Wembanyama accused of 'obvious' illegal blocking

Vacuum cleaners and vapes could get more expensive if the Iran war drags on for much longer, Chinese factory owners and traders warn, as the world's manufacturing hub reels from "crazy" costs.

Weeks of US-Israeli strikes on Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have choked Asia's oil supply, stymieing the production of plastic -- derived from oil -- across the region.

Manufacturing giant China has been comparatively sheltered from fuel shortages thanks to oil reserves and renewable energy, but local factories are picking up a ballooning raw materials bill.

"Basically, we've been losing money on all our orders," said Bryant Chen, a manager at vacuum cleaner factory RIMOO in southern Guangdong province's Foshan.

The price of plastic has risen roughly 50 percent since before the Iran war, Chen told AFP as workers behind him fastened suction tubes to metal tanks.

"The costs of the products that we are making are being very greatly affected," the 42-year-old said, listing plastic, copper for the vacuum's motor and raw materials in its power cords.

"Typically at this time we'd be entering peak season, but compared to the same period previously, shipment and production data aren't very optimistic." 

Two hours away, plastic traders in storage hub Zhangmutou said price fluctuations were the worst they've seen in decades.

"It has never been this crazy," said Li Dong, 46, who entered the industry two decades ago.

The plastic, rice-sized pellets he buys for local phone case and EV battery factories jumped wildly in March, triggering days of panic that jammed the small town's roads as factories rushed to stock up.

- 'Mutual state of decline' -

Exporters in Zhangmutou showed AFP a vast range of products their pellets would become, including drones and badminton birdies.

One trader sifted through pink, green and purple beads that she said would be moulded into e-cigarette casings sold in the Middle East.

The Iran war has hit plastic production even harder than bottlenecks caused by the Covid pandemic, when ships could not come and go from China, Li said.

Some sellers cashed in on the plastic panic, he added, fighting to take advantage of surging costs.

Li said the price of plastic had dropped around 10 to 20 percent from its height, but he cautioned against further oil hold-ups.

"The factories we supply to will suffer the most because their direct costs will rise," he said.

For exporters, the Middle East crisis has added to the hangover still lingering from Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs last year.

The US Supreme Court struck down those levies as illegal, but tolls on Chinese goods entering the US still sit at around 20 percent.

On the outskirts of Guangzhou, one garment factory owner lamented the chaos triggered by the US President's trade war.

Overseas clients are afraid to place orders, while Chinese manufacturers cannot pin down changing costs.

"As a result, everyone is in a mutual state of decline," garment boss Zhou, 55, said.

While 80 percent of his clients have returned, the fabrics scattered on his factory floor made into sweatpants headed for Europe and North America have risen 10 to 20 percent in cost due to the Middle East war.

As overseas orders dropped, seamsters went months without a job.

- 'Tensions rise, orders disappear' -

Migrant worker Jingjing returned to her hometown in Hubei province for two months, where she made half the 400 yuan ($60) she now earns in Guangzhou's garment factories.

"When tensions rise... orders suddenly disappear," the 42-year-old said.

But this year she said she always has something to do.

In a damp back alley, Jingjing joined job-seekers milling about leisurely, haggling for higher wages while garment bosses perched on scooters brandished hiring signs, desperate for day labourers.

Chen, the vacuum factory manager, said he was "still worried" about surging shipping costs should the Iran war drag on.

"If shipping costs rise, it will cause the final costs for our customers to increase sharply," he said. 

They "will have no way to sell normally, because the costs are just too high".

Chen said RIMOO plans to expand to other markets beyond the Middle East where around 60 percent of its customers are based.

"We are still optimistic," he said. "The market demand still exists."

But analysts warn the war's impact on costs will be felt for months.

"The problem is all of these costs will filter through the supply chains for the rest of the year," said supply chain consultant Cameron Johnson.

"The longer it goes on, that kind of cascades into much bigger problems, particularly if there's not enough oil in general to run stuff."

mya/dhw/dan

New Zealand, which attracts millions of tourists each year with its pristine nature and spectacular landscapes, is facing a legal challenge over "magical thinking" in its climate promises.

After unravelling a string of green policies since it came to power in 2023, the right-leaning government is accused of relying too heavily on unproven future technologies to meet its legally binding carbon emission targets.

