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.

In a statement they said he was a member of the children's fire brigade in Warle, which is about an hour's drive from Magdeburg.

Four women, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75, also died in the attack. Authorities are holding a suspect in pre-trial detention on counts of murder, attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm.

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".

Inside the imposing sand coloured and fortress-like walls of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh there is a perhaps justifiable sense of pique.

The ministry previously warned the German government about al-Abdulmohsen's extremist views.

It sent four so-called "Notes Verbal", three of them to Germany's intelligence agencies and one to the foreign ministry in Berlin. There was, the Saudis say, no response.

Part of the explanation for this may lie in the fact that Taleb al-Abdulmohsen was granted asylum by Germany in 2016, one year after the former Chancellor Angela Merkel threw open her country's borders to let in more than a million migrants from the Middle East, and 10 years after al-Abdulmohsen had taken up residence in Germany.

Coming from a country where Islam is the only religion permitted to be practiced in public, al-Abdulmohsen was a very unusual citizen.

He had turned his back on Islam, making himself a heretic in the eyes of many.

Born in the Saudi date palm oasis town of Hofuf in 1974, little is known about his early life before he decided to leave Saudi Arabia and move to Europe aged 32.

Active on social media, on his Twitter (later X) account he labels himself as both a psychiatrist and founder of Saudi rights movement, together with the tag @SaudiExMuslims.

He founded a website aimed at helping Saudi women flee their country to Europe.

The Saudis say he was a people trafficker and the Ministry of Interior's investigators, the Mabaatheth, are said to have an extensive file on him.

There have been reports in recent years of dissident Saudis coming under hostile surveillance from Saudi government agents, in Canada, the US and in Germany.

There is no question that the German authorities, both federal and state, have made some serious errors of omission in the case of al-Abdulmohsen.

Whatever their reasons for not responding, as the Saudis claim, to the repeated warnings about his extremism, he was clearly a danger to his adopted host country.

There is also, separately, the failure to close off, or at least guard, the emergency access route to Magdeburg Alter Markt that allowed him to allegedly drive his BMW into the crowds.

German authorities have defended the market's layout and said an investigation into the suspect's past is ongoing.

But a complicating factor here is that Saudi Arabia, although considered a friend and ally of the West, has a poor human rights record.

Until June 2018 Saudi women were forbidden to drive and even those women who publicly called for that ban to be lifted before then have been persecuted and imprisoned.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, still only in his 30s, just, is immensely popular in his own country.

While Western leaders largely distanced themselves from him after his alleged involvement in the grisly murder of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which the crown prince denies, at home his star is still in the ascendant.

Under his de-facto rule, Saudi public life has transformed for the better, with men and women allowed to associate freely, and cinemas reopening, along with big, spectacular sports and entertainment events, even gigs performed by Western artists like David Guetta and the Black Eyed Peas.

But there is a paradox here.

While Saudi public life has flourished there has been a simultaneous crackdown on anything that even hints at more political or religious freedom.

Harsh prison sentences of 10 years or more have been handed down for simple tweets.

No-one is permitted to even question the way the country is run.

It is against this backdrop that Germany appears to have dropped the ball with Taleb al-Abdulmohsen.

Cyclone Chido has killed 94 people in Mozambique since it made landfall in the east African country last week, local authorities have said.

The country's National Institute of Risk and Disaster Management (INGD) said 768 people were injured and more than 622,000 people affected by the natural disaster in some capacity.

Chido hit Mozambique on 15 December with winds of 260 km/h (160mph) and 250mm of rainfall in the first 24 hours.

The same cyclone had first wreaked havoc in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, before moving on to Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

In Mozambique, the storm struck northern provinces that are regularly battered by cyclones. It first reached Cabo Delgado, then travelled further inland to Niassa and Nampula.

The country's INGD said the cyclone impacted the education and health sector. More than 109,793 students were affected, with school infrastructure severely damaged.

Some 52 sanitary units were damaged, the INGD said, which further risks access to essential health services. This is exacerbated further in areas where access to healthcare facilities were already limited before the cyclone.

Daniel Chapo, leader of Mozambique's ruling party, told local media the government is mobilising support on "all levels" in response to the cyclone.

Speaking during a visit to Cabo Delgado on Sunday, one of the most badly affected areas, Chapo said the government is working alongside the INGD to ensure those affected in the provinces of Mecúfi, Nampula, Memba and Niassa can rebuild.

In Mayotte, Chido was the worst storm to hit the archipelago in 90 years, leaving tens of thousands of people reeling from the catastrophe.

The interior ministry in its latest update confirmed 35 people had died.

Mayotte's prefect previously told local media the death toll could rise significantly once the damage was fully assessed, warning it would "definitely be several hundred" and could reach thousands.

More than 1,300 officers were deployed to support the local population.

One week on, many residents still lack basic necessities, while running water is making a gradual return to the territory's capital. The ministry has advised people to boil water for three minutes before consuming it.

Around 100 tonnes of equipment are being delivered each day, the ministry said, as an air bridge was built between Mayotte, Reunion and mainland France.

In a statement on Friday, interior minister Bruno Retailleau said 80 tonnes of food and 50 tonnes of water had been distributed across Mayotte that day.

Tropical cyclones are characterised by very high wind speeds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges, which are short-term rises to sea-levels. This often causes widespread damage and flooding.

The cyclone, the INGD said, "highlights once again, the vulnerability of social infrastructures to climate change and the need for resilient planning to mitigate future impacts".

Assessing the exact influence of climate change on individual tropical cyclones can be challenging due to the complexity of these storm systems. But rising temperatures do affect these storms in measurable ways.

The UN's climate body, the IPCC, previously said there is "high confidence" that humans have contributed to increases in precipitation associated with tropical cyclones, and "medium confidence" that humans have contributed to the higher probability of a tropical cyclone being more intense.

On Friday evening, a man ploughed a car into a crowd of shoppers at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg.

The attack has left five people dead and more than 200 injured, with many in a critical condition.

One man has been arrested over the attack, and police believe he was solely responsible.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled to Magdeburg on Saturday, and a city councillor declared Christmas over for the city.

How did the attack unfold?

Unverified footage on social media showed a black BMW travelling at high speeds through the pedestrian walkway between Christmas stalls.

Eyewitnesses described jumping out of the car's path, fleeing or hiding. One told the Reuters news agency that police were already at the venue and chased after the car before arresting the suspect.

Footage from verified sources showed armed police confronting and arresting a man who can be seen lying on the ground next to a stationary vehicle - a black BMW with significant damage to its front bumper.

BBC correspondent Damien McGuinness in Magdeburg reported that the market is "surrounded by concrete blocks". However, "there is a gap which is wide enough for pedestrians to go through, but tragically wide enough for a car to go into the Christmas market", he said.

City officials said around 100 police, medics and firefighters, as well as 50 rescue service personnel rushed to the scene in the aftermath of the attack.

Images from the scene on Friday night showed an area outside the market awash with blue lights as dozens of first responders attended to the injured.

Who are the victims?

Five people have died in the attack, one of whom is a child.

More than 200 people have been injured and at least 41 are in a critical condition.

The toll had earlier been reported as two dead and 68 injured, but was revised to the much higher totals on Saturday morning.

None of the victims have been identified yet.

Who is the suspect?

German media has identified the suspect as Taleb A, a psychiatrist who lives in Bernburg, around 40km (25 miles) south of Magdeburg.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but authorities have reported that they believe he carried out the attack alone.

Originally from Saudi Arabia, he arrived in Germany in 2006 and in 2016 was recognised as a refugee.

He ran a website that aimed to help other former Muslims flee persecution in their Gulf homelands.

Evidenced by social media posts, the suspect is an outspoken critic of Islam, and has promoted conspiracy theories regarding a plot to seek Islamic supremacy in Europe.

A report from Der Spiegel said a complaint was filed against Taleb A with the authorities a year ago over statements he made. Officials did not see any concrete threat, the report says.

What have officials said about the attack?

"The reports from Magdeburg raise the worst fears," the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said on social media platform X.

Magdeburg's city councillor for public order, Ronni Krug, said the Christmas market will stay closed and that "Christmas in Magdeburg is over", according to German public broadcaster MDR.

That sentiment was echoed on the market's website, which in the wake of the attack featured only a black screen with words of mourning, announcing that the market was over.

The Saudi government expressed "solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims", in a statement on X, and "affirmed its rejection of violence".

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was "horrified by the atrocious attack in Magdeburg", adding that his thoughts were with "the victims, their families and all those affected" in a post on X on Friday night.

Magdeburg's Christmas market is a sad sight. This should have been the busiest weekend of the season, but the whole area has been cordoned off and all the stands are shut.

Police are the only people walking around the boarded-up mulled wine and gingerbread stalls.

On the pavement, red candles flicker, tributes laid for the victims.

Lukas, a truck driver, told me he felt compelled to come to pay his respects. "I wasn't there when it happened," he told me.

"But I work here in Magdeburg. I'm here every day. I've driven by here a thousand times."

"It's a tragedy for everyone here in Magdeburg. The perpetrator should be punished."

"We can only hope that the victims and their families find the strength to deal with it."

There is sorrow here – but there is anger too.

Many people here see this attack as a terrible lapse in security. That is a claim the authorities reject, although they have admitted the attacker entered the market using a route planned for emergency responders.

Michael, who also came to pay tributes to the victims, said "there should've been better security".

"We should have been prepared better but that was not done properly."

• Investigation: Police probe market security and warnings about suspect
• Explained: What we know so far about Magdeburg Christmas market attack
• From the scene: Eyewitness heard rumbling and shattering glass

Standing at the security cordon, I heard a group of locals complaining loudly about Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz and regional politicians.

