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Hi, I'm VOA's Alexis Strope with your worldwide news update.
The death toll continued to rise after a car-ramming attack at a German Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg that officials said also left more than 200 injured. A 50-year-old doctor was arrested at the site of the attack after the car was driven into the crowd. Fiona Jones from Reuters reports. Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the scene of what he called an "awful crime," laying flowers for the victims, which include a small child. Police have arrested the suspected attacker, who they identified as a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who has lived in Germany for almost two decades. Police searched his home overnight. The country's interior minister said he appears to be acting alone. The motive for the attack remained unclear and police have not yet named the suspect. A Saudi source told Reuters the country had warned German authorities about the attacker after he posted extremist views on his X account that threatened peace and security. That was Reuters correspondent Fiona Jones. Elon Musk has praised the far-right Alternative for Germany party ahead of the election set to be held in Germany early next year. Henry Ridgwell reports. The Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, is polling in second place ahead of the country's February 23 election. The party wants to leave the European Union and end support for Ukraine. Federal investigators have labeled it as a suspected "extreme right" organization, which the AfD rejects. In his latest intervention into European politics Friday, Elon Musk, the American tech billionaire and ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, posted on X that "only the AfD can save Germany." Musk's intervention comes days after he met British lawmaker Nigel Farage to discuss bankrolling his populist Reform party. Henry Ridgwell, VOA News. This is VOA News. Albania on Saturday announced a one-year ban on TikTok, the popular short video app following the killing of a teenager last month that raised fears over the influence of social media on children. VOA's Christina Menenti has more. The decision comes after a 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to death in November by a fellow pupil. Local media had reported that the incident followed arguments between the two boys on social media. Videos had also emerged on TikTok of minors supporting the killing. The ban, part of a broader plan to make schools safer, will come into effect early next year, according to Albania's prime minister. Several European countries, including France, Germany and Belgium, have enforced restrictions on social media use for children. In one of the world's toughest regulations targeting big tech, Australia approved in November a complete social media ban for children under 16. Christina Menenti, VOA News. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had selected the producer of his long-running reality television show "The Apprentice" to be his administration's special envoy to the United Kingdom. Mark Burnett, 64, created the show, which made Trump internationally famous for firing a succession of contestants vying for roles in his businesses. The British native also created or produced "Survivor," "Shark Tank," among others, and was the chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Burnett would "work to enhance diplomatic relations and focus on trade, investment opportunities and cultural exchanges." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's chances of staying on in power have become more tenuous after the opposition party that backed his government for years said it will vote no-confidence in the government when Parliament resumes. VOA's Tommie McNeil reports. An embattled Trudeau reshuffled his cabinet on Friday, but whether he will step aside in the coming days or weeks remains an open question. He participated in the swearing-in ceremony and shared a meeting with his new cabinet later. He faces rising discontent over his leadership, and the abrupt departure of his finance minister earlier this week could be something from which he can't recover. Tommie McNeil, VOA News. Officials say 38 people are confirmed dead and over 100 missing in Congo after an overloaded ferry full of people returning home for Christmas capsized. Twenty people are confirmed to have been rescued so far. The boat was traveling on the Busira River in the northeast of the Congo as part of a convoy of other vessels. According to the mayor of the last town the boat visited, the latest tragedy occurred less than four days after another boat in the northeast of the country capsized, killing 25. That wraps up this update, but the world and news never stop. For additional updates, visit our website. I'm Alexis Strope, VOA News. |