Jul 28, 2026, 02:30 PM UTC

German police shot and killed 21-year-old Abdul Ballout following a vehicle attack at Berlin's Christopher Street Day parade that left one woman dead and 16 others injured.

The incident occurred late Saturday when a white van drove into a crowd near Tiergarten park. Authorities subsequently launched a citywide manhunt for Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese descent.

Officers located the suspect in the western borough of Spandau, where police opened fire after he reportedly charged at them armed with a knife. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt characterized the incident as an "Islamist attack" while federal and local agencies continue investigating the suspect's background and potential ties to extremist networks.

Sources: BBC News, Die Zeit, Koha, Tagesschau

Firefighters in southwestern France and Spain continue to battle expanding wildfires driven by severe heat and strong winds toward the outskirts of Bordeaux. Spanish authorities declared a national state of emergency, while French fire officials reported that an unprecedented pyrocumulonimbus cloud generated by the flames produced its own localized winds and lightning.

More than 42,000 hectares have been destroyed in France's Gironde region, contributing to 115,000 hectares burned nationwide this year. Evacuation estimates across both countries range from 250,000 to over 325,000 people, with at least 220,000 displaced in Gironde. Transport disruptions continue, including suspended rail service on the Bordeaux–Biarritz line and route modifications for the Tour de France. Meanwhile, French authorities opened arson investigations after three concurrent fires were set in the Var department.

Sources: BBC News, Der Standard, France24, Helsingin Sanomat, Le Figaro.

Oman has secured support from neighboring Gulf states for a compromise proposal aimed at resolving tensions over the Strait of Hormuz. According to regional insider reports, the plan would prevent Iran from exercising sole control over the critical maritime passage and introduce voluntary user fees modeled after navigation management in the Strait of Malacca.

In addition to maritime transit negotiations, Muscat is actively mediating between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi movement. Oman seeks to prevent further conflict in the Red Sea and stop the Houthis from entering wider regional hostilities alongside Iran. Despite diplomatic engagement, negotiations remain complex amid ongoing regional volatility.

Sources: ORF, Der Standard

Asian equity markets plummeted on Thursday as semiconductor stocks faced intense selling pressure, triggered by reports of a prospective technological breakthrough in Chinese chipmaking machinery.

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index dropped by over 10 percent during trading, prompting a temporary 20-minute suspension of market transactions in Seoul. Major domestic memory chip manufacturers suffered significant losses. Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei 225 fell by more than four percent, and Chinese equities touched a weekly low amid the regional downturn.

The market reaction reflects growing concerns among investors that emerging domestic machinery capabilities in China could intensify market competition for established Asian semiconductor suppliers.

Sources: Die Zeit, ORF.

French authorities in the southern city of Orange have launched an investigation following the discovery of five infant bodies inside a couple's residence.

The remains were found packed in cardboard boxes after a 32-year-old woman gave birth to a healthy child. According to initial reports, the woman's partner uncovered the remains while searching their apartment following the home birth and subsequently notified medical staff at a local hospital.

Law enforcement officials and prosecutors have ordered autopsies to determine the circumstances, timing, and causes of death for the five infants. Authorities have not yet released official findings as the inquiry remains ongoing.

Sources: Der Standard, ORF, TV 2 Nyheter.