"They are wasting our tax money, they are just looking out for themselves. They are not interested in us. We just hear empty promises," one man said.

"They are turning what happened here around and want to put the blame on the opposition and use it for their election campaign," he said.

On Saturday evening, around the same time as the square in front of Magdeburg's Gothic cathedral was filled with mourners watching a memorial service, a demonstration took place nearby.

Protesters held a banner that read "Remigration now!" – a concept popular among the far-right – and shouted "those who do not love Germany should leave Germany".

It is not clear yet what impact this attack may have on Germany's upcoming election.

Germany has been hit by a number of deadly Islamist attacks in the past, but investigators said the evidence they have gathered so far suggests a different picture in this case.

Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the suspect appears to have been "Islamophobic".

The suspect, Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, is from Saudi Arabia, and his social media posts suggest he had been critical of Islam.

He also expressed sympathy on social media for Germany's far-right political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), re-tweeting posts from the party's leader and a far-right activist.

The number of dead from a crowd crush in the south-east town of Okija in Nigeria has risen to 22, police say.

It is the third case this week of people being crushed to death at events where free food was being distributed.

The fatalities in Okija occurred at a charity event on Saturday, when residents rushed to collect Christmas donations, including rice and vegetable oil.

On the same day, a similar tragedy at a Catholic church in the capital city Abuja killed 10 people, while 35 children died during a carnival event on Wednesday in the city of Ibadan.

• How offer of free food led to deadly crush at Nigerian Christmas fair
• Is Nigeria on the right track after a year of Tinubu?

Police have now warned organisers to notify authorities before holding charity events in order to prevent such loss of life.

Toyin Abdul Kadri, who witnessed the crush at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Abuja, told AFP news agency the attendees "forced the gates and forced their selves inside".

The event involved "vulnerable and elderly individuals" and four children were killed, the police said.

In a social media post about the crushes, Amnesty International Nigeria wrote: "President Bola Tinubu's government must urgently prioritise addressing widespread hunger, higher unemployment and the rapidly falling standard of living."

Food and transportation costs have more than tripled in Nigeria in the last 18 months.

The global bout of inflation has been exacerbated by some of the policies of the government – designed to strengthen the economy in the long-term – such as ending a fuel subsidy.

In a statement on the deadly crushes, President Bola Tinubu said: "In a season of joy and celebration, we grieve with fellow citizens mourning the painful losses of their loved ones. Our prayers of divine comfort and healing are with them."

He urged state governments and the police to enforce strict crowd control measures, and has cancelled all his official engagements in honour of the victims.

He also noted the similarities between the incidents, including one earlier this week in the south-west city of Ibadan.

A crush at a school funfair there killed 35 children and seriously injured six others.

Thousands of people had turned up on the promise of free food.

Residents in Bashorun, a suburb of Ibadan, told the BBC the crowd soon exceeded 5,000 with many attempting to force their way through the school gate. Parents are said to have tried to scale the fence surrounding the compound to gain access.

Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the three "tragic" incidents highlight the "urgent need for a more structured and effective approach to delivering aid to vulnerable communities and members of the public in general".

More BBC stories about Nigeria:

• 'I've been sleeping under a bridge in Lagos for 30 years'
• Igbo pride: Why some Nigerians in London set up their own running club
• Who wins when Nigeria's richest man takes on the 'oil mafia'?

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

Ukrainian sniper Oleksandr Matsievsky was captured by Russians in the first year of the full-scale invasion. Later, a video emerged showing him smoking his last cigarette in a forest, apparently next to a grave he had been forced to dig.

"Glory to Ukraine!" he says to his captors. Moments later, shots ring out and he falls dead.

His execution is one of many.

In October this year, nine captured Ukrainian soldiers were reportedly shot dead by Russian forces in Kursk region. Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating the case including a photo showing half-naked bodies lying on the ground. This photo was enough for one of the victims, drone operator Ruslan Holubenko, to be identified by his parents.

"I recognised him by his underwear," his distraught mother told local broadcaster Suspilne Chernihiv. "I bought it for him before a trip to the sea. I also knew that his shoulder had been shot through. You could see that in the picture."

The list of executions goes on. Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating reports of beheadings and a sword being used to kill a Ukrainian soldier with his hands tied behind his back.

In another instance, a video showed 16 Ukrainian soldiers apparently being lined up and then mowed down with automatic gunfire after emerging from a woods to surrender.

Some of the executions were filmed by Russian forces themselves, while others were observed by Ukrainian drones hovering above.

The killings captured on such videos usually take place in woods or fields lacking distinctive features, which makes confirming their exact location difficult. BBC Verify, however, has been able to confirm in several cases - such as one beheading - that the victims wear Ukrainian uniforms and that the videos are recent.

Rising numbers

The Ukrainian prosecution service says that at least 147 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been executed by Russian forces since the start of the full-scale invasion, 127 of them this year.

"The upward trend is very clear, very obvious," says Yuri Belousov, the head of the War Department at the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office.

"Executions became systemic from November last year and have continued throughout all of this year. Sadly, their number has been particularly on the rise this summer and autumn. This tells us that they are not isolated cases. They are happening across vast areas and they have clear signs of being part of a policy - there is evidence that instructions to this effect are being issued."

International humanitarian law - particularly the Third Geneva Convention - offers protection to prisoners of war, and executing them is a war crime.

Despite this, Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of Russia's Chechnya, briefly ordered his commanders involved in the Ukraine war "to take no prisoners".

Impunity

Rachel Denber, Deputy Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch, says there is no shortage of evidence supporting allegations of Ukrainian prisoners of war being executed by Russian troops. According to her, impunity plays a key part, and the Russian army has some serious questions to answer.

"What instructions do these units have, either formally or informally from their commanders? Are their commanders being quite clear about what the Geneva Conventions say about the treatment of prisoners of war? What are Russian military commanders telling their units about their conduct? What steps is the chain of command taking to investigate these instances? And if higher ups are not investigating, or not taking steps to prevent that conduct, are they aware that they too are criminally liable and can be held accountable?" she asks.

So far, there has been nothing to suggest that Russia is formally investigating claims that its forces have been executing Ukrainian prisoners of war. Even mentioning similar allegations is punishable by lengthy prison sentences in Russia.

According to Vladimir Putin, Russian forces have "always" treated Ukrainian prisoners of war "strictly in line with international legal documents and international conventions".

Ukrainian forces have also been accused of executing Russian prisoners of war, but the number of such claims has been much smaller.

Yuri Belousov says that the Ukrainian prosecution service treats such accusations "very seriously" and is investigating them - but so far no one has been charged.

According to Human Rights Watch, since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022 the Russian forces have committed "a litany of violations, including those which should be investigated as war crimes or crimes against humanity".

The Russian army's record of abuses is such that some Ukrainian soldiers prefer death to capture.

"He told me: Mum, I'll never surrender, never. Forgive me, I know you'll cry, but I don't want to be tortured," Ruslan Holubenko's mother says. Her son is still officially classed as missing in action, and she hopes against hope.

"I'll do everything that's possible and impossible to get my child back. I keep looking at this photo. Maybe he is just unconscious? I want to believe, I don't want to think that he's gone."

Driving into Mezzeh 86, a working-class neighbourhood in the west of Damascus, we are waved through a checkpoint manned by fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Buildings are rundown and in need of repairs.

This area is dominated by people from Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam whose members make up one of Syria's biggest religious minorities.

Alawites controlled power in the predominantly Sunni Muslim country for the 50 years of the Assad family's rule, holding top positions in the government, military and intelligence services.

Now, many from the community fear reprisals following the overthrow of the Assad regime by rebels led by HTS, a Sunni Islamist group that was once al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.

Dozens of Alawites who we had contacted by phone had refused to speak to us, with many saying they were scared.

In Mezzeh 86, the presence of HTS fighters at a checkpoint did not appear to be a source of anxiety.

Many Alawites did come up and speak with us - keen to distance themselves from Assad's regime.

"During the Assad regime, the stereotype about the Alawites is that they got all the work opportunities and that they are wealthy. But, in fact, most Alawites are poor and you'll only find one among a thousand who is rich," said Mohammad Shaheen, a 26-year-old pharmacy student.

"Even when HTS went to Alawite villages near the coast, they found all villages were poor. Only the Assad family amassed wealth," he added, referring to the Alawite heartland in the country's west.

Hasan Dawood, a shopkeeper, chimed in: "We were slaves for him - drivers, cooks and cleaners."

There's also a sense of betrayal.

"Bashar was a traitor. And the way he fled was cowardly. He should have at least addressed people and told us what was happening. He left without a word, which made the situation chaotic," said Mohammad.

But people from the Alawite community, and indeed from this neighbourhood, did serve in Assad's brutal security forces. Do they fear reprisals against them, we asked.

"Those who were in the military and did bad things have fled. No-one knows where they are. They are afraid of revenge," said Thaier Shaheen, a construction worker.

"But people who don't have blood on their hands, they are not scared, and have stayed back."

There have been reports of a few reprisal killings in parts of the country, but so far there is no evidence to suggest they were carried out by HTS.

"Until now, we are OK. We are talking to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and they are respectful. But there are people who aren't from HTS but pretend to be them who are making threats. They want our society to fail and they are the ones we are scared of," said Mohammad.

After taking control of Damascus, HTS and its allies said those from the deposed regime who had been involved in torture and killings would be held to account, although it is unclear so far what form that justice will take.

HTS also said that the rights and freedoms of religious and ethnic minorities would be protected.

The group has a jihadist past which it has distanced itself from. But it has an Islamist present, and many are asking what that will mean for Syria's plural society.