Lawyers for Climate Action and the Environmental Law Initiative took Climate Change Minister Simon Watts to court in March, arguing the government was not doing enough.

Watts has declined to comment because the matter is before the courts, with a decision due later this year.

New Zealand's goal, enshrined in law, is to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, excluding methane produced by waste and agriculture. 

Wellington sets five-yearly targets to meet its goal, which was passed overwhelmingly by lawmakers in 2019.

Lawyers for Climate Action co-founder James Every-Palmer, a senior barrister, told AFP the five-yearly climate budgets were "an extremely important part of the parliamentary response to climate change".

But the centre-right ruling coalition has rolled back key climate policies put in place by the previous Labour government of Jacinda Ardern.

- Law and magic -

It cancelled a clean car discount incentivising electric vehicle uptake, reversed a ban on oil and gas exploration, and began a fast-track scheme for mining permits.

In January 2025, the government said it aimed to reduce carbon emissions by 51 percent from 2005 levels by 2035 -- barely changed from a 50-percent cut targeted for 2030.

Every-Palmer said Wellington now risked missing its legislated targets, and exceeding its so-called climate budget.

"The minister has a legal obligation to ensure that the budget's met," he said. 

"The government's own analysis was that effectively it was a coin-toss chance that we would meet the targets."

Instead, it has announced an "adaptive management policy", which Every-Palmer characterised as meaning that "if things are going off the rails, we will look at what we can do at the time".

That risks waiting to do something until it is too late to stay on track for the 2050 goal, he said.

"It's fine to have policies that you implement if you need them, but they have to be real policies," he said. 

"They can't be just magical thinking that we'll come up with something at the time."

He and other campaigners argue the government is relying too heavily on theoretical technologies to mitigate climate change.

He cited Wellington's decision to invest in science and businesses seeking to build methane-reducing, carbon capture, and green hydrogen technologies in the future.

- 'Back to reality' -

The case is part of a growing body of climate litigation around the world, with courts from South Korea to Germany pushing governments to take climate change more seriously.

The German decision in 2021 found the government's plans were unconstitutional because they relied too much on future developments, leaving much of the emissions-cutting burden to the next generation.

"The law generally doesn't have much truck with magic," said Jenny Cooper, another senior barrister and co-founder of Lawyers for Climate Action. 

"That's one of the reasons why we see litigation as quite a good way to air these issues and bring them back to reality."

bes/djw/sah/fox

Oil prices extended losses and stocks rallied Wednesday on fresh hopes for an end to the Iran war and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while Samsung blasted past the $1 trillion valuation mark as the AI tech boom continued apace.

Investors welcomed Donald Trump's decision to pause efforts to help stranded ships through the crucial waterway, which drew Iranian attacks, threatening an already fragile ceasefire.

The US president, who had been quoted as warning that Iran would be "blown off the face of the Earth" if it attacked US ships, appeared to take a more conciliatory tone Tuesday.

"Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," he wrote in a social media post.

He cited "the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran" for the decision, adding that it came at the request of mediator Pakistan. 

The US blockade of Iranian ports remained, however.

The announcement came hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the offensive side of the US campaign, called "Operation Epic Fury", had concluded.

"The operation is over -- Epic Fury -- as the president notified Congress. We're done with that stage of it," Rubio told reporters at the White House.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth had said the United States was "not looking for a fight", but warned attacks would face "overwhelming and devastating" force.

Oil prices sank around four percent Tuesday, and on Wednesday they continued to fall, with West Texas Intermediate briefly dipping below $100 a barrel.

The cheaper oil prices provided support to equities, with investors taking their cue from another record day for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, fuelled again by tech firms.

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Wellington, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta were all up.

"Investors found some reassurance in comments from President Donald Trump... despite ongoing disruption to shipping routes," said Fiona Cincotta, a senior market analyst at City Index.

"Investors are also finding some reassurance in the fact that the diplomatic push to resolve the conflict continues."

She added that strong US earnings were also boosting risk appetite as they had largely been in line with forecasts.

However, she added: "Sentiment remains vulnerable. Even US entities could face serious headwinds should the Strait of Hormuz remain closed for an extended period."

The standout performer was Seoul's Kospi index, which piled on more than five percent to pass 7,000 points for the first time.

