The Brandenburg Gate is Berlin’s iconic neoclassical triumph, once a city gate, later a symbol of Germany’s division and reunification. Current news centers on security and political tensions around its surroundings as Germany debates migration and far-right extremism.
Two early‑season heatwaves have broken June temperature records across western Europe, pushing many locations above 40°C, triggering red alerts, disrupting transport and power, and causing dozens of deaths in France and other countries. Scientists have said human‑caused warming has made this event far more likely and night‑time temperatures have remained unusually high.
Glasgow Pride has marked 30 years since the first Pride event in 1996 with this year’s march through Glasgow, featuring corporate sponsors and performers. The event faced criticism over Coca-Cola sponsorship amid calls for a boycott linked to Middle East conflict and the broader debate over Pride branding vs. liberation.
A white van has driven into crowds in Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate during Berlin’s Christopher Street Day on Saturday night. Police have said one woman has died, multiple people have been injured and an intensive manhunt has been under way for a suspect believed to have Islamist links.
Authorities have identified 21-year-old Abdul Ballout as the suspect who has driven a van into a crowd near Berlin’s Christopher Street Day closing party, then stabbed people; one woman has died and about 29–31 people have been injured. Police have shot and killed Ballout after a manhunt, and investigators have found a video and other material referencing Islamic State on devices linked to him.
One person has died and several others are injured after a vehicle rammed into crowds at Berlin's Christopher Street Day celebrations near the Brandenburg Gate. Authorities identify Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese heritage, as the suspect with Islamist links. The case has sparked renewed calls for security measures and scrutiny of radicalisation pathways.
A 21-year-old German national, Abdul Ballout, has driven a van into crowds near Berlin's Pride festival, then stabbed others. One woman has died and numerous people are injured as authorities investigate an Islamic State link. Ballout has been killed in a police confrontation; prosecutors say he sought to join IS and had prior convictions. Investigations focus on how he moved freely after prior sentences.
Athletes face a late setback as Sawe withdraws from the BMW Berlin Marathon with an unspecified injury, while contenders in Sydney and London push toward potential records. The Berlin race remains a marquee event, with a women’s field led by Tigist Assefa and a reshaped men’s lineup after Sawe’s withdrawal.
Saxony-Anhalt has delivered a landslide for the AfD, with CDU’s share falling to 17% and the far-right party signaling coalition-building. Merz has acknowledged the defeat, pledging to press on with reforms as the party faces a reshaped national landscape.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has won roughly 44% of the vote in Saxony‑Anhalt, taking 39 of 83 seats and falling three short of an outright majority. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has condemned the result, calling the party's "remigration" plans ethnic cleansing, while international figures including Donald Trump and Elon Musk have praised the AfD's performance.