"I'm so happy because the Assad regime fell. This is like a dream come true. No-one wants to live under dictatorship. But there is concern. I have to be realistic," said Youssef Sabbagh, a Christian lawyer.

"HTS are here now, and they are an Islamic militia. That's what they are. I wish, I pray they will be a modern Islamic militia."

"I speak not just as a Christian, a lot of Syrians, Muslims and everyone, we don't want Syria to become another Afghanistan, we don't want to become a new Libya. We have already suffered a lot."

Syria's Christian community is one of the oldest in the world, with the country home to some renowned holy sites.

When the uprising against Assad began in 2011, Christians were initially cautious about taking sides, but eventually members from the community fought on both sides of the conflict.

In the past week, the Archbishop of Homs, Jacques Murad, told the BBC there had already been three meetings with HTS, and they had been able to express their views and concerns honestly.

So far, the signs are re-assuring for many Christians.

Bars and restaurants serving alcohol are open in the Christian quarter of Old Damascus and in other parts of the city. Christmas decorations are also up in many places.

At a restaurant in the Old City, we met lawyer Ouday al-Khayat, who is a Shia Muslim.

"There's no doubt that there's anticipation and anxiety. The signs that come from HTS are good, but we must wait and watch," he said.

"It's not possible to know the opinions of all Shia but there is a concern about a scenario similar to Libya or Iraq. I believe, though, that Syria is different. Syrian society has been diverse for a very long time."

We drove around 110km (70 miles) south-east of Damascus, through black volcanic hills, to the city of Suweida, which is home to most of Syria's Druze population.

The Druze faith is another offshoot of Shia Islam, but has its own unique identity and beliefs.

Many Druze were loyal to the Assad regime, who they believed would protect minorities.

But opposition grew steadily during the war, and there were frequent protests in recent years.

The latest started in Suweida's central square in August 2023 and continued until the day the regime fell.

Activist Wajiha al-Hajjar believes that the protests were not brutally cracked down on like others in Syria, because Assad wanted to show the world and his foreign allies that he was protecting minorities.

"They did try to suppress our protest but in a different way - not through weapons or shelling, but by depriving us of passports and civil rights, and access to official documents. It became difficult to leave Suweida and a kind of siege was imposed," she said.

Hundreds still gather at the square every day. When we visited, there was an air of celebration. Songs were blaring on a loudspeaker, and young girls and boys were doing a gymnastics performance, their families clapping and cheering for them.

"We are celebrating the fall of the regime, but this gathering is also a show of strength. In the event that there is an extreme regime with extreme laws, we are prepared to stay in this square and demand our rights and demand equality," Wajiha said.

Suweida had a quasi-autonomous status under Assad, and the Druze want that to continue.

It is just one example of the diversity and complexity of Syrian society, and the challenges facing the country's new government.

Additional reporting by Aamir Peerzada, Leen Al-Saadi and Sanjay Ganguly

The US military says it has carried out a series of air strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa targeting a missile storage site and command facilities operated by Iran-backed Houthi militants.

US Central Command added it also hit multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.

It comes hours after the Houthis fired a ballistic missile at Israel which injured more than a dozen people in a Tel Aviv park.

The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group that controls north-western Yemen, began attacking Israel and international shipping shortly after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians.

In a statement, the US military's Central Command said the strikes aimed to "disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden".

The US military also said it struck "multiple Houthi one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles, or drones, and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea".

American F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets were used in the operation, the US Central Command added.

• Who are the Houthis and why are they attacking Red Sea ships?

Since November 2023, Houthi missile attacks have sunk two vessels in the Red Sea and damaged others. They have claimed, often falsely, that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK.

Last December, the US, UK and 12 other nations launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect Red Sea shipping lanes against the attacks.

On Saturday, Israel's military said its attempts to shoot down a projectile launched from Yemen were unsuccessful and the missile struck a park in Tel Aviv.

Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's emergency medical service, said it treated 16 people who were "mildly injured" by glass shards from shattered windows in nearby buildings.

Another 14 people suffered minor injuries on their way to protected areas were also treated, it said.

A Houthi spokesman said the group hit a military target using a hypersonic ballistic missile.

Earlier this week, Israel conducted a series of strikes against what it said were Houthi military targets, hitting ports as well as energy infrastructure in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.

Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that nine people were killed in the port of Salif and the Ras Issa oil terminal.

The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks until the war in Gaza ends. The US says its latest strike is part of a commitment to protect itself and its allies.

Grief and anger are boiling over in Magdeburg after an attacker used an access lane for emergency vehicles to drive into a Christmas market, killing five people and injuring hundreds.

On a visit on Saturday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, ministers and regional political leaders were heckled by members of the public, some seemingly outraged by what was criticised as a lapse in security.

German authorities have defended the layout and security at the market.

Authorities are also facing questions after reports that they were warned last year about the suspect, with police saying they had conducted an evaluation as to whether the perpetrator might be a potential threat a year ago.

The suspect has been ordered into pre-trial detention and faces charges of murder, attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm.

• Full report: Five dead, more than 200 injured in attack
• Explained: What we know so far about Magdeburg Christmas market attack
• From the scene: Eyewitness heard rumbling and shattering glass

Usually at this time of the year, German city centres are full of shoppers and revellers drinking mulled wine, but this year the mood is very different.

The main Christmas market is cordoned off by tape and surrounded by police vans as armed officers patrol the shops and malls nearby.

There is sadness in the air in Magdeburg, as well as bafflement and anger, as people ask how could this have happened.

As Scholz and his colleagues walked out of the cordoned-off market during their visit on Saturday, they were met with booing and heckling and shouts of "hau ab", an extremely aggressive form of "get lost".

Some people seemed enraged by a perceived lapse in security. Others appeared simply annoyed and irritated in general at Germany's political leaders.

Security has ramped up at Christmas markets across Germany since a similar attack in Berlin in 2016 when a man drove a lorry into a market crowd, killing 12 people.

Open-plan Christmas markets now have some sort of barrier around them — typically large concrete blocks, which is the case in Magdeburg.

However, the gap in the barriers was large enough to allow emergency vehicles to pass through.

City official Ronni Krug told reporters at a press conference on Saturday that emergency responders needed an evacuation route in case of a "conventional" emergency, and all the relevant agencies approved the plan.

"A safety and security concept must, on the one hand, protect those visiting an event as much as possible, but also needs to ensure, at the same time, if something does happen, they are able to leave the site safely and rapidly", he said.

"Perhaps it is something that could not have been prevented", he added.

German media reported that before the attack, there had been warnings into a potential threat from the suspect.

The suspect, a doctor from Saudi Arabia named Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, arrived in Germany in 2006 and in 2016 was recognised as a refugee.

An atheist, he ran a website that aimed to help other former Muslims flee persecution in their Gulf homelands. His social media was full of anti-Islamic sentiment and conspiracy theories.

At Saturday's press conference, Magdeburg police chief Tom-Oliver Langhans said police had conducted an evaluation as to whether the perpetrator might be a potential threat, "but that discussion was one year ago".

He added that investigations into the suspect's past were ongoing and declined to comment further.

One of those tip-offs is believed to have come from Saudi Arabia, the suspect's home country.

A source close to the Saudi government told the BBC it sent four official notifications known as "Notes Verbal" to German authorities, warning them about what they said were "the very extreme views" held by al-Abdulmohsen.

However, a counter-terrorism expert told the BBC the Saudis may have been mounting a disinformation campaign to discredit someone who tried to help young Saudi women seek asylum in Germany.

On Saturday, Langhans said he did not have information when asked about Saudi Arabia issuing warnings.

Later, the head of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Holger Münch, told public broadcaster ZDF that his office had received a notice from Saudi Arabia in November 2023. He said local police took appropriate investigative measures, but the matter was unspecific.

He added that the suspect "had various contacts with authorities, insulted them and even made threats, but he was not known for violent acts".

Past investigations would need to be revisited, Münch said.

On Friday evening, a man ploughed a car into a crowd of shoppers at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg.

The attack has left five people dead and more than 200 injured, with many in a critical condition.

One man has been arrested over the attack, and police believe he was solely responsible.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled to Magdeburg on Saturday, and a city councillor declared Christmas over for the city.

How did the attack unfold?

Unverified footage on social media showed a black BMW travelling at high speeds through the pedestrian walkway between Christmas stalls.

Eyewitnesses described jumping out of the car's path, fleeing or hiding. One told the Reuters news agency that police were already at the venue and chased after the car before arresting the suspect.

Footage from verified sources showed armed police confronting and arresting a man who can be seen lying on the ground next to a stationary vehicle - a black BMW with significant damage to its front bumper.

BBC correspondent Damien McGuinness in Magdeburg reported that the market is "surrounded by concrete blocks". However, "there is a gap which is wide enough for pedestrians to go through, but tragically wide enough for a car to go into the Christmas market", he said.

City officials said around 100 police, medics and firefighters, as well as 50 rescue service personnel rushed to the scene in the aftermath of the attack.

Images from the scene on Friday night showed an area outside the market awash with blue lights as dozens of first responders attended to the injured.

Who are the victims?

Five people have died in the attack, one of whom is a child.

More than 200 people have been injured and at least 41 are in a critical condition.

The toll had earlier been reported as two dead and 68 injured, but was revised to the much higher totals on Saturday morning.

None of the victims have been identified yet.

Who is the suspect?

German media has identified the suspect as Taleb A, a psychiatrist who lives in Bernburg, around 40km (25 miles) south of Magdeburg.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but authorities have reported that they believe he carried out the attack alone.

Originally from Saudi Arabia, he arrived in Germany in 2006 and in 2016 was recognised as a refugee.

He ran a website that aimed to help other former Muslims flee persecution in their Gulf homelands.