That came on the back of an eye-watering surge by Samsung, which rocketed as much as 12 percent to hit a market capitalisation of more than $1 trillion thanks to huge demand for its AI chips.

That makes it just the second Asia firm after Taiwan's TSMC to reach the figure.

Rical SK hynix soared around 10 percent.

Samsung's shares have risen around 300 percent over the past year as the AI boom boosts South Korean growth.

- Key figures at around 0230 GMT -

West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.6 percent at $100.62 a barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.7 percent to $108.06 a barrel

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.9 percent at 26,128.13

Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.1 percent at 4,157.29

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: Closed for a holiday

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 157.73 yen from 157.85 yen on Tuesday

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1721 from $1.1696

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3574 from $1.3544

Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.35 pence from 86.36 pence

New York - Dow: UP 0.7 percent at 49,298.25 (close)

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 1.4 percent at 10,219.11 (close)

dan/fox

FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Tuesday defended World Cup ticket prices, insisting that football's global governing body was obliged to take advantage of US laws that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value.

FIFA has faced searing criticism over the cost of World Cup tickets, with fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) branding the pricing structure "extortionate" and a "monumental betrayal".

FSE filed a lawsuit with the European Commission in March targeting FIFA over "excessive ticket prices" for the tournament.

FIFA's own World Cup resale website, FIFA Marketplace, last week advertised four tickets to the July 19 final in New York at a cost of more than $2 million each.

Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Infantino said the eye-watering prices reflected demand to watch the World Cup.

"If some people put on the resale market, some tickets for the final at $2 million, number one it doesn't mean that the tickets cost $2 million," Infantino said. 

"And number two it doesn't mean that somebody will buy these tickets," Infantino said. "And if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience."

Fan groups have contrasted the difference in price of tickets for this summer with the Qatar World Cup in 2022. 

The most expensive ticket for the final in 2022 was around $1,600 at face value, while in 2026 the most expensive ticket for the final is about $11,000 at its original price. 

Infantino was adamant that the steep increase in face-value prices were justified.

"We have to look at the market -- we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates," Infantino said.

"In the US it is permitted to resell tickets as well. So if you were to sell tickets at the price which is too low, these tickets will be resold at a much higher price.

"And as a matter of fact, even though some people are saying that the ticket prices we have are high, they still end up on the resale market at an even higher price, more than double of our price."

Infantino said that FIFA received in excess of 500 million ticket requests for 2026, compared with fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The FIFA leader added that 25 percent of tickets for the group phase were priced at under $300.

"You cannot go to watch in the US a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300," Infantino said. "And this is the World Cup."

rcw/pst

Cade Cunningham scored 23 points as the Detroit Pistons held off a second-half rally to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 and take a 1-0 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final playoff series on Tuesday.

The top-seeded Pistons looked to be cruising to a comfortable opening win after dominating in the first half and taking a 17-point lead in the third period.

But a spirited Cleveland rally saw the Cavaliers close to within four points before Detroit finally pulled clear again in the fourth quarter to seal victory.

Cunningham was one of six Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Tobias Harris adding 20 points while Duncan Robinson bagged five three-pointers on his way to a 19-point haul at the Pistons' Little Caesars Arena.

Daniss Jenkins added 12 points from the bench with Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren scoring 11 points apiece.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points, including four three-pointers, while James Harden scored 22 points with eight rebounds and seven assists.

"It was a great team win -- defending the ball, rebounding the ball," Cunningham told NBC television.

"We've got a great system in place. You've got somebody that will come in behind you whenever you get tired. 

"But it's one win, we've got to come back and do it again."

Detroit had battled into the conference semi-finals after coming back from 3-1 down to defeat Orlando 4-3 in the first round.

Cunningham said the Pistons are anxious to avoid a repeat.

"At home you've got to protect home court. We didn't do that in the last series so we want do that this series," Cunningham said.

"They want to come in and steal one, so we've got to do this again the day after tomorrow."

rcw/pst

(The Center Square) - Incumbent U.S. House candidates from Indiana held on to party nominations Tuesday, despite intense pressure from challengers.

District 4

Rep. Jim Baird survived a primary challenge from popular State Rep. Craig Haggard. Baird is running for his fifth term in the Hoosier state’s fourth congressional district.

