A suspect in the attack on a Pride event in Berlin has been shot and killed by police. Authorities identified him as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, who was fatally shot at around 6pm in an allotment garden complex in the Spandau district.

Police believe the attack, which targeted a crowd attending an LGBTQ+ event, was an act of Islamist terrorism.

Germany has launched a nationwide manhunt after a suspected Islamist attacker drove a minivan into a crowd near Berlin’s Tiergarten park, killing one person and injuring at least 29 others.

The incident occurred around 10 p.m. near the Brandenburg Gate, close to celebrations for Christopher Street Day, one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ Pride events.

Germany has begun issuing a mandatory military service questionnaire to all citizens turning 18, marking a significant shift in defence policy more than a decade after conscription was suspended. While the government insists the measure stops short of a full draft, critics warn it effectively lays the groundwork for future compulsory service if voluntary recruitment fails. The move has reignited national debate around militarisation, youth consent, and Germany’s preparedness for a rapidly deteriorating European security environment.