Evidenced by social media posts, the suspect is an outspoken critic of Islam, and has promoted conspiracy theories regarding a plot to seek Islamic supremacy in Europe.

A report from Der Spiegel said a complaint was filed against Taleb A with the authorities a year ago over statements he made. Officials did not see any concrete threat, the report says.

What have officials said about the attack?

"The reports from Magdeburg raise the worst fears," the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said on social media platform X.

Magdeburg's city councillor for public order, Ronni Krug, said the Christmas market will stay closed and that "Christmas in Magdeburg is over", according to German public broadcaster MDR.

That sentiment was echoed on the market's website, which in the wake of the attack featured only a black screen with words of mourning, announcing that the market was over.

The Saudi government expressed "solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims", in a statement on X, and "affirmed its rejection of violence".

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was "horrified by the atrocious attack in Magdeburg", adding that his thoughts were with "the victims, their families and all those affected" in a post on X on Friday night.

A woman who was with her boyfriend at the Christmas market in Magdeburg has told local media she had her boyfriend in her arms when the car used in the attack came speeding towards them.

"He was hit and pulled away from my side. It was terrible," 32-year-old Nadine told the Bild newspaper.

Footage published on German media showed a black car striking a crowd of people at high speed and continuing to drive forward for hundreds of metres.

Nadine's boyfriend is said to have sustained injuries to his leg and head.

Another eyewitness, Gianni Warzecha, told the BBC he was listening to Christmas music at the market with his girlfriend's family when "suddenly there was a rumbling and the sound of shattered glass".

"People began to panic," he said. "I saw the car and people on the floor, people bleeding. There were also kids.

"I was concentrating on getting first aid to people. It took a few minutes for the first paramedics to arrive but it wasn't enough because there were already 200 people hurt.

"Most of the first aid was done by people there."

Lars Frohmüller, a reporter for the public broadcaster MDR who arrived at the Christmas market in Magdeburg shortly after the attack, told the BBC about what he saw.

"Everywhere were ambulances, there were police, there were a lot of fire workers.

"This was a real chaotic situation. We saw blood on the floor, we saw people sitting beside each other and having golden and silver foils around them. And we saw many doctors trying to keep people warm and help them with their injuries.

"It's a big shock. It's a big shock for every people here in Magdeburg and for every person in Saxony-Anhalt."

• Follow updates on this story
• Full report: Five dead, more than 200 injured in attack

Tobias Rausch, who was at the Christmas market and serves as general secretary of Germany's far-right AfD party in Saxony-Anhalt, told Reuters it was scary.

Rausch said he had not reached the market when "all of a sudden, we heard a muffled noise, an engine roaring".

"People were screaming. It all happened in a fraction of a second."

Once away from danger, Rausch said he was able to film the moment police detained the suspect.

Local officials told a news conference that fellow citizens had given vital first aid to those hurt in the moments before emergency services arrived on the scene.

One Magdeburg resident, Heike Janke, was at the Christmas market on Friday and left at around 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT), roughly an hour before the attack took place.

"We could have been hit," Ms Janke told Reuters, as she lit a candle for those involved in the tragedy. She said she felt appalled by what happened, "somehow you just can't believe it".

She was joined by many other locals who brought flowers and candles to a church near where the attack happened.

Corinna Pagels, a local and employee with a counselling organisation, said she was at the market herself early on Friday. She said the healing for the community starts now.

"Of course, it gets to you and we also need to process things and thankfully we have a good network and are also there to provide aftercare for rescue workers and firefighters and support them in the aftermath. So the real work starts now."

A man accused of murdering four women and a nine-year-old boy by driving a car into them at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg has been remanded in custody.

The 50-year-old was brought before Magdeburg district court on Saturday evening following the incident on Friday when a black BMW car ploughed through the crowded market injuring more than 200 people.

Magdeburg Police said investigations are continuing and officers are appealing for witnesses to send in photos or video of the incident.

The suspect has been named in local media as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi citizen who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had worked as a doctor.

On Sunday morning, Magdeburg police confirmed four women - aged 45, 52, 67 and 75 - were also killed in the incident.

"The judge ordered pre-trial detention for five counts of murder, multiple attempted murder and multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm," its statement said.

City officials said around 100 police, medics and firefighters, as well as 50 rescue service personnel, went to the scene shortly after 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Friday.

Witnesses described how they had to jump out of the car's path during the attack.

In an interview with German paper Bild, one woman called Nadine described being at the Christmas market with her boyfriend Marco when the car came speeding towards them.

"He was hit and pulled away from my side," the 32-year-old told the paper. "It was terrible."

Lars Frohmüller, a reporter for German public broadcaster MDR, told BBC Radio 4's World Tonight programme he saw "blood on the floor" as well as "many doctors trying to keep people warm and help them with their injuries".

• What we know so far about Magdeburg market attack
• Eyewitness saw car hit boyfriend in attack
• Reporter describes 'chaotic situation'

A memorial service for victims of the attack was held at Magdeburg Cathedral on Saturday evening

The service was attended by families of the victims, emergency workers and federal government officials, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

During a visit to the market earlier on Saturday, Scholz described the attack as a "dreadful tragedy" as "so many people were injured and killed with such brutality" in a place that is supposed to be "joyful".

He told reporters that there were serious concerns for those who had been critically injured and that "all resources" will be allocated to investigating the suspect behind the attack.

Previously, Reiner Haseloff, the premier of Saxony-Anhalt state, said a preliminary investigation suggested the alleged attacker was acting alone.

Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of US President-elect Donald Trump, has withdrawn her name from consideration for a seat in the Senate.

She stepped down this month as co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), fuelling speculation that she might replace outgoing Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, whom Trump has nominated for secretary of state.

But in a post on X, she said she had removed herself from consideration "after an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many".

She said she wished Florida Governor Ron DeSantis luck in hand-picking a replacement to serve out the remainder of Rubio's six-year term, which ends in 2026.

In her post on X on Saturday, Lara Trump said: "I could not have been more honoured to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our lifetime and I'm truly humbled by the unbelievable support shown to me by the people of our country, and here in the great state of Florida."

She said she had a big announcement to share in January, without giving further details.

Lara Trump was elected as RNC co-chair in March, solidifying her father-in-law's influence over the party as he campaigned for the presidency.

Alongside her husband, Trump's son Eric, and his older brother Don Jr, she emerged as one of the top campaign surrogates for the Republican candidate in the run-up to the election.

Talks to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas are 90% complete, but key issues remain that need to be bridged, a senior Palestinian official involved in the talks told the BBC.

One of the main sticking points is the continued Israeli military presence in the Philadelphi corridor, a strategically important strip of land in southern Gaza along the border with Egypt.

The Palestinian official shared details of the discussions being held in Doha which include the potential creation of a buffer zone several kilometres wide along the length of Israel's border with Gaza.

Israel would retain a military presence within this area, the official said.

With these issues resolved, a three-stage ceasefire could be agreed within days, they added.

The deal would include an exchange of 20 Palestinian prisoners for every female soldier released in the first of three stages of the ceasefire.

The names of the prisoners are yet to be agreed but would be chosen from around 400 names who are serving prison sentences of 25 years or more in Israel.

These are not thought to include the senior Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, whose release Israel is expected to veto.

Israeli hostages would be released in stages, as it is believed that Hamas still need to locate some of the missing hostages.

Of 96 hostages still held in Gaza, 62 are assumed by Israel to still be alive.

Gazan civilians would be able to return to the north, under a system with Egyptian/Qatari oversight, and there would be around 500 trucks per day bringing aid into the strip, the official said.

In the final stage of the three-phase plan, which would see the end of the 14-month war, Gaza would be overseen by a committee of technocrats from the enclave, who would not have previous political affiliations but would have the backing of all Palestinian factions.

In recent weeks, the US, Qatar and Egypt have resumed their mediation efforts and reported greater willingness by both sides to conclude a deal.

A round of talks in mid-October failed to produce a deal, with Hamas rejecting a short-term ceasefire proposal.

Hamas and two other Palestinian militant groups said that reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza "has become closer than ever before" only if Israel "stops imposing new conditions".

In a Telegram statement on Saturday, the group said it held a meeting in Cairo on Friday on the ongoing negotiation efforts with representatives from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The Palestinian Islamist armed group Hamas, which governed Gaza, carried out an unprecedented cross-border attack in southern Israel on 7 October 2023. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 others abducted.

More than 100 hostages have been freed through negotiations or Israeli military rescue operations.

Blake Lively has filed a legal complaint against It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and a campaign to "destroy" her reputation.

According to the legal filing, she accuses Mr Baldoni and his team of attacking her public image following a meeting in which she brought along her actor husband, Ryan Reynolds, to address "repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior" by Baldoni and a producer on the movie.

Mr Baldoni's legal team told the BBC the allegations are "categorically false" and said they hired a crisis manager because Ms Lively had threatened to derail the film unless her demands were met.

In the romantic drama, Ms Lively plays a woman who finds herself in a relationship with a charming but abusive boyfriend, played by Mr Baldoni.

The meeting between Ms Lively and Mr Baldoni, together with others involved in the movie's production, took place on 4 January this year, and it aimed to address "the hostile work environment" on set, says the legal filing.

Ms Lively's husband, Deadpool star Mr Reynolds, who did not appear in It Ends With Us, joined her at the showdown, according to the legal complaint, which is one step before a lawsuit.

Mr Baldoni, 40, attended the meeting in his capacity as co-chairman and co-founder of the company that produced the film, Wayfarer Studios. He was also the film's director.

In the legal complaint, Ms Lively's lawyers allege that both Mr Baldoni and the Wayfarer chief executive officer, Jamey Heath, engaged in "inappropriate and unwelcome behavior towards Ms Lively and others on the set of It Ends With Us".