This year, Haggard appeared to pose a consequential threat to Baird’s nomination. President Donald Trump endorsed Baird in his reelection bid.

“Congressman Jim Baird is a Tremendous Champion for the Great People of Indiana’s 4th Congressional District!” Trump wrote on social media.

Even still, data from the Federal Elections Bureau showed Baird spent $172,000, compared to Haggard’s $43,000. Haggard portrayed himself as loyal to Trump, but called for an alternative to Baird.

“I will continue working with President Trump to deliver results for Hoosiers, grow our economy, stand up for American agriculture, strengthen our military, secure our border and put America first,” Baird said.

District 5

U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz fended off a primary challenge from Scott King. Spartz is seeking her fourth term. King had previously sought the seat.

Trump endorsed Spartz, setting up a challenge against Indiana State Sen. J.D. Ford, who secured the Democratic nomination.

Spartz has advocated for reducing the national debt and reforming federal agencies. Ford criticized Spartz for her support of Trump and called for the end of tariff policies.

“Trump’s chaotic tariffs have left our farmers with silos full of harvests they can’t sell and priced our small businesses out of the economy,” Ford said.

District 7

Incumbent Andre Carson, D-Ohio, survived a primary challenge from several candidates. Carson is seeking his 10th term in Congress.

Indiana’s seventh congressional district, which includes all of Indianapolis saw three Democrats seeking to replace Carson. The incumbent Democrat focused his campaign on expanding access to childhood education.

“Investing in teachers means investing in students, and I will continue to advocate for policies that support educators and improve learning outcomes,” Carson said.

Carson came under scrutiny by competitors who labeled him as “one of the least effective members of Congress,” citing a study from the Center for Effective Lawmaking.

The incumbent Democrat will look to win his 10th congressional election against Patrick McAuely, a former brokerage assistant who secured the GOP nomination.

Indiana voters will return to the polls Nov. 3 for the General Election

It was the perfect split-screen for the race to succeed Donald Trump -- so long as your name is Marco Rubio and not JD Vance.

In a packed White House briefing room, journalists shouted over each other in a bid to get a question from the US secretary of state.

At the same time Vice President Vance -- Rubio's most likely rival for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination -- was hundreds of miles away from the action at a political fundraiser in Oklahoma.

"Guys, this is chaos," said Rubio as reporters desperately waved their hands at him.

The 54-year-old appeared to be enjoying his time standing in for Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave. 

He fielded a series of questions on Iran, Cuba and China with a relaxed style and dashes of humor -- and little of the invective that Trump often unleashes in his briefing room appearances.

The self-confessed rap fan even threw in some hip-hop lyrics, declaring Iran's leaders to be, in the words of Cypress Hill, "insane in the brain."

"Rubio just wrapped up his FIRST White House Press Briefing, and he absolutely knocked it out of the park," conservative influencer Nick Sortor said on X.

"This man is a SERIOUS contender for 2028."

Could it mark the moment when Rubio's star definitively rose in the race to lead a post-Trump Republican party in two and a half years? 

- 'Easter Bunny over the Tooth Fairy' -

Polling has suggested that Vance, 41, has a large lead among Republican voters. 

Neither man has officially declared his intention to run -- and Rubio himself has publicly said that the "veep" is a friend and insisted that he would not run in 2028 if Vance is a candidate.

Nor has Trump yet anointed an heir to the throne of his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

But in Washington there has been growing speculation that Trump increasingly favors Rubio. Vance's odds on prediction markets have collapsed in recent weeks.

While Vance's life story -- growing up in poverty in an Appalachian community beset by opioid addiction -- is tailor-made to appeal to Trump's base, he has sometimes struggled to connect with voters.

Yet Vance was not as far from the action as he may have seemed on Tuesday.

Notably, his travels took him to Iowa, the crucial midwestern state where Republicans will cast their first votes for the 2028 Republican nominee -- and which first propelled Trump towards the White House in 2016.

The Oklahoma fundraiser meanwhile reflects Vance's overlooked role as Republican National Committee finance chief -- which could help build his grip on a party that has never quite seemed to warm to him.

