German Xmas markets should stay open after 'attack'

Germany's interior ministry said Tuesday that the truck ramming through a Berlin crowd, killing 12, was an "attack" but that there was no reason to close the country's popular Christmas markets.

After a telephone conference between Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere and his regional counterparts, the ministry said they agreed "that Christmas markets and other big events should continue to take place".

Calling the incident that left almost 50 others injured an "attack", the ministry said in a statement that "regardless of what we may learn about the exact motives of the assailant, we must not let our free way of life to be taken from us."