In the filing to the California Civil Rights Department, a list of 30 demands relating to the pair's alleged misconduct was made at the meeting to ensure they could continue to produce the film.

Among them, Ms Lively, 37, requested that there be no more mention of Mr Baldoni and Mr Heath's previous "pornography addiction" to Ms Lively or to other crew members, no more descriptions of their own genitalia to Ms Lively, and "no more adding of sex scenes, oral sex, or on camera climaxing by BL [Blake Lively] outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project", says the complaint.

Ms Lively also demanded that Mr Baldoni stop saying he could speak to her dead father.

Ms Lively's legal team further accuse Mr Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of leading a "multi-tiered plan" to wreck her reputation.

She alleges this was "the intended result of a carefully crafted, coordinated, and resourced retaliatory scheme to silence her, and others from speaking out about the hostile environment that Mr Baldoni and Mr Heath created".

Responding to the legal complaint, Mr Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said on Saturday: "It is shameful that Ms Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives."

Mr Freedman accused Ms Lively of making numerous demands and threats, including "threatening to not show up to set, threatening to not promote the film", which would end up "ultimately leading to its demise during release, if her demands were not met".

He alleged that Ms Lively's claims were "intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media".

In a statement via her attorneys to the BBC, Ms Lively said: "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."

She also denied that she or any of her representatives had planted or spread negative information about Mr Baldoni or Wayfarer.

The film was a box-office hit, although some critics said it romanticised domestic violence.

Soon after the release date in August, another co-star, Brandon Sklenar, hinted in an Instagram post at rumours of a rift between Ms Lively and Mr Baldoni.

Speculation of a falling out only grew when they did not appear together on the red carpet.

It Ends With Us tells the story of Boston florist Lily Bloom, played by Ms Lively, as she navigates a love triangle between her charming but abusive boyfriend, Ryle Kincaid, played by Mr Baldoni, and her compassionate first love, Atlas Corrigan, played by Mr Sklenar.

It is based on a best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover. The 45-year-old author has previously said her inspiration was domestic abuse her mother endured.

In an interview with the BBC at the film's premiere in August, Ms Lively said she had felt the "responsibility of servicing the people that care so much about the source material".

"I really feel like we delivered a story that's emotional and it's fun, but also funny, painful, scary, tragic and it's inspiring and that's what life is, it's every single colour," said the actress.

Ms Lively, who is also credited as a producer, told the BBC she felt the film had been made "with lots of empathy".

"Lily is a survivor and a victim and while they are huge labels, these are not her identity," said Ms Lively. "She defines herself and I think it's deeply empowering that no one else can define you."

A car has crashed into a crowd at a Christmas market in east Germany, local media report.

Reports say multiple people have been injured in the incident in Magdeburg.

Video on social media shows a number of people laying on the ground and emergency services in attendance.

An "extensive police operation" is underway and the market was closed, according to local authorities.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted to pass a budget deal to avert what would be the first US federal government shut down since 2019.

The deal, which passed by a vote of 366 -34 only six hours before a midnight deadline, must still be approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate before it can be signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Lawmakers earlier this week had successfully negotiated a deal to fund government agencies - but it fell apart after President-elect Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk called on Republicans to reject it.

This vote was the third attempt this week to get a deal through the House after a second funding measure - that one backed by Trump - failed on Thursday.

• Why government shutdowns seem to only happen in US
• Trump's shutdown gamble exposes limits of his power

The 118-page "American Relief Act, 2025" that passed in the House on Friday strips out a debt-limit provision that Trump had demanded, which was a sticking point for Democrats and some Republican budget hawks in an earlier draft bill.

The deal also removes measures sought by Democrats in the first version of the bill, including the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009, federal funds to rebuild a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore, healthcare reforms, and provisions aimed at preventing hotels and live event venues from deceptive advertising.

A total of 34 Republicans voted against the short-term funding bill while all Democrats in attendance were in favour.

Trump has not yet commented on the vote. A statement put out by the White House on behalf of Biden praises the deal.

Ahead of the vote, Democrats slammed the involvement of Mr Musk in the process, who they pointed out is an unelected billionaire.

Mr Musk, who Trump has tasked with cutting government spending in his future administration, had lobbied heavily against an earlier bill.

During floor debate, Republicans said they look forward to a "new era" when Trump takes office and Republicans take control of both chambers of Congress next month.

The wrangling over budget left Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson bruised amid criticism from members of his own party over his handling of the process.

"We are grateful that everyone stood together to do the right thing and having gotten this done now as the last order of business for the year, we are set up for a big and important new start in January," Johnson told reporters after Friday's vote.

He also said that he had spoken frequently to both Trump and Mr Musk during the negotiations.

Johnsons remarks came shortly after Mr Musk praised the Louisiana congressman's work on the budget in a post on X, the social media platform he owns.

"The Speaker did a good job here, given the circumstances," he posted. "It went from a bill that weighed pounds to a bill that weighed ounces."

The dramatic budget fight served as a preview of the tense legislative fights that could be in store next year, once Trump is in the White House.

• What happens when the US government shuts down?

Officials have warned that if there is no funding deal going into the holiday season, millions of federal employees would go without paycheques if the government shuts down.

There will be countless other ways a shut down would affect Americans - including by limiting assistance to aid-reliant farmers and people recovering from natural disasters.

The last government shutdown was during Trump's first term in 2019 after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives failed to come to an agreement on a new spending bill.

That shutdown lasted 35 days, and was the longest in US history.

A Houthi missile strike has injured more than a dozen people in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The Israeli military said attempts to shoot down a projectile launched from Yemen had been unsuccessful and it landed in a public park early on Saturday.

A Houthi military spokesman said the group hit a military target using a hypersonic ballistic missile.

The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group that controls north-western Yemen, began attacking Israel and international shipping shortly after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians.

Israel's military says about 400 missiles and drones have been launched at the country from Yemen since then, most of which have been shot down.

After the missile strike early on Saturday, Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's emergency medical service, said it treated 16 people who were "mildly injured" by glass shards from shattered windows in nearby buildings.

Another 14 people suffered minor injuries on their way to protected areas were also treated, it said.

Earlier this week, Israel conducted a series of strikes against what it said were Houthi military targets, hitting ports as well as energy infrastructure in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that nine people were killed in the port of Salif and the Ras Issa oil terminal.

The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks until the war in Gaza ends.

A car has crashed into a crowd at a Christmas market in east Germany, local media report.

Reports say multiple people have been injured in the incident in Magdeburg.

Video on social media shows a number of people laying on the ground and emergency services in attendance.

An "extensive police operation" is underway and the market was closed, according to local authorities.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Jamil Hassan, one of the most feared men in Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime, wanted for the torture and killing of civilians, was shaking as he walked down the stairs of his apartment block.

Outside, the 72-year-old climbed into a car in a small convoy with his family and a handful of security guards, just a few suitcases between them.

His neighbour and her teenage son watched.

"I knew the moment I saw them flee that Assad had fallen," she says.

When we entered Hassan's apartment a few days later, signs of the family's hasty departure were everywhere.

In the fridge was a half-eaten carrot cake with a knife still on the plate. The beds were strewn with clothes and empty shoeboxes. Flowers wilted in a vase in the dining room, and cups and plates had been left to dry by the sink.

A framed photo of a smiling Hassan and Assad hung on the wall of the study, with text reading: "Our skies are for us and forbidden to others".

Hassan, referred to as "the butcher" by many civilians on his street, was one of Assad's most menacing enforcers. He led the Air Force Intelligence and oversaw a network of detention facilities including the notorious Mezzeh Prison, where detainees were routinely tortured.

He is one of many senior regime figures wanted or sanctioned around the world who have abandoned their homes in affluent areas of Damascus and vanished.

Finding these men who ruled Syria with an iron fist will be difficult. Some fear they will strike political deals abroad and evade justice.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the campaign to topple the regime, has vowed to search for them inside Syria. Rebels aligned with the group now occupy Hassan's apartment and a handwritten note on the front door warns people not to enter.

When we asked them where Hassan might have gone, one grinned and replied: "I don't know - to Hell."

'His guards threatened to kill my dog'

Many apartment shutters on Hassan's quiet street in central Damascus are now closed. Knocks on doors go unanswered.

Those who will speak tell us about their fear at living on a street with a wanted war criminal. "We were so afraid to talk," says the woman who watched him flee. "It was terrifying to live next to them."

Hassan is wanted in the US for "engaging in conspiracy to commit cruel and inhuman treatment of civilian detainees, including US citizens". He was convicted in absentia earlier this year in France for his role in imprisoning, disappearing and torturing two Syrian-French nationals. Germany wants him too. An Interpol Red Notice shows a photograph of Hassan alongside a note that he is wanted for "conspiracy to commit war crimes".

He was placed under travel bans and had his assets frozen over the repression of civilian protesters. In April 2011 the US says Air Force Intelligence personnel fired tear gas and live ammunition at protesting crowds in Damascus and other cities, killing at least 43.

People on the street describe a formidable figure who was unapproachable and always surrounded by guards.

A makeshift security post outside Hassan's apartment building was constantly staffed by military personnel. The night before the regime collapsed, the men simply took off their uniforms and discarded their weapons, according to another neighbour.

"It was the first time I'd seen this post with no lights, no sounds, no noise," says 27-year-old Amr al-Bakri, a filmmaker who lives with his family in the building next door.

He said locals "knew what he did to the Syrians - outside of Damascus and in Damascus - so we know it but we can't say anything, just 'good morning sir'. He'd say nothing back."

Amr says his family had to give away their pet dog after Hassan's guards threatened to kill it if it didn't stop barking. When Amr's family asked for the guard post to be moved from outside their home, they were told they should move house instead, he says.

