An assailant rammed a car into a crowded Christmas market in Germany on Friday, killing at least five people and wounding at least 200 others. The detained suspect—a 50-year-old Saudi doctor—was known to accuse the German government of prioritizing Muslim immigrants over secular ones; police have not identified a motive.
The attack occurred in the central German city of Magdeburg, nearly 80 miles west of Berlin. Shortly after 7 pm local time, the driver maneuvered a rented car through a gap in the security barriers before accelerating through the crowded market. The assault lasted three minutes. Police arrested the driver at a streetcar stop as he tried to drive away from the square.
The Magdeburg attack is the latest in a string of deadly car-ramming assaults over the past decade. See a list here.
Major League Baseball legend Rickey Henderson died Friday at age 65. Known as the "Man of Steal," the Hall of Famer holds the all-time stolen base record with 1,406 and runs scored with 2,295, and was widely considered the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history.
Inventions and innovations from 2024
Whether it’s a computer you wear on your face or a more sustainable material for clothes, these products are expanding humanity’s toolkit:
Chevron signs 20-year LNG deal with Energy Transfer
Energy Transfer has reached...
Energy Transfer has reached an agreement to supply Chevron with 2.2 million short tons per year of liquefied natural gas from its planned Lake Charles facility in Louisiana for 20 years. Energy Transfer also has agreements with EQT and Shell, but it has not yet received an export license from the Energy Department.
US oil exports to Europe seen slowing after Nov. record
US crude oil exports to Europe hit a record 771,000 barrels per day in...
US crude oil exports to Europe hit a record 771,000 barrels per day in November, Kpler data show, but rising freight costs, shrinking US inventories and a narrowing WTI-Brent price spread will likely curb flows in January. Freight rates for the US Gulf Coast to northwest Europe route have more than tripled since November to roughly $3.80 per barrel this month, according to Argus data.
A stopgap funding bill cleared Congress this morning shortly after a midnight deadline, averting a federal government shutdown. The measure from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R, LA-4) was approved by the Republican-led House by a vote of 366-34 Friday, while the Democratic-led Senate followed suit early Saturday morning by a vote of 85-11. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill today.
The short-term extension, known as a continuing resolution, funds the government at current levels through March 14 while adding $100B for disaster aid and $10B for agricultural assistance to farmers. It eliminates President-elect Donald Trump's demand to raise or suspend the debt ceiling, which Republican leaders indicate will be addressed separately in upcoming tax and border policy discussions next year.
The debt ceiling limits the total amount of money the US can borrow to meet its existing financial obligations. The US debt has risen to roughly $36T after the ceiling was suspended from June 2023; that suspension expires Jan. 1.
