Hello and welcome to NewsHour from the World Service of the BBC coming live from London.

This is Owen Bennett Jones.

Now, German officials say the man accused of driving into crowds at a Christmas market in Magdeburg is Talab al-Aldmussen,

a 50-year-old Saudi doctor living in Germany since 2006.

He has a track record of being very critical of Islam.

He killed five people. It's not clear why he is alive and under arrest.

So maybe that will become clear at some point.

And certainly, Chancellor Olaf Schultz,

has said the investigation will be thorough.

No stone must be left unturned in this investigation, and that is how it will be. We have all

assured each other of this, the federal government with the state, with all those who have

responsibility at a local level here. And of course, we must government with the state, with all those who have responsibility at a local

level here. And of course we must understand the perpetrator, his actions, his motives,

so that we can respond with the necessary criminal and other procedures. And we will.

As you can imagine, the memorial service was held this evening in Magdeburg for victims of the attack.

And people attending that service said they were deeply shocked.

You can't put into words and understand it yourself.

That's why we are here, to try to understand it

and to express our sympathy to the relatives who have now lost these five people,

these five lives.

I have heard from many who happen to be there,

who narrowly escaped the whole thing,

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