Magdeburg (Germany) (AFP) – The motivation of the suspect in the deadly car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in Magdeberg may have been “disgruntlement with the way Saudi Arabian refugees are treated in Germany” says a prosecutor. Horst Walter Nopens adds that “what exactly was behind it is still under investigation.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledges that Germany will respond “with the full force of the law” to the car-ramming attack on a crowded Christmas market that killed five people and injured more than 200 in the eastern city of Magdeburg. Scholz condems the attack as a “terrible act”.
London (AFP) – Britain’s Labour government plans to pass legislation ending so-called no-fault evictions – requiring landlords to provide a reason in advance of evicting tenants and extending the required notice period to allow tenants more time to find alternate housing. No-fault evictions have existed since 1988 when Margaret Thatcher’s government introduced them as part of a push to deregulate the rental market to attract more private landlords.
Stonehenge (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Thousands of people gather at the ancient English monument of Stonehenge to greet sunrise on winter solstice, the northern hemisphere’s shortest day of the year.
Taipei (AFP) – Taiwan’s capital Taipei hosts a deadlift competition for seniors with a Christmas theme, attracting 45 participants aged 70 and above. 90-year-old competitor Cheng Chen Chin-mei set a new personal record, successfully deadlifting 45 kilograms during the event.
Karachi (AFP) – Cruising through the traffic in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, the Toyota Hilux has become a symbol of power, affluence and intimidation. In a society marked by gaping class divisions, the truck is increasingly seen as a necessity by politicians and urban elites. Known locally as the ‘Dala’, the imposing vehicle has also become notorious in activist circles for its use in the “abduction” of dissenters.
Taipei (AFP) – Taiwanese lawmakers wrestle for control of the podium inside the island’s parliament, where opposition parties have tabled legal amendments that could make it more difficult for voters to oust officials they see as unfit. The Democratic People’s Party (DPP) of President Lai Ching-te is against the bills, warning that the opposition parties — the Kuomingtang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) — risk damaging democracy.
Palermo (Italy) (AFP) – “I’m absolutely proud of what I’ve done,” says Italy’s deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, as he arrives for the verdict in his long-running trial for blocking a migrant rescue ship at sea. Salvini denies charges of abuse of office and the deprivation of liberty of 147 migrants who were on board the charity ship in August 2019, when he was the interior minister of Italy’s previous government. Salvini risks six years in jail.
Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) (AFP) – 102 Rohingya refugees have been rescued by the Sri Lankan navy after their boat was spotted adrift in the Indian Ocean. The mostly Muslim ethnic group face heavy persecution in Myanmar and thousands face dangerous sea journeys each year, with the majority trying to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
Síkinos (Greece) (AFP) – Coming ashore after eight hours at sea, medical professionals arrive on Sikinos, one of Greece’s smallest inhabited islands, where locals would otherwise struggle to get treatment. The initiative is funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation to provide free healthcare in a country where the sector suffered heavily from the debt crisis of 2010-2018, leaving per capita spending at less than half the EU average.
Harbin (China) (AFP) – Every winter, dozens of workers brave subzero temperatures to hack ice from the mighty Songhua River in northeastern China. The ice forms the building blocks for the massive sculptures at Harbin’s Ice and Snow World, an annual festival that draws tens of thousands of visitors. But this year, a warmer autumn has delayed the freeze and left the river ice thinner than normal.
Port Vila (Vanuatu) (AFP) – Rescue operations are ongoing on the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, where a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck on Tuesday December 17. As of December 19, nine deaths are reported, but officials say this figure is set to rise. International disaster response teams and resources have been sent to the low-lying archipelago, which is located in the quake-prone Pacific Ring of Fire.
