The Magdeburg Attack: What We Know So Far

Dec 23, 2024 | Rakib Ehsan and Sabine Beppler-Spahl join Fraser Myers to discuss the deadly car attack on a German Christmas market, the misinformation surrounding the suspect’s motives, and how this deadly atrocity could fuel an insurgent AfD.

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André Gleißner Named as Nine-year-old Killed in Magdeburg Christmas Market Attack | BBC News

Dec 22, 2024 | A local fire brigade has paid tribute to a nine-year-old killed in an attack on a German Christmas market. André Gleißner died after a car drove into a crowd of shoppers at the market in Magdeburg on Friday evening, according to the Schöppenstedt fire department. Four women, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75, also died in the attack.

Authorities are holding a suspect identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen on counts of murder, attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm. He is a 50-year-old Saudi-born psychiatrist who lives in Bernburg, around 40km (25 miles) south of Magdeburg.


BBC:

Tributes to nine-year-old killed in German Christmas market attack: Tributes have been paid to a nine-year-old boy who was killed in an attack on a German Christmas market. »

Frank Gardner: Saudi warnings about market attack suspect were ignored: The Saudi authorities, I am told, are currently working flat out to collate everything they have on the Magdeburg market suspect, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, and to share it with Germany's ongoing investigation "in every way possible". »

Mourners Gather for Christmas Market Vigil in Magdeburg | DW News

Dec 21, 2024 | German prosecutors expect to charge the suspect in an attack on a Christmas market in the German City of Magdeburg with murder and attempted murder. Officials confirmed that five people died and 200 were injured when a car rammed into a crowd. They believe the suspect, a 50 year old doctor from Saudi Arabia, acted alone. The motive for the attack remains unclear, but he was critical of Islam and had been granted political asylum in Germany. People have been gathering in Magdeburg to pay their respects to those killed.

Magdeburg Suspect Supported Germany's Far-right AfD, Self-described as Islam Critic | DW News

Dec 22, 2024 | German authorities have charged the suspect in the deadly attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg with five counts of murder and several of attempted murder. Five people died and more than 200 were injured when the suspect drove a car through crowds at the market on Friday night. The suspect's social media posts reveal support for Germany's far-right party AfD, as well as a harsh critique of Islam, Saudi Arabia, and Germany's asylum policies.

What We Know about the Suspect behind Christmas Market Attack

Dec 22, 2024 | A driver who rammed a car into a crowded Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, killing at least five people and injuring more than 200, has been identified by authorities as a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian citizen who had lived in Germany for more than a decade and worked as a doctor.

Authorities are working to establish the motive of the suspect, named by a US activist group as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, who had a history of making anti-Islam statements and said that he had helped people, particularly women, flee Saudi Arabia. CNN's Matthew Chance reports.

Germany Mourns After Christmas Market Attack

Germans visited a memorial in Magdeburg, Germany, for the at least five people killed and more than 200 injured at a Christmas market, after an attacker drove a vehicle into a crowd.
Click here to watch the NYT video.

German Police Say Nine-year-old among Five People Killed in Christmas Market Attack | BBC News

Dec 21, 2024 | A nine-year-old-child is among those who were killed when a car drove into crowds at a Christmas market in Germany, officials say.

Four adults were killed and 200 people were injured when the suspect entered the market through an entrance reserved for ambulances and other emergency vehicles.

The BBC understands that the suspect in the Magdeburg attack is a man called Taleb al-Abdulmohsen.

While the motive is still unclear, prosecutors say it's linked to "dissatisfaction with the treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia in Germany".


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Musk Expresses Support for Far-Right Party in Germany’s Election

THE NEW YORK TIMES: It was not the first online intervention by Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and adviser to Donald Trump, on behalf of once-fringe anti-immigrant parties in Europe.

Elon Musk has long made heavy use of X, which he bought in 2022, to express his views on politics in the United States and abroad. | Pool photo by Allison Robbert
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a close adviser to President-elect Donald J. Trump, on Friday endorsed Germany’s far-right party, a group with ties to neo-Nazis whose youth wing has been classified as “confirmed extremist” by German domestic intelligence.

“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Mr. Musk posted to X, referring to the anti-immigrant party, the Alternative for Germany, by its German initials.

In doing so, he is wading into German politics at a moment of acute turmoil, and at the very same time that he has wielded his influence in Washington to help blow up a bipartisan spending deal that was meant to avoid a government shutdown over Christmas. The German government recently collapsed, resulting in early elections, which are planned for next year.

Mr. Musk’s post was in response to an English-language video by a 24-year-old German far-right influencer, Naomi Seibt. She harshly criticized Friedrich Merz, whom polls show leading the race, for dismissing a rival’s suggestion that Germany look to Mr. Musk and another firebrand, President Javier Milei of Argentina, for ideas about reforming the country. » | Christopher F. Schuetze and Mark Landler | Christopher Schuetze reported from Berlin, and Mark Landler reported from London. | Friday, December 20, 2024

Germany Market Attack: Magdeburg Suspect Is Pro-AfD Saudi Doctor

THE TELEGRAPH: A man suspected of ramming a car into a packed German Christmas market, killing at least four people, is a Saudi doctor, anti-Islam activist and supporter of the hard-Right AfD.

The suspect, a 50-year-old man who moved to Germany in 2006, has posted long comments on social media claiming that German politicians are deliberately trying to “Islamicise” the country, citing his admiration for the hard-Right AfD party and saying that former Muslims face persecution in Europe. » | Telegraph’s Foreign Staff. Jörg Luyken | Saturday, December 21. 2024

Related video here.