And he stopped in Ohio to vote in a primary in the state where he was formerly a senator -- and his son Vivek was able to cast a kids' vote in a contest between two mythical figures.

"He voted for the Easter bunny over the tooth fairy," Vance said of his son.

- 'You're not ready for my DJ name' -

Vance is still regarded with suspicion by some Trumpists.

Back in 2016 he compared his future boss to Hitler. And the former marine and anti-interventionist has kept a low profile over Trump's Iran war.

By contrast, Rubio is a long-term foreign policy hawk who has won Trump's praise over the Venezuela and Iran military operations.

It was Rubio, and not devout Catholic convert Vance, that Trump dispatched to meet Pope Leo XIV this week amid tensions over Iran.

The White House's X feed on Tuesday even seemed to lean towards Rubio, announcing his press briefing with the caption "Another job?" and posting a picture of him on dozens of channels.

If it was a try-out for the top job itself, Rubio wasn't saying.

Rubio will know that two years is an eternity in politics -- and that the last former secretary of state to run for the presidency, Hillary Clinton, suffered a stunning loss to Trump.

Instead, he was content to bask in the attention at the podium, while keeping his ambitions to himself.

That includes whether he has an alternative identity as a DJ after a video clip at the weekend showed a besuited Rubio behind the decks at a wedding even as Iran negotiations continued.

"My DJ name? You're not ready for my DJ name," he said.

dk/md

(The Center Square) - Ohio voters elected party representatives for governor, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The election was the first since the Ohio legislature redrew congressional maps as part of a nationwide redistricting effort.

U.S. House

U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, held out against a Democratic primary challenge in his hotly contested district, according several outlets. The Ohio legislature redrew congressional district boundaries in October 2025. The new map could unseat Landsman.

Eric Conroy, an Air Force veteran and former CIA officer, will face off against Landsman in the newly apportioned district in November.

“I care deeply about policies that strengthen American competitiveness, support working families, ensure energy independence, and uphold the rule of law,” Conroy wrote.

Landsman has focused his campaign on lowering healthcare costs, including capping insulin. He also advocated for an increased minimum wage in Ohio.

U.S. Senate

U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, will compete against former Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in November’s general election. Husted ran unopposed in the Republican primary to fill the remainder of Vice President JD Vance’s term in the senate, which will end in 2028.

Brown easily beat challengers Ron Kincaid, a software developer. Brown is looking to reclaim the seat lost to Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024. Brown was first elected to Congress in 2006.

“Ohioans are fed up with the corruption and greed in Washington,” Brown wrote. “They deserve a senator who fights for working families, not CEOs and billionaires.”

Brown has attacked Husted’s voting record and called for bans of stock trading in Congress. He criticized Husted’s support of the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Governor

Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate, secured the Republican nomination for governor of Ohio. He fended off a challenge from Casey Putsch in the party primary competition.

Ramaswamy coasted through the primary election with an early endorsement from President Donald Trump, a former rival.

“I know Vivek well, competed against him, and he is something SPECIAL. He is Young, Strong, and Smart! Vivek is also a very good person, who truly loves our Country,” Trump wrote on social media Tuesday.

Ramaswamy will face off against Dr. Amy Acton, the unopposed Democrat challenger in the Ohio gubernatorial primary, in November. Acton is a physician and the former director of the Ohio Department of Public Health.

Acton has called for expanding Medicaid and fighting against further cuts to the healthcare program.

“I will fight against cuts to this life-saving program, whether they’re from Columbus or Congress,” Acton wrote.

Ohio voters will head back to the polls Nov. 3 to elect candidates for each seat and more across the state.

A teenager shot dead two staff members and injured two other people, including an 11-year-old girl, on Tuesday in the latest school shooting to rock Brazil.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested over the attack at Sao Jose Institute, a junior high school in Rio Branco, capital of northwestern Acre state, the local government said.

The injured girl was shot in the leg.

The teenager, who is a student at the school, entered the building and fired several shots in a hallway leading to the principal's office, Lieutenant Colonel Felipe Russo of the Acre military police department told reporters. 

He surrendered to police after the attack.

His stepfather, who owns the .380-caliber pistol used in the attack, was also arrested.

Police have identified other students who may have cooperated with the attacker, Russo added.