The guards would run regular inspections on the street and check the bags of visitors.

"Sometimes if I had a plumber or handyman to come and fix something one of the guards would come and check if there was really something that needed to be fixed," says the woman living in Hassan's building.

Neighbours also say Hassan had a "golden line" for electricity that meant his family's lights were always on, while other homes in the neighbourhood were in darkness.

The electrician called to fix any problems at the apartment says he knew Hassan over many years "but only from a distance". "[Hassan] was very strict - a military personality," the man says. "He was a butcher… He had no mercy."

The man told BBC News he had been in prison - not at Mezzeh but elsewhere - and was tortured there.

A local shopkeeper, Mohammed Naoura, says he didn't like Hassan but that you had to appear to support him.

"We are happy now," he adds. "Nobody believed this would ever happen."

Guns on sofas and underground swimming pools

Hussam Luka, head of the General Security Directorate (GSD), was less well-known among residents but had an apartment underneath Hassan.

His "ruthless, smooth-talking nature" reportedly earned him the nickname "the spider" - and he's under sanctions in the EU, US and UK.

A UK sanctions list says he was "responsible for the torture of opponents in custody", while the US Treasury Department says he "reportedly committed a number of massacres" while working in Homs.

The White House has said he is one of a small group of officials who might have information about missing American journalist Austin Tice.

At his home on Monday, rebels were dismantling furniture to be put into storage. They said they arrived after looters had already taken many of the most expensive items.

A photo of Luka and Assad remained, printed in different sizes and styles, alongside documents from security and intelligence events, and ceremonial medals and certificates from the foreign spy service in Russia - where the deposed Syrian leader Assad has fled.

"This award is to the coordinator of the mukhabarat [intelligence service] organ in the southern provinces of the Syrian Arab Republic," one certificate naming Luka says. "You showed the utmost professionalism and put in huge effort to fulfil the duties entrusted to you for the good of the Syrian people."

As rebels clear the apartment, a neighbour wanders in to see what's happening.

When asked what she knows about the regime official, she replies: "We keep to ourselves, they keep to themselves. No one in this building interacts with each other." She walks away.

In other affluent areas more homes have been abandoned. Fridges are fully stocked, wardrobes full and in some cases travel documents left behind.

The rebels who have taken over the homes are using them as bases, and say they are also preventing further looting.

At one lavish apartment, men say they are sleeping on blankets on marble floors beneath giant chandeliers and cooking on a camp stove in its modern kitchen. Guns are propped against plush sofas and arm chairs.

"We don't need any of this," a rebel says, gesticulating around the room.

At another, a child peaks through the curtain of a sprawling ground-floor apartment with an outdoor swimming pool. A large family say they are occupying the space.

Perhaps the grandest home in the area is the modern labyrinthine underground dwelling of one of the country's best-known businessmen - Khodr Taher Bin Ali, better known as Abu Ali Khodr.

Bin Ali has been sanctioned by the US, UK and EU for his role in supporting and benefiting from the Syrian regime.

His home has an elevator, a full-size gym, an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi and sauna, and an industrial kitchen.

In the master bedroom, there are two golden safes, with space for dozens of watches - in a drawer there is a forgotten warranty card for luxury brand Audemars Piguet. A gun case and jewellery boxes in the wardrobe are empty.

The children's ensuite bedrooms still have toys and a Louis Vuitton handbag on the floor and homework and school reports are in the cupboards. A Quran rests on a countertop with the words "A gift from the president Bashar al-Assad" inscribed on the side.

Around the corner from Bin Ali is the home of Ali Mamlouk, one of Assad's closest associates and among the most senior and notorious members of the regime. He was reportedly given the nickname "black box" because of his control over sensitive information.

He was sentenced alongside Hassan by French judges this year for war crimes, and is also wanted in Lebanon for two explosions in 2012 in the city of Tripoli that killed and wounded dozens.

Like Luka, the White House believes Mamlouk is one of few men who could have information about Tice.

His home is padlocked shut, and rebels are more reluctant to grant entry there.

In a guard booth outside, there are notes on visitors to the property before Assad's fall - people delivering chocolates, water and vegetables, and coming to fix the electricity.

"No one could see, no one could walk, no one could pass by this area. It's actually the first time I'm seeing this place from up close," says 17-year-old Mo Rasmi Taftaf, whose family own a house nearby.

"Whenever he came in or out, guards would cut the roads off," one neighbour says.

Shouting down from a second-floor balcony, another gestures towards Mamlouk's large home when asked about the wanted regime figure.

"It felt like there was a strange atmosphere" on the street the night before news broke that Assad had fled, he says, without elaborating.

"His security was here at the time but I saw them leave on Sunday morning - a lot of cars. Ali Mamlouk wasn't here," he adds, before returning inside.

Another man, who declines to give his name, says he doesn't want to talk about the regime men.

"I just want to live in peace. I don't want to open this book or explore all of these crimes - there would be a lot of blood."

Hunting the Assad men

Many, though, do want justice.

The leader of HTS has vowed to pursue the senior regime figures in Syria and asked other countries to hand over those who fled. Those wanted elsewhere have limited places to run.

Finding the men will be a challenge.

"While there is no confirmed information on the current whereabouts of senior regime figures like Jamil Hassan, Ali Mamlouk, and others, there are concerns that such individuals could benefit from political deals that enable them to evade justice," the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) tells the BBC.

"Some are likely to have sought refuge in allied countries, complicating future extradition efforts, while others may still be in Syria, living discreetly."

On Hassan's street, neighbours speculate about where the vanished war criminal has gone.

His family left few clues in the apartment. But in the office is a certificate for Hassan's daughter signed by Hassan Nasrallah, the late leader of Lebanon-based Shia militant group Hezbollah, thanking her for her "help and support for this honourable resistance".

Several neighbours suggest he may be hiding in Lebanon or has transited through there, while the local shopkeeper says he thinks Hassan headed for the coast, perhaps to Latakia in the north - the heartland of the minority Alawite sect to which Assad and many of his closest allies belong.

Meanwhile, Lebanese newspaper Nida al-Watan reports that Mamlouk was smuggled across the border and into the Lebanese capital Beirut by Hezbollah - a long-time ally of Syria's Ba'ath government.

Hezbollah has not confirmed offering assistance to any regime figures, and the Lebanese government has said no Syrian officials targeted by international warrants were authorised to enter through legal crossings. Lebanese security services say Mamlouk is not in the country.

Syrian-British barrister Ibrahim Olabi says regime officials may have acquired new identities and passports, as they were powerful people backed by state institutions.

When it comes to getting justice, he adds, a lack of evidence is not the problem. It is more about finding them and getting them to a place where they can be held accountable.

The SCM says doing this will "require considerable resources, sustained political will, and international collaboration".

Failing to do so will send a "dangerous message that crimes, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, can go unpunished", it adds.

Ibrahim Olabi says he is hopeful that justice will be served.

"It will absolutely be a hunt," he says, but "the world now is a small place through social media, private investigators, political leverages".

Hassan's neighbours who were willing to talk say they hope he will one day be returned to Syria, far away from their street, to be punished.

A car has crashed into a crowd at a Christmas market in east Germany, local media report.

Reports say multiple people have been injured in the incident in Magdeburg.

Video on social media shows a number of people laying on the ground and emergency services in attendance.

An "extensive police operation" is underway and the market was closed, according to local authorities.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

At London's famous Hyde Park at around 11:00 on a crisp Saturday morning, runners gather at some benches - some tall and lean, others broad and sturdy, a few logging into the Strava app, but one common thread unites them - most of them are Nigerians of Igbo extraction.

This is the Ozo running club, formed by Igbo people to celebrate the culture of one of the largest of Nigeria's more than 300 ethnic groups.

"We wanted to create a space where young Igbo people could connect and re-connect to their culture," said Chibueze Odoemene, who co-founded the club with Emeka Atumonyogo, and Chigo Ogbonna.

In less than three months, the Ozo running club already has more than 300 members.

This rapid growth speaks not only to the deep desire for community, but to the significant boom of social running clubs in recent years.

Strava, the popular running app, said there had been a 59% increase in running club participation globally this year.

But for the Ozo running club, the weekly Saturday meets aren't simply about running, pace or fitness - it's a place where strangers become family.

Even as the runners wait to join their respective speed groups - fast, medium, slow, and walking pace - a buzz and energy cuts through the calm of the park as Afrobeats music pulses from a nearby speaker.

“Igbo kwenu!” shouts Mr Odoemene, his voice booming across the park to gather everyone’s attention.

The group responds in unison with a low, rumbling “Eyy.”

“Igbo kwezo!” he calls out again, his tone both commanding and warm.

Once more, a unified “Eyy” follows, resonating among the runners and setting the tone for the morning.

This traditional Igbo call-and-response is more than a greeting - it’s a moment of pride, a reminder of shared roots and identity that runs as deep as their commitment to each other and the weekly run.

“The chant is used as a call of unity, community, and love among all Igbo peoples,” said Mr Odoemene.

Running clubs like Ozo, which are often free, have become spaces for people to make new friends, create a community, and possibly even meet future partners.

The co-founders, who met at other Igbo social events, laugh at the prospect of a love story blossoming at their club.

“If people meet the love of their lives, that's amazing, but the most important part for us is to build a fun community,” said Mr Odoemene.

For Francesca Ngozi Ezennolim, 21, the prospect of romance is not what brought her all the way from Reading, about 64km (40 miles) from London, on a Saturday morning, but the promise of community.

“I don't have a lot of Igbo friends,” she said, adding: “I do have a lot of Nigerian friends - but it's hard to find Igbo friends.”

