German prosecutors charge 2016 Christmas market attacker's friend for separate attack

German prosecutors have charged a 31-year-old Russian man, an acquaintance of the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attacker, with planning to carry out a separate attack in Germany, Die Zeit newspaper reported on Tuesday. The suspect, identified by authorities only as Magomed-Ali C., has been in custody pending investigations in Berlin since August.

Without identifying its sources, Die Zeit reported that the Russian was accused of planning a bomb attack in Germany with a friend and Amri. Amri, who killed 12 people in the Christmas market, was shot dead by police in Italy days after the attack in Berlin. No one at the prosecutors or the Berlin court were immediately available to comment. 

(With inputs from agencies.)