The Chinese embassy in Germany said it has not received reports of casualties among Chinese nationals as a driver killed at least five people when he rammed into a large crowd of revelers at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday evening local time.

The embassy reminds Chinese nationals to increase their safety awareness, stay informed about local safety conditions, and avoid gatherings during the holiday season.

According to China Central Television, at least five were killed and over 200 were injured. 

One of the dead was a young child, said Reiner Haseloff, premier of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The incident took place in Magdeburg, the state capital, which is 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Berlin, Reuters reported.

Haseloff described the attacker as a 50-year-old male doctor from Saudi Arabia with permanent residency in Germany, where he had lived for almost two decades.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who sent his thoughts to those affected in a post on social media platform X, is expected to visit the scene on Saturday together with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, Reuters reported

Former Chinese national football team head coach Li Tie was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a first-instance verdict on Friday for a number of charges including offering and accepting bribes.

The verdict was made by the Intermediate People's Court of Xianning, Central China's Hubei Province.

From 2019 to 2021, Li, taking advantage of his position as the head coach of the Chinese men's national football team, illegally accepted bribes totaling over 50.89 million yuan ($7.04 million), the Beijing Daily reported, citing revelations from the courts.

From 2015 to 2019, while working at the Hebei Huaxia Fortune Soccer Club and the Wuhan Zall Club, Li bribed other football clubs to cooperate or play passively during matches in order to win or achieve favorable outcomes, with the amount totaling over 39.05 million yuan.

From 2017 to 2019, leveraging his positions as general manager and head coach at the Wuhan club, Li received a total of 26.75 million yuan from the Hebei club to assist it in player transfers and winning matches.

Before the sentencing of Li, media reports show that 15 people have been sentenced in the ongoing anti-corruption campaign in China's football field.

On the same day of Li Tie's sentencing, the case of Du Zhaocai, former deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China, for accepting bribes is also set to be sentenced. During the public trial in August, Du was accused of using his position to directly or indirectly, through relatives and others, illegally accept over 43.41 million yuan in bribes.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in Macao from Dec. 18 to 20 to attend a gathering marking the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be present at the inauguration ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Xi will also conduct an inspection tour during his stay in the Macao SAR.