Donning a black athletic outfit, she told the BBC she hopes the running club will fill that hole in her life.

And she is not alone.

A first-timer to the club, Jennifer Iwuamadi, 23, echoed the same sentiments.

“It's so important to come to an Igbo run club because we get to socialise with our brothers and sisters. It's a great way to get fit and network,” she said.

Although the Igbos are one of Nigeria's largest ethnic groups and are prominent in the diaspora, many feel their culture is under threat. In 2006, the United Nations cultural organisation (Unesco) predicted that the Igbo language would become extinct by 2025.

However, in the UK, their numbers have risen over the last decade - from around 8,000 to 11,000, according to the Office for National Statistics.

• Nigerian novelist: How I was banned from speaking Igbo

In contrast, speakers of Yoruba, the other main language in southern Nigeria, have declined from 15,000 to 10,000 over the same period.

Nevertheless, some young Igbo people told the BBC they have struggled to make friends outside their parents' community.

“I have so many Yoruba friends, but I want to meet people from my tribe,” Ms Ezennolim told the BBC.

“When people think about Nigerians, they don't really think about Igbo. Nigeria is not just one piece, it's multiple pieces,” said Mr Odoemene.

But isn't it divisive to have a running club which focuses on Igbo culture?

The founders vehemently shake their heads.

"You don't have to be Igbo to come to the run club," said Mr Atumonyogo.

He adds that people from Iran, Italy, and the Caribbean have come to their sessions - and they encourage others to join in, learn about Igbo culture, ask questions, and immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere.

Yet, beneath the joy and camaraderie, there is a darker side to the Igbo story.

In Nigeria, many people still associate the Igbos with the 1967-70 Biafran war, which left some one million people dead after Igbo leaders in the south-east led a campaign to secede from the rest of the country.

Decades later, the wounds of the war remain raw, still shaping to some degree how Igbo people are viewed, both at home and abroad.

• Remembering the Biafra war that many prefer to forget

In his book The Trouble with Nigeria, the late Chinua Achebe, one of the most renowned Nigerian authors, who was Igbo, said: "Nigerians will probably achieve consensus on no other matter than their common resentment of the Igbo."

These words capture - in the view of many Igbos - a history of marginalisation that continues to resonate.

For them, this history underscores a deeper purpose - the desire to make their mark and amplify Igbo representation.

Uzoma Ehziem, 34, who moved to the UK almost two decades ago, said he does not feel Igbo culture gets the attention it deserves.

He is one of the club's pacers and believes that Yoruba culture dominates what many in the UK and, globally, think of as "Nigerian".

From the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti to the first African Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, and contemporary stars like Davido, Ayra Starr, and Tems, many of the most prominent figures in Nigerian pop culture are Yoruba.

The exception is literature, where Achebe, and contemporary Igbo authors like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Akwaeke Emezi have gained international fame.

Many in the running club feel the world should know more about the Igbo people.

"If you tell someone you are Nigerian, the first thing someone will ask is: 'Are you Yoruba?'" Mr Ehziem said.

The club does not only organise running sessions. It has added monthly social outings for members of the community - from karaoke to dodgeball sessions and even an Igbo gala that will take place next year.

But for now the weekly running clubs have become a source of joy and camaraderie for members.

As the run winds down and all the group meet at the benches again, Mr Odoemene rounds up the runners with the same chant of unity.

Old friends catch up and new friends say hello.

People exchange phone numbers, and as they part ways, the promise to meet again next Saturday is a reminder this isn’t just a fleeting encounter but the beginning of lasting relationships rooted in community and cultural pride.

More Nigeria stories from the BBC:

• Nigerian man promised pardon after 10 years on death row for stealing hens
• A father’s grief after daughter killed in accidental drone strike
• 'Pregnant' for 15 months: Inside the 'miracle' fertility scam
• Nigeria, twins and a love-hate relationship

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

In the midst of the scramble for a new Syria, the country's musicians are warily eyeing the Islamist rebel leadership and hoping to build on hard-won achievements made during the almost 14-year civil war.

The conflict gave energy and focus to a nascent heavy metal scene.

As the fighting ebbed, a flourishing industry of electronic music and dance shows then rose from the ashes, leading to a resurgence of Syrian nightlife.

Now, its members are preparing to approach a government led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS – a group with roots in al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

"We have to be organised before we go to them, because they are so organised," said DJ and musician Maher Green. "We are willing to talk to them with logic. We are willing to talk to them with a real proposal."

The electronic music organisers found a way to talk to the security services working for the former president, Green said.

"They didn't understand the gathering of 50 boys and girls and dancing in such a goofy way," he said. "We developed a relationship with them through the years to make it go in a good and peaceful way."

The Assad regime was less tolerant with the heavy metal rockers who started up underground bands in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

They saw it as a subversive Western subculture connected with Satanism.

"I went to the intelligence force maybe three times, just because I sold this kind of music," said Nael al-Hadidi, who owned a music shop. "They made me sign some papers that I wouldn't do it again."

The scrutiny shifted when the brutal suppression of Syria's pro-democracy revolution triggered a bloody civil war.

"Before the war, even if you grew long hair, wore black T-shirts, metal dance T-shirts, the security would take you. They suspected that you were Satanic or something," said al-Hadidi.

"After the war started, they were too busy to dig in this way. They were more afraid about the political stuff."

This opened up space for the emergence of a vibrant heavy metal scene, the subject of a documentary by Monzer Darwish called Syrian Metal is War.

War may have energised the metal bands, but ultimately it led to a mass exodus of musicians that felt the country no longer offered a future.

"Ninety percent of my friends are now in Europe, the Netherlands and Germany," said al-Hadidi, shaking his head.

Wajd Khair is a musician who stayed, but he quit music in 2011 when the killing started.

"It seemed that any lyrics I would write, they didn't express what really happened, no words can express what was happening back then," he told me.

Just last year Khair finally started playing and recording again. Now he is wondering what the Islamist leadership means for creative freedom.

"We have to be more bold," he said when asked if he will keep a low profile until the situation becomes clearer.

"We have to be heard. We have to let all the people know that we are here. We exist. It's not just Islamic Front and Islamic State here. I don't think that keeping a low profile under these circumstances is good for anyone."

Khair was encouraged by the pragmatism demonstrated in the days following the rebel takeover. "The indicators are that we are going to better place, hopefully," he said.

But as he was speaking, we heard that HTS had closed the Opera House. "Not a good sign" if true, Khair exclaimed.

We rushed to the venue only to be told by officials outside it that this was a false alarm, that the venerable institution would open one week after the rebel victory along with other public buildings.

The HTS is certainly promising to respect rights and freedoms, declaring that it long ago broke with its extremist past.

It seems sensitive to the cosmopolitan culture of Damascus. State television started broadcasting Islamic chanting last week but withdrew it in less than 24 hours when social media erupted in protests.

In the square outside the Opera House, Safana Bakleh was trying to perform revolutionary songs with the choir she directs. Joined by enthusiastic youths, she handed over her drum and let them chant and sing.

"It's maybe not going to be an easy path," she said. "Maybe we will have some new obstacles, but we used to have corruption, we used to have dictatorship, we used to have secret police. We're still very hopeful for the future…because we have a very, very large group of people that are opposition and artists and actors, musicians and composers and the future of Syria."

But they do not want to exchange political authoritarianism for religious fundamentalism, said al-Hadidi.

"I hope that HTS stands by their words about freedom, because we don't want to be another Afghanistan or another country ruled by a specific party or rulers who enforce you to (follow) some rules."

Determined to stay part of Syria's future, Green said it is important for the artistic community to act quickly.

"It doesn't seem like in the first week of freeing Syria, (HTS) is willing to look for the cultural side. They have a lot of problems, they're looking for the economy, looking for making a new government," he said.

"We are trying to organise ourselves before they start looking at culture. So that we get there first, (and we must be) united in our opinions."

Like others here, Green has been experimenting, mixing traditional Arabic music with electronic beats.

The culture of the Islamist rebels "is religious songs and that's it," he said.

"This is a little bit backward for us. We were here in Syria before the war, and inside during the war, (when) we had so many experiments. We evolved so much. We have so much mixed culture."

Syria's music scene revived and even thrived during the civil war - now it faces a new and unexpected test.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted to pass a budget deal to avert what would be the first US federal government shut down since 2019.

The deal, which passed by a vote of 366 -34 only six hours before a midnight deadline, must still be approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate before it can be signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Lawmakers earlier this week had successfully negotiated a deal to fund government agencies - but it fell apart after President-elect Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk called on Republicans to reject it.

This vote was the third attempt this week to get a deal through the House after a second funding measure - that one backed by Trump - failed on Thursday.

• Why government shutdowns seem to only happen in US
• Trump's shutdown gamble exposes limits of his power

The 118-page "American Relief Act, 2025" that passed in the House on Friday strips out a debt-limit provision that Trump had demanded, which was a sticking point for Democrats and some Republican budget hawks in an earlier draft bill.

The deal also removes measures sought by Democrats in the first version of the bill, including the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009, federal funds to rebuild a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore, healthcare reforms, and provisions aimed at preventing hotels and live event venues from deceptive advertising.

A total of 34 Republicans voted against the short-term funding bill while all Democrats in attendance were in favour.

Trump has not yet commented on the vote. A statement put out by the White House on behalf of Biden praises the deal.

Ahead of the vote, Democrats slammed the involvement of Mr Musk in the process, who they pointed out is an unelected billionaire.

Mr Musk, who Trump has tasked with cutting government spending in his future administration, had lobbied heavily against an earlier bill.

During floor debate, Republicans said they look forward to a "new era" when Trump takes office and Republicans take control of both chambers of Congress next month.

