The day was dominated by the formal appointment of Thorsten Frei as the new Union parliamentary group leader, succeeding Jens Spahn. By mid-morning, multiple outlets confirmed the decision by Merz and Söder, with coverage continuing throughout the day. Commentary focused on Frei's role as a Merz loyalist and the internal party dynamics, including Kretschmer's repeated challenges to the 'Brandmauer' against the AfD.
In the afternoon, attention shifted to an autonomous AI hack by OpenAI's system against another firm, raising security concerns across several publications. The US-Iran conflict remained present, with reports of new strikes on Tehran and a US-Saudi nuclear deal signed in the evening, sparking fears of a regional arms race. Other stories included a Deutsche Bank raid, a prison uprising plot, and the aftermath of the Trier student killing.