear to have had a police record and so, lots of questions about why he would do this. i think this comes on the back of it, over the years, really, a lot of concerns about extremism from ulcers of directions, islamist extremists in far right extremism, we've had a number of attacks over the past decade or so and quite a lot of foiled attacks as well, security officials say

the a lot of them been prevented and this is been the public eye of public debate for quite a long time now and what do you go to christmas markets, for example, eversince do you go to christmas markets, for example, ever since that attack in 2016, their czarnobai security and there generally blocks on the christmas market to stop people from driving into them and questions will be asked about whether or not security measures are tough enough at this particular one but it's always a debate, isn't it? security on one and freedom to carry on living in an open society in another. that is on the questions, really. it rattles people and understandably when the festive, relaxed environment were something tragic like this happens and it is something that's berks a generalfeeling of nervousness and insecurity that many people already feel right now. that many people already feel riaht now. ~ . , that many people already feel right nova— right now. what is been the olitical right now. what is been the political reaction _ right now. what is been the political reaction to - right now. what is been the political reaction to this - right now. what is been the political reaction to this in l right now. what is been thej political reaction to this in a very shocking and upsetting tragic event so close to

christmas and something that is been so fundamentally christmas in germany stopped 11 goes to country in the run up to christmi fundamentally christmas been so fundamentally christmas in germany stopped 11 goes to the christmas market and the christmas market and leading politicians across leading politicians across germany have expressed sadness. germany have expressed sadness. the chancellor will be in the chancellor will be in magdeburg tomorrow to visit the magdeburg tomorrow to visit the scene and to talk to people scene and to talk to people involved and expresses sadness involved and expresses sadness involved and expresses sadness in the course comes at a time involved and expresses sadness in the course comes at a time with a lot of political and with a lot of political and security and coalitions of security and coalitions of christmas. collapsed and snap elections collapsed and snap elections coming up in february and this coming up in february and this sort of attack is the last sort of attack is the last thing that people need at a thing that people need at a time for a lot of people are time for a lot of people are feeling nervous anyway, really. feeling nervous anyway, really. and anything that's going to and anything that's going to tap into this feeling in tap into this feeling in germany right now that there's germany right now that there's a lot of uncertainty around a lot of uncertainty around them politically, economically them politically, economically and in terms of security as and in terms of security as well. it is a sad time for the well. it country in the run up to

we are excited about this outcome tonight and we are grateful that everyone stood together to do the right thing and having gotten this done now as a last order of business for the year, we are set up for a big and important new start in january. we cannot wait to get to that point. we encourage swift passage in the senate now they need to do theirjob is they need to do theirjob is the house just did and we will all go home. i wish everyone a merry christmas, happy hanukkah and happy holidays and a happy new year because they hoped not to see you until we get back. earlier, i spoke to democratic congressman from maryland, glenn ivey. thank you for being with us on bbc news. thank you for being with us on bbc newe— thank you for being with us on bbc news. you vowed to stand with the republicans _ bbc news. you vowed to stand with the republicans and - bbc news. you vowed to stand with the republicans and avoid| with the republicans and avoid the shutdown, does this mean they're happy with the bill, what was your motivation? yes,

we're pretty _ what was your motivation? yes, we're pretty pleased _ what was your motivation? yes, we're pretty pleased with - what was your motivation? 1&1: we're pretty pleased with the bill and we went forward and we went through to the bipartisan bill and bows in the original bill and bows in the original bill to start with and we are also pretty pleased with the ability to beat back donald trump's push to put a blank check here in four chilean dollars for him to spend when he comes in the office, we did not think that was necessary. —— trillian. that one did not have that provision and we got the government to stay open and made the provisions we wanted to provide assistance to americans, especially the disaster relief provisions to help people suffering from floods, tornadoes and the like in the form is also an important provision to include. a good victory for us overall. there were things that were removed from the spill they were causing a lot of upset, such as incentive for drug companies to develop drugs for kids with cancer and those that

already passed the house but not to the senate, can they be added back in at a later time? i don't know if they will come backin i don't know if they will come back in now but they certainly have bipartisan support when they came out of their committees and one of the first orders of business that we discussed during our meeting right before the vote was bringing those back and republicans supporting it too and we're hoping we can get it started earlier injanuary started earlier in january as soon as we get back and started earlier injanuary as soon as we get back and get that session and move those two quickly. that session and move those two cuickl . , that session and move those two cuickl. m' ,, that session and move those two cuickl. w ,, , quickly. this keeps things funded until— quickly. this keeps things funded until mid-march l quickly. this keeps things i funded until mid-march and funded until mid—march and being back in earlyjanuary, that will be another battle, it would seem to come over the longer—term situations? figs would seem to come over the longer-term situations? as many battles to come, _ longer-term situations? as many battles to come, they'll - longer-term situations? as many battles to come, they'll be - longer-term situations? as many battles to come, they'll be one i battles to come, they'll be one will be fighting over the tax cuts doing the donald trump wants to extend and we are unhappy with that and i think 80% or so of the money that was cut into people, essentially wealthy individuals and we

wanted to provide incentives and insists that i did make assistance to the middle class and working folks who need the hand up and i'll be a big provision and of lot of defence spending and we have to work hard to figure out what to do there because you don't want to take the meat cleaver and i think we all agree that the defence budget is too big and it's going to be fat in there that needs to be trimmed but the meat cleaver is not the way to do it. ~ ., , ., to do it. what is having the last 24 hours, _ to do it. what is having the last 24 hours, what - to do it. what is having the last 24 hours, what it - to do it. what is having the | last 24 hours, what it means for the control of the president—elect donald trump and his close adviser elon must have over the republican party and how they interact with you and how they interact with you and the rest of the democratic party on the