Eduardo Rodrigues Cavalcante, a receptionist at a hotel adjacent to the school, described scenes of terror, as some students tried to jump over a wall separating the school from the hotel.

"The wall is six meters high, and only one person managed to jump over and take refuge here in the hotel. The other people were left on the school roof trying to escape," the 19-year-old receptionist said, adding that he heard "gunshots and a lot of screaming."

Images released by a local media outlet showed a woman being evacuated on a stretcher and scenes of heartbreak outside the school, with people crying and hugging each other.

"In the face of this tragedy, the state expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, the school community of the Sao Jose Institute, and all education professionals affected by this event," the state government said.

It added that classes had been suspended for three days at all schools in the state and that psychological support teams had been mobilized to assist students and teachers.

Brazil has seen a sharp increase in attacks on educational institutions in recent years.

In September 2025, two teenagers were shot and killed, and three others were wounded at a school in the northeastern state of Ceara. 

In October 2023, a shooting at a school in Sao Paulo left a 17-year-old student dead and three others wounded. 

Shortly beforehand, a teenager was killed and three others were wounded in a knife attack as they left a school in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.

In April of the same year, a 25-year-old man entered a daycare center in the southern state of Santa Catarina and killed four children between the ages of 3 and 7 with an axe.

ll/cb/pnb

A man suspected of ploughing a car into a crowd in the German city of Leipzig, killing two people, was ordered into a psychiatric hospital by a judge on Tuesday.

The judge found "compelling reasons" to believe that the 33-year-old suspect carried out the attack "in a state of at least significantly diminished responsibility", prosecutors in Leipzig said in a statement.

The German national allegedly drove the vehicle Monday at high speed down a main street in the historic centre of the eastern city, leaving two people dead and several others wounded. 

Germany has been shaken by a series of car-ramming attacks in recent years, including one targeting a Christmas market in 2024 in Magdeburg, and others in Berlin and Munich.

The suspect in Leipzig was treated in a specialist psychiatric hospital from April 17 to 29, "due to his mental condition and with his consent", police and prosecutors revealed on Tuesday.

Authorities said they do not believe that the suspect, who was arrested at the scene, had any political or religious motive for the act -- but believe the car ramming was deliberate.

Prosecutors allege that the man "wanted to kill and seriously injure as many people as possible".

He had previously come to the police's attention this year for "making threats and for defamation-related offences," they said, without elaborating.

Regional health officials said in a separate statement to AFP that during his stay at the hospital he did not present a danger to himself or others. 

"There were therefore no medical grounds to prevent the patient, who was in the clinic of his own free will, from leaving the clinic or to detain him there against his will," they said.

Authorities declined to give further details about his condition, citing patient confidentiality.

A 63-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man, both German citizens, were killed in Monday's incident.

Six other people aged between 21 and 87 were injured, two of them seriously, police said. 

More than 80 people also received care "due to the psychological impact of what they experienced," they said.

- 'Deeply affected' -

The suspect is being investigated on suspicion of double murder and multiple counts of attempted murder, according to the police, who believe he acted alone.

He was expected to appear in court later Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the street where the deadly incident happened was still cordoned off as police searched the area.

At a church in the grounds of a nearby university, Heidi Rheinsdorf said she had travelled to Leipzig to show support to the local community.

Wiping back tears, the 32-year-old told AFP she was "shocked" when she heard about the car-ramming, adding: "I just don't understand why (the alleged perpetrator) did it.

"I just feel so sorry for the people."

University student Dalyan Unland, 20, said he was "deeply affected by the fact that people died... in a place where I walk every day". 

Lynn Sue Leiste said she had to muster all her courage to come and lay two white roses and a candle at a makeshift memorial at the church. 

The 25-year-old said she had been "extremely worried" as her sister was in the street at the time. 

The perpetrator "must be locked up forever", she said, adding that "security measures really could have been strengthened".

Many of the deadly car rampages Germany has seen in recent years were carried out by people who were found to have psychological problems.

The deadliest involved a Tunisian man with jihadist motives who ploughed a stolen truck through a Christmas market in Berlin in 2016, claiming 13 lives.

In 2024, a Christmas market in Magdeburg was targeted by a Saudi man, who drove a car into the crowd, killing six people and injuring more than 300. 

bur-sr/bst/ach