the us avoids a christmas government shutdown after lawmakers vote in favour of a budget deal for three months. hello, i'm nicky schiller. we start in germany, where a suspect has been arrested after two people, including a child, have been killed and nearly 70 others injured, when a car was driven into crowds at a busy christmas market. the incident happened in the city of magdeburg, which is around 150km west of berlin at around 7pm friday night, local time. the car hit the crowded area at high speed, and is said to have travelled for around 400 metres. footage from the german broadcaster mdr shows armed police arresting a man at the scene. you can see the armed officer, the man is on the floor

by the car on the left hand side of the screen. the suspect man is a 50—year—old saudi national who has lived in germany for 18 years. the authorities say he worked as a doctor, had no criminal record and no known links to extremism. officers at the scene initially feared he might have had an explosive device, but in the last few hours german media reported that no explosives were found in the car. this is the scene live now in magdeburg, where it is just after 10am. the entire areas around the market is still cordoned off. police in the city have set up a hotline for any information about the attack. the german leader, chancellor 0laf scholz, is expected to arrive there in the coming hours. a memorial service will be held in the city's cathedral at 7pm local time.

planned cultural events, including theatrical productions, have been cancelled for the next few days. security is being increased at other markets in germany including in the capital berlin. some berlin. state buildings are flying their some state buildings are flying their flags at half mast. we'll hear from our correspondent at the scene shortly, but first, this report is from nickjohnson. crying cries punctuate the sense of terror and bewilderment at magdeburg's christmas market. passers—by tend to the injured. moments beforehand, the market had been teeming with people enjoying the atmosphere in the days before christmas. footage which is too graphic to broadcast appears to show a car deliberately driving at speed into dozens of people

between market stalls. emergency services arrive to help those in any way they can. makeshift tents were put up to treat those at the scene. hospitals in the area were told to prepare for a mass casualty event. dorin was at a concert nearby. translation: we heard the police sirens, which went on for so long. we are shaking and we are full of sympathy for them. we hope nothing has happened to our friends. we had to assume something terrible had happened. it's a dark day for magdeburg. yelling shortly after the attack, police detained the driver, who the german interior ministry says is a 50—year—old doctor, originally from saudi arabia and had been a resident in germany for 18 years. authorities say around 70 people have been injured, some of them seriously.

translation: this is a terrible tragedy. it's a catastrophe for the city of magdeburg and for germany in general. for this to happen at a christmas market is hard to comprehend. the german chancellor 0laf scholz is expected to visit the scene later and a post on x, said... following their bundesliga match, bayern munich curtailed there on pitch christmas ceremony, asking the crowd and players for a moment of silence in its place. this isn't the first time people have been killed by a vehicle at a christmas market in germany. in 2016, a man with islamist links crashed into a market in berlin, killing 12 people.

magdeburg's annual christmas market draws tourists from near and far. this post on its social media page describes the market as a paradise for children. the scene late last night painted a very different picture, the city and the country forced to come to terms with what's happened. nickjohnson, bbc news. and this is the scene this morning just after 10am in magdeburg. you can see police presence there around that christmas market. police have appealed for witnesses to come forward this morning with any information about the attack, things like videos and photos, is anything like that. they have set up portals so people in the area can submit those and they'll looking for

information and have set up a helpline. 70 people were injured in this incident in this german city. around the world, leaders have expressed shock and grief over the attack. the us says it is horrified, the french president emmanuel macron says he's "deeply shocked", while the uk prime minister sir keir starmer said he stands with the people of germany. european commission president ursula von der leyen has condemned the "brutal and cowardly act". we mentioned the suspect is saudi, well the foreign ministry in saudia arabia condemned the attack, with the kingdom expressing "solidarity with the german people and the families of the victims". 0ur correspondent is at the scene. just describe what the scene. just describe what the scene is like there this morning. scene is like there this morning-— scene is like there this morninu. ~ , ., morning. well, this morning it is sombre. _ morning. well, this morning it is sombre, sad, _ morning. well, this morning it is sombre, sad, people - morning. well, this morning it is sombre, sad, people are . is sombre, sad, people are milling around, looking at the

site behind me, where the attack happened. and indeed, officials are describing this as an attack. what we can surmise from what we have seen, and having talked to people here, is that the car drove along this main road beside me, and then swerved into the christmas market, ploughing through the crowds who were enjoying a festive drink. it seemed it could drive through a gap in the concrete blocks. all christmas markets in germany are surrounded by concrete blocks since a terrible attack in 2016 where a lorry killed 12 people, so security traditionally is quite high at christmas markets in germany since that attack, but of course, not high enough because here the security around the christmas market, there was a gap in those concrete blocks, which was wide enough for the car to drive through. of course, the big question is, who is the subs about ——

suspect and why did he carry out this terrible attack were smart we are now getting information about who this man appears to be and it is a complex picture. a50—year—old saudi doctor, look for a long time in germany, has been working here, apparently well integrated because of having worked as a doctor so must speak good german. 0f worked as a doctor so must speak good german. of course, a lot of people have been jumping to the conclusion this could be an islamist extremist attack as thatis an islamist extremist attack as that is what has happened in the past, but it could be exactly the opposite. there is no evidence to say that is the case, and looking at his comments online and in the media in the past, he has given interviews to a prominent german newspaper, where he was highly critical of islam, saying there is no such thing as a good islam. and also supportive of the far right afc hit in germany. so, a complex picture, and very much not the profile of the attackers in previous such atrocities. i