The wrangling over budget left Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson bruised amid criticism from members of his own party over his handling of the process.

"We are grateful that everyone stood together to do the right thing and having gotten this done now as the last order of business for the year, we are set up for a big and important new start in January," Johnson told reporters after Friday's vote.

He also said that he had spoken frequently to both Trump and Mr Musk during the negotiations.

Johnsons remarks came shortly after Mr Musk praised the Louisiana congressman's work on the budget in a post on X, the social media platform he owns.

"The Speaker did a good job here, given the circumstances," he posted. "It went from a bill that weighed pounds to a bill that weighed ounces."

The dramatic budget fight served as a preview of the tense legislative fights that could be in store next year, once Trump is in the White House.

• What happens when the US government shuts down?

Officials have warned that if there is no funding deal going into the holiday season, millions of federal employees would go without paycheques if the government shuts down.

There will be countless other ways a shut down would affect Americans - including by limiting assistance to aid-reliant farmers and people recovering from natural disasters.

The last government shutdown was during Trump's first term in 2019 after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives failed to come to an agreement on a new spending bill.

That shutdown lasted 35 days, and was the longest in US history.

Russian authorities say six people have been killed including a child, in a Ukrainian strike in Russia's Kursk region.

The region's acting governor added that 10 people were taken to hospital following the attack on the town of Rylsk.

A cultural centre, fitness complex, school and homes were damaged, the governor added.

This comes after Ukrainian officials said Moscow had launched a fresh missile attack on Kyiv, which reportedly damaged a building in the city centre hosting six embassies.

The foreign ministry said that the diplomatic missions of Albania, Argentina, North Macedonia, Palestine, Portugal and Montenegro were affected. It is unclear whether the building was directly targeted.

According to Ukraine's military, at least one person died and nine others were injured in the strike which damaged a number of buildings in the city.

European Union (EU) chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned the Friday's strike on the Ukrainian capital, calling it "another heinous Russian attack against Kyiv".

Russia has not yet commented.

Ukraine's military said Russia launched 65 drones and missiles across the country overnight, with most shot down.

The country's air force said it shot down all five of the Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles Russia launched on Kyiv on Friday morning, and the debris caused damage in five areas of the city.

It is not thought that any of the embassy diplomats were injured.

Portuguese foreign minister Paulo Rangel told local media: "It is absolutely unacceptable for attacks to damage or target diplomatic facilities."

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted to pass a budget deal to avert what would be the first US federal government shut down since 2019.

The deal, which passed by a vote of 366 -34 only six hours before a midnight deadline, must still be approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate before it can be signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Lawmakers earlier this week had successfully negotiated a deal to fund government agencies - but it fell apart after President-elect Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk called on Republicans to reject it.

This vote was the third attempt this week to get a deal through the House after a second funding measure - that one backed by Trump - failed on Thursday.

• Why government shutdowns seem to only happen in US
• Trump's shutdown gamble exposes limits of his power

The 118-page "American Relief Act, 2025" that passed in the House on Friday strips out a debt-limit provision that Trump had demanded, which was a sticking point for Democrats and some Republican budget hawks in an earlier draft bill.

The deal also removes measures sought by Democrats in the first version of the bill, including the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009, federal funds to rebuild a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore, healthcare reforms, and provisions aimed at preventing hotels and live event venues from deceptive advertising.

A total of 34 Republicans voted against the short-term funding bill while all Democrats in attendance were in favour.

Trump has not yet commented on the vote. A statement put out by the White House on behalf of Biden praises the deal.

Ahead of the vote, Democrats slammed the involvement of Mr Musk in the process, who they pointed out is an unelected billionaire.

Mr Musk, who Trump has tasked with cutting government spending in his future administration, had lobbied heavily against an earlier bill.

During floor debate, Republicans said they look forward to a "new era" when Trump takes office and Republicans take control of both chambers of Congress next month.

The wrangling over budget left Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson bruised amid criticism from members of his own party over his handling of the process.

"We are grateful that everyone stood together to do the right thing and having gotten this done now as the last order of business for the year, we are set up for a big and important new start in January," Johnson told reporters after Friday's vote.

He also said that he had spoken frequently to both Trump and Mr Musk during the negotiations.

Johnsons remarks came shortly after Mr Musk praised the Louisiana congressman's work on the budget in a post on X, the social media platform he owns.

"The Speaker did a good job here, given the circumstances," he posted. "It went from a bill that weighed pounds to a bill that weighed ounces."

The dramatic budget fight served as a preview of the tense legislative fights that could be in store next year, once Trump is in the White House.

• What happens when the US government shuts down?

Officials have warned that if there is no funding deal going into the holiday season, millions of federal employees would go without paycheques if the government shuts down.

There will be countless other ways a shut down would affect Americans - including by limiting assistance to aid-reliant farmers and people recovering from natural disasters.

The last government shutdown was during Trump's first term in 2019 after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives failed to come to an agreement on a new spending bill.

That shutdown lasted 35 days, and was the longest in US history.

Sega is considering launching its own Netflix-like subscription service for video games, a move which would accelerate gaming's transition towards streaming.

There are already a number of similar services on the market - such as Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus - which see gamers pay a monthly fee for access to a range of titles rather than owning them outright.

Sega's president Shuji Utsumi told the BBC such subscription products were "very interesting", and his firm was "evaluating some opportunities".

"We're thinking something - and discussing something - we cannot disclose right now," he said.

Some in the industry have expressed concern about the move however telling the BBC it could see gamers "shelling out more money" on multiple subscription services.

It is not just Sony and Microsoft who offer game subscriptions - there are now countless players in the space, with rivals such as Nintendo, EA and Ubisoft all offering their own membership plans.

Currently, various Sega games are available across multiple streaming services.

The amount these services individually charge vary depending on the features and games made available. For example, Xbox Game Pass prices range from £6.99 to £14.99 a month, while PlayStation Plus ranges from £6.99 to £13.49 a month.

So it would make financial sense for Sega for people who are playing its titles to pay it subscription fees rather its rivals.

It could also be attractive for people who mostly want to play Sega games - but for everyone else it could result in higher costs.

Rachel Howie streams herself playing games on Twitch, where she is known as DontRachQuit to her fans, and said she was "excited and worried" about another subscription service

"We have so many subscriptions already that we find it very difficult to justify signing up for a new one," she told the BBC.

"I think that SEGA will definitely have a core dedicated audience that will benefit from this, but will the average gamer choose this over something like Game Pass?"

And Sophie Smart, Production Director at UK developer No More Robots, agreed.

"As someone whose first console was the Sega Mega Drive, what I'd love more than anything is to see Sega thriving and this feels like a step in a modern direction," she said.

But she wondered if Sega did create a rival subscription service if this would lead to their games being removed from other services.

"If so, it could mean that consumers are shelling out more money across owning multiple subscription services," she said.

Bringing Sega back

Shuji Utsumi spoke to the BBC ahead of the premiere of the film Sonic 3 on Saturday, after a year in which he oversaw the launch of Metaphor: ReFantazio, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and the latest Sonic the Hedgehog game.

Our conversation started in an unexpected way.

The very first thing Mr Utsumi said to me seemed to suggest that the firm, which dominated gaming in the 1990s with a rivalry between Sonic the Hedgehog and Nintendo's Super Mario, may have lost its way.

"I want to make Sega really shiny again," he said.

He said Sega had been putting too much focus on domestic success in Japan, and needed to re-establish itself on a global stage, which would mean expanding past its base.

"Sega has been somehow losing confidence," he said.

"But why? Sega has a great RPG group, Sega has amazing IPs, Sega is a really well-known brand.

"So I was like, hey, now is not the time to be defensive - but more offensive."

He said the company was too concerned about controlling costs when he took over, and he wants to "bring a rock and roll mentality" to gaming.

When I told him that sounded familiar - Sega's marketing in the 90s often tried to position Sonic the Hedgehog as the cool alternative to Mario - he agreed.

He said the firm now simply must "make a great game" in the series.

"The next one is going to be a quite challenging, quite exciting game that we are working on," he said.

But he would not divulge whether Sega was considering a follow up to the much-loved Sonic Adventure series.

"Sonic Adventure was kind of a game-changer for Sonic," he said.

"When we release it, it should be good, it should be impressive - we need to meet or even exceed people's expectations, so it takes some time."

Part of the series which fans have been clamouring to see return is the Chao Garden - a much-loved virtual pet synonymous with Sonic Adventure.

Mr Utsumi said "we've been talking about it" - but would not go into further detail, only that he could not "say too much about it".

Sega's future

Mr Utsumi unsurprisingly talked up the firm's successes this year, which have included winning multiple gaming awards with new IP Metaphor: ReFantazio, made by the team behind the Persona series.

But it hasn't all been positive for the firm, with job cuts in March, and Football Manager 2025 being delayed to next year.

"It was a hard decision," he said of the cuts which saw 240 people lose their jobs.

"But when you reset the initiative, you have to make that hard decision."

And he said Football Manager had been delayed over "a quality issue".

"I mean, financially, maybe providing the game at an early stage can be the better choice.

"But we decided to keep having the quality level - to keep that discipline."

And he also spoke of how Sega's year has gone outside of gaming, with several film and television adaptations being capped off with the third Sonic the Hedgehog movie releasing on Saturday.

"I just saw the movie - it's so much fun. It'd be nice if that kind of excitement goes on."

A car has crashed into a crowd at a Christmas market in east Germany, local media report.

Reports say multiple people have been injured in the incident in Magdeburg.

Video on social media shows a number of people laying on the ground and emergency services in attendance.

An "extensive police operation" is underway and the market was closed, according to local authorities.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.