Germany: Car Drives into Crowd at Magdeburg Christmas Market | DW News

Dec 20, 2024 | A car drove into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in the central German city of Magdeburg on Friday night. At least one person was killed, according to German media reports. Multiple people were reportedly injured. Police have taken the driver into custody, according to local government sources cited by Germany's dpa news agency. Authorities have closed the Christmas market and emergency services are at the scene.The premier of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, is on his way to Magdeburg, public broadcaster MDR reported. The broadcaster also cited a spokesman for the state government as describing the incident as an attack. Magdeburg, a city west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt and is home to around 240,000 people.

1920-1930's Berlin in Color | 75 Impressive Rare Photos

Jun 17, 2023 | Time travelling back to Berlin 1920-1930s like you have never seen it before. | Please, be aware that colorization colors are not real and fake, colorization was made only for the ambiance and do not represent real historical data.

If you would like to support Boris Grankin and his fine technical work, he can be supported on PayPal here.

How Influential Is Musk among the Far Right in Germany? | DW News

Dec 20, 2024 | Elon Musk, who's also a close adviser to Donald Trump, posted on X that the far-right Alternative for Germany is the only party that can save Germany. The AFD is at odds with the country's mainstream parties, because of its hardline anti-immigrant and anti-European Union stances. It's also under observation by German law enforcement because parts of the party are suspected of seeking to undermine Germany's democratic order.

As I wrote very recently, Elon Musk is one of the world’s most dangerous men. Interfering in other countries’ politics is not acceptable. At this rate, we will see a Nazi government again in Germany. Concentration camps in the USA housing the millions of immigrants that Musk’s best buddy, Trump, intends to deport, and Nazis back in power in Germany. We really are heading towards dark and dangerous times. I was pretty accurate in my assessment on Wednesday last when I called Trump a metastasising cancer on the body politic, wasn't I? Musk wouldn't be wielding all this power without the re-election of Trump. – © Mark Alexander

German Government to Face Confidence Vote | BBC News

Dec 16, 2024 | The German parliament is due to hold a vote of confidence in the government of chancellor, Olaf Scholz, which is expected to lose.

Scholz requested the vote and wants to lose it because he currently runs a minority government, which means he cannot do anything without the Conservative opposition who are not willing to help him, he claims.

This comes after Scholz’s coalition collapsed in November 2024, effectively over the country’s budget.

The one way Germany can get an effective functioning government is by dissolving the current parliament and stage new, early elections in February 2025.

Massive Layoffs Signal Deepening Crisis in German Industry | DW Business

Dec 10, 2024 | Germany's industrial heavyweights are slashing jobs as the country struggles to escape its economic funk. Volkswagen made headlines when it said it wanted to curb employee pay and cut factories. Now, Ford and steelmaker Thyssenkrupp are saying thousands of jobs in Germany are on the line. How can Europe's top economy dig itself out of this hole?

Trump’s Tariffs Will 'Completely Wreck' European Economies

Nov 30, 2024 | “There's a real question as to whether or not Europe is facing another Eurozone crisis.”

Nina dos Santos says Trump’s double-digit tariffs, which would “completely wreck” Germany and France’s economies, could spiral the EU closer to a Eurozone crisis.

Germany Works to Extend Civil Defense Network | DW News

Nov 30, 2024 | Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised questions over civil defense in Germany. The government is working to increase the number of bunkers available to protect the population if the country comes under attack. Existing shelters could only house a tiny fraction of any targeted population.

Related article here.

Germany Draws Up List of Bunkers amid Russia Tensions

THE GUARDIAN: App planned for public to find emergency shelter in places including underground train stations and car parks

Germany is drawing up a list of bunkers that could provide emergency shelter for civilians, the interior ministry has said, at a time of rising tensions with Russia.

The list would include underground train stations and car parks as well as state buildings and private properties, a ministry spokesperson said.

A digital directory of bunkers and emergency shelters will be drawn up so people can find them quickly using a planned phone app. People would also be encouraged to create protective shelters in their homes by converting basements and garages, the spokesperson told a press briefing. » | Agence France-Presse in Berlin | Monday, November 25, 2024

Brit in Germany: Back in Britain. My Thoughts on England after 16 Years Abroad

Nov 17, 2024 | Going back to visit the UK always brings up a mixture of feelings. The country has definitely changed but so have I. It's always interesting to revisit old haunts and previous ideas we might hold. These are my thoughts and feelings about Britain. If you live there how do you feel about the place?

Germany's Downfall: Can a New Government Turn Things Around? | To The Point

Nov 14, 2024 | Germany’s government coalition collapsed the day Donald Trump was announced winner of the US elections. Now, Germans will have to decide who will rule the country in a snap election in February. Until then, little else will get done. Olaf Scholz has become a lame duck chancellor - at a time when Germany needs strong political leadership more than ever: the economy is struggling, society is divided. Europe’s heavyweight has come to a halt, including in foreign policy. That’s especially bitter for Ukraine: while its two biggest supporters, the US and Germany, are stuck in a power vacuum, its war against Russia continues to escalate. On To the Point we ask: Germany's downfall: can a new government turn things around?

Featuring Guests:
Michaela Küfner, DW's Chief Political Editor
Felix Lee, SZ Dossier
Melinda Crane, US Expert

Sabine Hossenfelder: Why I'm Embarrassed to Be German

Jul 6, 2024

WIKIPEDIA: Sabine Hossenfelder »