Jul 29, 2026, 09:00 PM UTC

German police in Berlin have shot and killed 21-year-old suspect Abdul Ballout following a fatal vehicle ramming at the city's Christopher Street Day parade. Authorities launched a citywide manhunt after a white van crashed into a crowd near Tiergarten park on Saturday evening, killing one woman and injuring 16 others.

Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese background, was located in the western borough of Spandau, where officers opened fire after he reportedly confronted them with a knife. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that initial evidence indicates an "Islamist attack." Federal and local law enforcement agencies are continuing their investigation into the suspect's background and potential network.

Sources: BBC News, Die Zeit, Koha, Tagesschau.

Following his election as leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group with 91.9 percent of the vote, Thorsten Frei takes charge during a period of political realignment for the German conservatives. Frei replaces Jens Spahn, who resigned over a controversy involving a surrogacy arrangement in the United States.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier officially appointed the new cabinet ministers for health and transport as part of a wider government reshuffle under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Despite internal dissatisfaction over the cabinet adjustments, the parliamentary vote demonstrated solid initial backing for Frei.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that Chancellor Merz intends to keep Spahn involved in party activities rather than sidelining him completely. However, political commentators highlight mounting internal skepticism toward Merz, characterizing his tenure as facing political turbulence despite the parliamentary group securing its leadership transition.

Sources: Der Spiegel, ORF, Tagesschau, Ukrinform.

Proceedings continued in Malta's courts as former chief of staff Keith Schembri testified in the murder trial of Yorgen Fenech, alleging that defence lawyers attempted to bribe a witness. The prosecution also called former crime scene officers to detail police operations following the 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Separately, 74-year-old John Agius faced formal charges in court following a shooting incident in Ta' Giorni that left two police officers injured. One officer remained in stable condition in hospital as legal proceedings against Agius commenced.

Concurrently, political scrutiny over Malta's energy infrastructure mounted. The opposition Nationalist Party requested a parliamentary debate on a National Audit Office report regarding the 2023 power cuts, arguing that recurring outages continue to damage the island's tourism industry. Environmental groups also reiterated calls for climate-resilient building standards to address the energy strain.

Sources: The Malta Independent

Leading artificial intelligence researchers have signed a petition calling on the US government to support international frameworks aimed at controlling the development of automated AI. Signatories include research leaders from OpenAI, Meta AI, and Google DeepMind, who warned that advanced AI models are approaching significant technical milestones.

The petition emerges alongside new trade measures enforced by the US Federal Communications Commission, which prohibit the import of foreign-made humanoid, bipedal, and quadrupedal robots without federal approval. US officials cited potential cybersecurity threats, surveillance risks, and espionage linked to networked machines, impacting foreign developers such as China-based Unitree. Separately, Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg voiced opposition to potential bans targeting Chinese AI software models.

Sources: Die Zeit, FAZ, ORF.

Irish musician and actor Glen Hansard has died at the age of 56 following a motorcycle accident in Lucan, a suburb of Dublin, according to his management and media reports.

Hansard first gained widespread recognition as the frontman for the Irish rock group The Frames and for his appearance in the 1991 film 'The Commitments'. He achieved international acclaim starring in the 2007 musical drama 'Once'. In 2008, he and co-star Markéta Irglová won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for 'Falling Slowly'.

Throughout his career, Hansard transitioned from street busking in Dublin to performing on international stages as a prominent folk and rock singer-songwriter.

Sources: La Vanguardia, Tagesschau, FAZ, Der Standard