Today's top story: German government vows to toughen laws after jihadist attack on Pride event
The German government on Monday pledged tougher security laws following a deadly vehicle and machete attack blamed on a known jihadist militant near Berlin's Pride parade.
The attacker on Saturday ploughed a rented minivan into a crowd before slashing away at people with a machete, killing a 65-year-old Polish woman and wounding 29 others near the site of the LGBTQ+ community event.
Politicians, security experts and a police union asked why Abdul Ballout, 21 – who was shot dead by police on Sunday – was walking free and not under close surveillance despite previous convictions by a juvenile court and an attempt to join the so-called Islamic State group.
"The danger from this man was underestimated," Rolf Tophoven of the Institute for Terrorism Research and Security Policy told reporters, echoing widespread concerns.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, speaking to Bild daily, announced plans to toughen laws, including the increased use of electronic ankle monitors and preventive detention for individuals classified as security threats, without saying when such a bill may be introduced.
He also called for a reform of juvenile criminal law, which in Germany can cover defendants for offences committed up to the age of 20, arguing that "applying juvenile criminal law to adult individuals posing a security threat is unacceptable".
Saturday's attack shocked Germany and sparked a nationwide manhunt. Police commandos searching for the suspect Ballout shot him dead on Sunday evening as he approached them with a bladed weapon in an allotment complex in the capital's western Spandau district.
- 'The fight continues' - How Berlin is reacting to the deadly Pride attack
- Everything we know about the attack on Berlin's Pride parade
Germany braces for extreme heat
Germany is bracing for another intense spell of summer heat, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 39C in the Franconia region on Thursday, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).
The southwest of the country will begin heating up first, reaching around 33C on Tuesday before climbing to 37C on Wednesday, while northern Germany will remain noticeably cooler, with highs of around 22C.
By Thursday, the heat will spread across the country, with even coastal areas forecast to reach 31C.
Sunshine is expected to dominate much of Germany through midweek, although isolated thunderstorms could develop over the Alps before more localised storms become possible later on Thursday.
Authorities are also warning that the prolonged hot and dry weather is significantly increasing the risk of wildfires. Several regions remain under high fire danger alerts.
Health experts are urging residents to take precautions as temperatures rise. Older adults, young children, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions are considered most at risk.
Staying hydrated, avoiding strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day, and keeping homes as cool as possible all form part of the government's official heatwave advice.
ANALYSIS: Germany's aversion to air conditioning is melting in the heat
Baby elephant on the way at Munich's zoo
An elephant at Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo is set to welcome a baby, it emerged this week.
Asian elephant Temi is pregnant and expected to give birth to a calf in August 2027. The zoo said the pregnancy was confirmed earlier this year, marking the first expected addition to the elephant group since the loss of Otto about a year ago.
Otto, who was born at Hellabrunn in 2020, died in June 2025 from a herpesvirus infection. The zoo said his death significantly affected the herd, with the remaining five elephants needing time to establish a new social order. As highly social animals that live in close family groups, the loss of a herd member can change the group's entire social structure.
Keepers said the months following Otto's death were challenging, with tensions at times emerging between the female elephants.
A zoo spokeswoman said the situation has since improved, although the animals are still occasionally being separated while staff try to maintain harmony within the group.
The news is being warmly welcomed. "Following the challenges faced by the elephant herd last year, we are very pleased about this development," said zoo director Rasem Baban.
Germany's Mercedes-Benz writes off over €700 million on China woes
Premium German carmaker Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday reported falling profit at its car business as it wrote off over 700 million euros due to fierce competition in China.
Though overall net profit for the quarter rose 13.5 percent to 1.09 billion euros ($1.24 billion), boosted by its vans and financial services businesses, core earnings at the key cars division fell 26 percent to 909 million euros, Mercedes said, hit by competition in China.
The figure does not include a non-cash write-down of 704 million euros Mercedes booked in the value of its Chinese investments, indicating it sees lasting trouble ahead in the world's largest car market.
Including the write-down, profit at Mercedes-Benz's car business plummeted almost 94 percent.
"The Chinese market and customers in China remain of high strategic importance to Mercedes-Benz," the firm said in a statement.
"Intense competition, subdued demand and the portfolio-wide model changeover continued to affect sales," it added.
Premium German carmakers have not been spared the cutthroat Chinese competition that has also hit volume manufacturer Volkswagen.
Porsche on Monday said another 5,000 jobs would go by 2035, bringing total announced job cuts to 9,000, and BMW last month said it would prepare cost-cutting measures after slashing its core profit margin forecast for the year to as low as one percent.