think that is what is making this tragic incident so confusing for people to understand and get their heads around because the motivation is very unclear.— is very unclear. interestingly, authorities _ is very unclear. interestingly, authorities came _ is very unclear. interestingly, authorities came out - is very unclear. interestingly, authorities came out very - authorities came out very quickly to say that it was a saudi man that was a suspect. that's right, and until relatively recently, you would neverin relatively recently, you would never in the media and from police statements, you would never talk about the nationality of a suspect. it was seen as legally not acceptable and morally reprehensible. that all changed a couple of years ago when officials very quickly started releasing information about nationalities and backgrounds of suspects in order to undermine conspiracy theories about what was behind such attacks. in this particular case he does seem to be a saudi national who has lived in germany for a long time. the authorities are also very aware

that there have been a lot of conspiracy theories flying around throughout the night, particularly on social media, talking about other potential attacks, talking about other people who was associated with who are also on the run, and all of that was incorrect. i think that is why, as you say, police and officials have been very quick to release any information they have about the suspect, and about what exactly happened because the difficulty is with such attacks, in the past they have had an impact on the critical debate in germany, and of course we have quite a feeble political mood here because the governing coalition collapsed in november and in february have snap elections, and lots of people don't know who to vote for, and there is concern that the far right will make this incident into a political football and will try and win votes on the back of

what is frankly a tragedy for people here in magdeburg. damien, thank you. lets talk more about the politics. i know you live very close to the area must what is your reaction to what happened last night? it your reaction to what happened last niuht? , . your reaction to what happened last night?— last night? it is a huge shock, it is a tragedy. _ last night? it is a huge shock, it is a tragedy, and _ last night? it is a huge shock, it is a tragedy, and we - last night? it is a huge shock, it is a tragedy, and we are - last night? it is a huge shock, it is a tragedy, and we are all| it is a tragedy, and we are all in deep grief at the moment. i live 12 minutes from the place where it happened last night, and a friend of mine was working at one of the market stalls there and he experienced everything very, very close, and he called last night and asked for support, to come round and talk to each other, and that is what we do at the moment. we are calling each other, asking if everybody is

ok. giving each other support, 0k. giving each other support, talking to each other. just cive us talking to each other. just give us a _ talking to each other. just give us a sense _ talking to each other. just give us a sense of- talking to each other. just give us a sense of the - talking to each other. just give us a sense of the city and this christmas market, an annual event that lots of people would go to over the festive period.— people would go to over the festive period. magdeburg is the capital — festive period. magdeburg is the capital of _ festive period. magdeburg is the capital of saxony - festive period. magdeburg isj the capital of saxony anhalt, and the christmas market is a tradition that happens every year. we have a huge market which is where the tragedy happened, and we have some smaller markets around there. usually you go in the afternoon and the evening there, have some drinks, some food, meet friends, talk to each other. it is a time ofjoy and happiness, a time of being together and we all enjoy this time before christmas at this christmas market. ~ ., market. we mentioned the olitical market. we mentioned the political element _ market. we mentioned the political element to - market. we mentioned the political element to this. . market. we mentioned the l political element to this. you are a member of the state parliament. how concerned are

you about some of those rumours from far right groups that were on social media immediately after this incident?— after this incident? that's what happens _ after this incident? that's what happens here. - after this incident? that's l what happens here. usually after this incident? that's - what happens here. usually the right—wing extremists use such tragedies for their own politics. they do not have any grief for the lost people. they just make... extremist these for their own capitalist politics. for their own capitalist militia-— for their own capitalist olitics. ., ,., ., for their own capitalist olitics. ., ., ., politics. how important going forward when _ politics. how important going forward when you _ politics. how important going forward when you have - politics. how important going forward when you have the i forward when you have the elections is going to be a healthy debate about immigration and the impact that it has on germany?— it has on germany? indeed it is in no way _ it has on germany? indeed it is in no way helpful— it has on germany? indeed it is in no way helpful for— it has on germany? indeed it is in no way helpful for anyone i it has on germany? indeed it is in no way helpful for anyone of| in no way helpful for anyone of us, so what we already know is

that the suspected person is a supporter of right—wing extremist, he is a follower and thatis extremist, he is a follower and that is the truth, that he wanted to destroy a lot of people because he supports this right—wing party. people because he supports this right-wing party-— right-wing party. nicola from the state parliament - right-wing party. nicola from the state parliament group i right-wing party. nicola from i the state parliament group that is in parliament, thank you for joining us. of course, we are expecting a lot more reaction from the authorities later and the german leader 0laf scholz is expected to attend a memorial event in the city of magdeburg later. we have a team of correspondence in germany, who are following all the developments and they are posting on the bbc news website and app, so you can follow the latest on that attack in germany. security is tightened at christmas markets across the country after. to the middle east now. a houthi missile strike

on the israeli city of tel aviv has wounded more than a dozen people. the military said attempts to shoot down a projectile launched from yemen had been unsuccessful and that it had landed in a public park. ican i can show you the seen live in tel aviv at the moment, which is one of the areas where the actual debris from the houthi missiles came down, and you can see it is a residential area and authorities say more than a dozen people were left with minor injuries. it exploded in a public park in tel aviv. live tojerusalem and our correspondent shaimaa khalil. we are seeing pictures from the scene, just explain what we know about what happened. another very tense morning in tel aviv and in the early hours residents there were woken up

by yet more sounds of sirens after a big explosion happened. 16 people were injured, minor injuries, mainly from flying shards of glass. we heard from the israeli military, who said they had failed to intercept that projectile, failed to shoot it down, and that it fell in a public park. but 1542 00:16:22,142 --> 00:16:22